Dylan's Journey: In Search of an Apprenticeship

Hello, Dylan, could you introduce yourself briefly?

Of course! First of all, hello to all those reading, how are you?

My name is Dylan, a young developer who switched careers a year ago. I'm a guy who absolutely loves learning a bunch of things, especially in the tech field. I'm not a coding powerhouse, but I'm determined enough to achieve all my goals in the medium to long term.

What's your background? (Education/previous jobs)

I have a very unconventional background.

If you, who's currently reading this, haven't pursued much education or none at all, know that you're not alone. Even if you feel "not great" because you haven't gone far in school, EVERYTHING is possible, even without formal education (thankfully).

I dropped out of school at 16 due to family issues. I don't have a diploma or a degree. However, despite the lack of formal education, I have a hunger for life. I started working at 16 – in a volunteer program - and as I grew up, I had quite a bit of experience (more than thirty jobs) without ever finding the right fit. "Try it and you'll see" and "The greater the struggle, the greater the victory." Two phrases that changed my life. Fighting on a daily basis isn't easy, but the end result is so rewarding that the journey becomes more pleasant over time.

After working for 2 years at a luxury furniture company as an online sales manager, I decided to quit and learn something that had caught my eye for years (you've probably guessed what it is): web development. No, of course, it's not pony riding, we understand each other ;).

During my transition, I created my Twitter account (@ouestdylan) where I started sharing my journey, fears, desires, and craziness, etc.

After a six-month bootcamp, I realized that the profession is quite complicated, but I want to learn more to become a coding powerhouse. Today, after several rejections to find an apprenticeship, and a huge disappointment, I decided to start freelancing alongside my day job. For now, I handle the business side of a sole proprietorship I created with my developer partner. Since I've always been in business, I try to connect what I KNOW HOW TO DO with what I love. Clients are starting to come, and our work is bearing fruit. The end goal: a PERFECT job (or at least, we're trying by learning new things every day).

That's it.

YOU CAN DO IT TOO!

What training allowed you to learn coding?

I chose the "Full Stack Developer" training for 6 months with the online school O'Clock.

You're looking for an apprenticeship and for the moment, you're doing a day job, can you tell us about the difficulty of finding an apprenticeship even in a big city like Paris?

Absolutely. Coming out of training, I was confronted with the harsh reality of the current job market. When I started looking for an apprenticeship, I thought to myself, "I live in Paris, it'll be easy to find"... Illusion.

I never had trouble finding work in general, but I have to say that after a huge number of applications, I had to do things differently. In fact, I had to:

• Take up a day job,
• See how I could combine my so-called "day job" and what I'd like to do (web development).

I decided to start my own business with a partner, so that in the near future, I could start a web agency. At the beginning, I'll only have to manage the business side, and gradually I'll get back into web development.

Whether in Paris or not, from what I've seen, job hunting in this field is very complicated today.

If you put in the effort, have time, you'll find, and that's a fact. Don't worry 💪

What do you like the most about your web development job?

I really enjoy learning new skills every day, perfecting what you already know to become better. The job of a developer is complex, which means you really need to become good to secure a place in the field. I find that incredibly motivating!

What bothers you the most in this job?

I'd say the pressure we developers put on ourselves every day. Indeed, I've seen many developers, like myself, who put tremendous pressure on themselves every day to become better. I think that's great, but only on a small scale; in the long run, it can be very harmful in my opinion.

What does a typical day with Dylan look like?

I wake up: I think about my day, I thank the heavens for allowing me to experience this day, I meditate a bit, and then I head to the shower - ideally cold.

Big coffee, "breakfast", at my place, I'd call it more of a "big lunch".

I get all spruced up, I read a bit if I have time, and then I head to work until evening.

In the evening, I go to the gym after work until 11 PM, then I work a bit on the business aspects of the websites we make for our clients, and after that, well, I sleep - due to lack of time.

When I'm off:

Same as in the morning, often with more time for meditation.

I like playing video games, it relaxes me mentally.

I plan my day, I force myself not to do much to maintain mental balance.

I read, I draw, I write, I see friends, I wander.

And you, readers?

What technologies do you use on a daily basis?

React - CSS.

That's it, for now.

Do you have any advice for those who want to pursue the same career as you?

GO FOR IT AND YOU'LL SEE.

However, one thing I can tell you, as you read this: Be careful. Don't have false illusions, like I did, please.

The web world is cool, there's and will always be work in the coming years. BUT know that the market is quite competitive today, especially when you come out of a bootcamp. I feel like companies don't like us much.

I advise you to go for it, work hard, and adapt - always adapt.

It's important to understand that only your hard work will make you stand out. Come talk to me on Twitter if you want to discuss all of this more deeply, I'm waiting for you!! @ouestdylan.

Any recommended resources? (Books, websites, podcasts…)

Absolutely! I'll give you a top 3.

For books:

1. DEEP WORK - Cal Newport
2. The Alchemist - Paulo Coelho
3. The 5 Wounds That Prevent You from Being Yourself - Lise Bourbeau

For websites:

1. Coloors.co (for amazing colors)
2. Dribbble (for inspiration)
3. Reddit (for IT news and more)

Where can we find you online?

Mainly on Twitter: @ouestdylan.

Thank you for reading! 🙂