240: Create a Learning Roadmap but Also Let Curiosity Take You in New Directions with Madison Kanna

Phil's guest on this episode of the IT Career Energizer podcast is Madison Kanna. She is a software developer working at Keeper Security.  Madison is also the host of the CodeBookClub, an online community with live online meetups for beginners and intermediate developers.  She blogs about JavaScript and teaching yourself how to code without attending a Bootcamp.    In this episode, Phil and Madison Kanna discuss how someone who is new to the industry can map out what they will learn and in what order. Madison explains how to motivate and organize yourself to acquire the knowledge you need.     KEY TAKEAWAYS: (3.22) TOP CAREER TIP If you are a new developer, create a curriculum for yourself. Try to map out what you will learn. Knowing, in advance, what step you are going to take next will help you to keep momentum, so your career does not end up stalling before it has really got started.   (5.41) WORST CAREER MOMENT Early in her career, Madison just did not enjoy her work. The firm she worked for did not believe in mentoring or collaborative working. So, she had to basically teach herself at night and during the weekends.   It was a tough time for her. But it taught her that sometimes you just have to be your own mentor. It also made her realize that you need to recognize when something is not right for you and not be afraid to move on.   (8.05) CAREER HIGHLIGHT For Madison, joining Keeper Security has been a career highlight. Working in a truly collaborative environment has helped her to grow her skillset far faster.   Releasing her free JavaScript course, a couple of years ago, was another highlight. It played a big role in enabling her to figure out what she did and didn´t understand. Pushing her to learn more about JavaScript and do so in a structured way.   (9.05) THE FUTURE OF CAREERS IN I.T Madison is excited by the current developments surrounding JavaScript. It still has a lot to offer and sites like Egghead.io are making it far easier for people to keep up with the changes.   (10.05) THE REVEAL What first attracted you to a career in I.T.? – Madison took a coding tutorial and was hooked immediately. What's the best career advice you received? – You don´t have to be the smartest person on the team. What's the worst career advice you received? – Learn at least two more languages at the same time as learning JavaScript. What would you do if you started your career now? – Draw up a roadmap to ensure that she was on the right track from the very start and wasted no energy wondering what to do next. What are your current career objectives? – Madison wants to learn more about JavaScript, React and cryptography. What's your number one non-technical skill? – Being an effective learner. How do you keep your own career energized? – Running the CodeBookClub. What do you do away from technology? – Madison loves to work out and spending time with her family. She also reads a lot.   (13.07) FINAL CAREER TIP Figure out what you are curious about and learn about that. Don`t just stick to learning the things you need for your job and the sector you work in. Learning about unrelated things that you are curious about will take you to new places and enable you to acquire fresh skills.   BEST MOMENTS (4.04) – Madison - "If you want to become a developer, create a plan for what you'll learn and when you'll learn and which courses you'll take." (7.13) – Madison - "Sometimes, to prevent your career from stalling, you will have to be your own mentor." (10.50) – Madison - "Surround yourself with people who know more than you, it is the fastest way to learn." (13.05) – Madison - "Figure out what you are curious about and learn about that."   ABOUT THE HOST – PHIL BURGESS Phil Burgess is an independent IT consultant who has spent the last 20 years helping organizations to design, develop and implement software solutions.  Phil has always had an interest in helping others to develop and advance their careers.  And in 2017 Phil started the I.T. Career Energizer podcast to try to help as many people as possible to learn from the career advice and experiences of those that have been, and still are, on that same career journey.   CONTACT THE HOST – PHIL BURGESS Phil can be contacted through the following Social Media platforms:   Twitter: https://twitter.com/philtechcareer LinkedIn: https://uk.linkedin.com/in/philburgess Facebook: https://facebook.com/philtechcareer Instagram: https://instagram.com/philtechcareer Website: https://itcareerenergizer.com/contact   Phil is also reachable by email at [email protected] and via the podcast's website, https://itcareerenergizer.com Join the I.T. Career Energizer Community on Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/groups/ITCareerEnergizer   ABOUT THE GUEST – MADISON KANNA Madison Kanna is a software developer working at Keeper Security.  Madison is also the host of the CodeBookClub, an online community with live online meetups for beginners and intermediate developers.  She blogs about JavaScript and teaching yourself how to code without attending a Bootcamp.   CONTACT THE GUEST – MADISON KANNA Madison Kanna can be contacted through the following Social Media platforms:   Twitter: https://twitter.com/Madisonkanna LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/madison-kanna/ Website: https://madisonkanna.com/