small updates...

So as I mentioned in the previous post, I started the JavaScript portion of 100devs. At the same time, I also accepted an offer to be an agency technical recruiter, made a small project on Figma for the first time, and started learning more about UX/UI.

technical recruiter

*none of this is about my current company, rather it's an observation about recruitment in general*

*this was not about the job offer I accepted*

I recently accepted a position as a technical recruiter with a large agency. I'm very excited to be working "in tech" and to be focused on career growth and professional development. I hope I'm able to be a helpful resource to some of the folks who've helped me progress this far.

One concern I have going into this role is the emphasis on sales and metrics and commissions. I understand that recruitment is a sales role, but it would almost make more sense if it...wasn't.

The focus of recruitment should be to find a candidate who meets the needs and requirements of the role and to match candidates with roles that suit their goals. And while that's still a major foundation for the position, it almost seems like, at least for agencies, other metrics might matter a bit more than placement alone. Measuring things like the number of potential candidates you can get on the phone, or how many LinkedIn messages you send takes the focus off of the end goal, at least in my opinion. Plus, are the skills that make someone a good recruiter the same as those that would help one excel as a salesperson?

Should they be the same?

It almost feels like recruiters should have more of a focus on potential candidate relationship building, understanding the requirements and needs of the role/company, and then matching the two and coaching the candidate through the process. That's it. No reaching out a million times to people who barely fit the requirements, no cold calling folks who aren't even looking for a role, no optimizing interactions to max out commission potential.

But maybe that's idealist. Perhaps I'll feel differently after a few months on the job.

Leading up to the offer letter, I'd interviewed with several other companies and received other offers, and there's more to say here about the lack of diversity, emphasis on unpaid post-work social gatherings, and culture of office drinking, but that's a whole different conversation.

moving on.

my Figma project

An image from the figma resume site

Some of you may have seen an image I shared of a Figma project I was working on for a job application. I created a site to serve as my resume and cover letter and explain why I was a good fit and what I was looking for. In the end, I didn't apply, but I enjoyed Figma and started watching tutorials to see what elements I could've used to improve my design. It reminded me of Photoshop and Indesign work from college and was a nostalgic experience.

An image from the figma resume site

While working on this design, I started to hear and learn more about UX design (it was pretty much the only thing that comes up when you search for "Figma") and was immediately drawn to it in a way that I wasn't with development. I found myself excited to be creating and focusing on design again.

An image from the figma resume site

Don't get me wrong, I love the aspects of the Front-end I've learned so far, but it's been slow going trying to learn while working, job hunting, moving, and just generally being super busy. That said, I do think I want to at least finish the Front-end component of 100Devs. These are skills I'm so proud to have and love using, and I don't want to lose them.

This is around the time I started to consider dipping my toe a bit deeper into UX design and figure out what it's all about.

the Google UX design course

A few months ago I joined an organization called the Blacks in Technology Foundation (yes I'm cringing at "Blacks" but they offer a lot of resources so I'm letting it slide) and gained access to a long list of resources for those looking to start or progress a career in several technical roles. I had been planning to make use of some of the Software Engineering resources after completing 100devs, but now I revisited it with a different goal in mind.

The foundation offered free access to Google's professional career certificates on Coursera, and though I originally did not think it would be useful (since Coursera kinda..sucks) I started it anyway. I've only finished the first of seven courses but it has been such a valuable method of learning for me, I'm shocked. It's been very helpful to understand exactly what UX is, what roles fall under the UX umbrella, and what a career in UX might look like.

I'm pleasantly surprised with my experience thus far and am considering starting a blog series to document the most important (or maybe most impactful) lessons learned from the course. It might be helpful to others who want to understand the field or who are on the fence about the certification.

I would like to mention that I did receive this course for free and that if I had to pay the Coursera fee of $39 per month I would no longer be taking it. It's helpful to have a course that rounds up the most important information and lays it out step by step, but there are other ways to learn that are cheaper if not free. Coursera also offers financial aid and the ability to audit the course (completing without graded work or earning the certificate, for free).

*this is not a paid advertisement for Coursera*

Anyway, that's all I've got for y'all.

I'll be coming back soon to write about my experience with course 1, but for now, Happy Friday!