Playing the Developer Job Search Game to Win in 2025 with Danny Thompson & Leon Noel [Podcast #188]
For this week's interview, we've got a special treat. I'm talking with two legends in the self-taught developer community.Danny Thompson worked for 10 years at a Tennessee gas station, frying chicken for people to eat, sometimes working 80 hour weeks just to provide for his family. And yet, Danny had ambition. He taught himself to code using freeCodeCamp. He built his network through local tech events. And eventually, he landed his first job as as software developer. He's since worked at tech companies like Google.
Leon Noel grew up with everyone telling him he had to become a doctor, lawyer, or dentist. He skipped college, taught himself programming, and had a successful exit with a startup. Leon then turned his attention to helping folks who were struggling during the pandemic. He started 100Devs, a charity which has helped thousands of people learn to code.
Danny and Leon run the Programming Podcast which you can find in the podcast player freeCodeCamp iPhone or Android app, along with other podcasts we recommend.
The following 45 minute conversation is almost entirely focused on the developer job market - perfect if you're looking to getting a new job.
You'll learn common misconceptions people have about Résumés, Recruiters, Applicant Tracking Systems, Knock Out Questions and more. We also talk about the Commit Your Code conference happening September 25 and 26 here in Dallas. Tickets are super cheap and all proceeds go to charity. I'll be there and I hope you'll be there, too.
A massive thank you to every single on of the 10,706 kind folks who support freeCodeCamp through a monthly donation. Join these kind folks and help our charity and our mission by going to https://donate.freecodecamp.org/
Links from our conversation:
- The Commit Your Code Conference: https://www.commityourcode.com/
- The Programming Podcast (listen in the freeCodeCamp iPhone / Android app)
- Danny on X/Twitter: https://x.com/DThompsonDev
- Leon on X/Twitter: https://x.com/leonnoel
Contents
(0:00:00) Developer News
(0:05:56) Welcome Back, Danny & Leon!
(0:06:20) The #1 Question: What's the Dev Job Market REALLY Like?
(0:07:25) The "Why Should I Hire You?" Test You're Probably Failing
(0:09:32) Stop Regurgitating Syntax - This is The Key to a Career
(0:11:15) What Does It Mean to "Play The Game" in Today's Market?
(0:13:26) You Have to Pass Interview #1 Before You Get to The Technical
(0:16:04) The 3 Stages of a Resume Review (It's More Than 6 Seconds)
(0:16:36) How to Break the "F Format" and Get Your Resume Read
(0:18:11) The Job Search is In Your Control
(0:21:02) 1000 Applications and No Calls? Here's What's Wrong.
(0:23:20) Are You Wasting Your Energy? How to Audit Your Job Search
(0:25:10) WARNING: Recruiters Are Trashing AI-Generated Resumes
(0:26:35) Bad Advice: Debunking Resume Keyword Stuffing
(0:28:19) Is a University Degree Still a Requirement?
(0:31:04) How Networking Helps You Bypass "Knockout Questions"
(0:34:54) Why Self-Taught Devs Are Considered a "Wild Card"
(0:40:53) The Future of Remote Work (and The Rise of Offshoring)
(0:47:50) The REAL "1 in 60" Rule for Getting a Job Offer
(0:50:31) The System IS Rigged Against You. Now What?
(0:53:24) About the "Commit Your Code" Conference
News items:
A new freeCodeCamp handbook shows experienced developers how to boost productivity with AI-assisted coding, while stressing the need for strong foundational skills. https://www.freecodecamp.org/news/how-to-become-an-expert-in-ai-assisted-coding-a-handbook-for-developers/
freeCodeCamp also released a 3-hour course on building an AI coding agent in Python from scratch. The agent can read, write, and execute code to automatically fix a buggy codebase. https://www.freecodecamp.org/news/build-an-ai-coding-agent-in-python/
An 11-hour comprehensive course from freeCodeCamp teaches Mandarin Chinese to absolute beginners, covering language fundamentals and preparation for the standardized HSK 1 exam. https://www.freecodecamp.org/news/learn-mandarin-chinese-for-beginners-full-hsk-1-level/
A new Python tutorial covers the graph algorithms behind services like Netflix and Google Maps, including Breadth-First Search, Depth-First Search, and Dijkstra’s Algorithm. https://www.freecodecamp.org/news/graph-algorithms-in-python-bfs-dfs-and-beyond/
A 25-year software veteran questions the productivity claims of AI coding tools, arguing that if the gains were real, we'd see a surge in "shovelware" and growth in metrics like new GitHub repos, which remain flat. https://mikelovesrobots.substack.com/p/wheres-the-shovelware-why-ai-coding
As a nod to the current AI investment bubble, this week's song recommendation is "Bubble Life" by Squarepusher, featuring impressive synth work and a complex bass solo. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bUpSAzUN5Vg Receive SMS online on sms24.me
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