Careers Foundations Course (How To)

In this Deep Dive, the Treehouse team shares expertise on focusing your passions, finding your path, identifying opportunities, and how to prepare yourself to get the job you want in the tech industry.

Self-Assessment

We explore how aspects of a "dream job" can inspire you to find realistic opportunities worth pursuing. Through self-assessment, you can discover not only what you are good at, but also what careers might be in store for you.

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• Introduction

  1:51

• In Search of the Dream Job

  5:21

• The Power of Self-Assessment

  7:47

• Dream Jobs and Self-Assessment

  5 questions

• Extra Credit

  Get Yourself a Notebook

  While many of us live on our digital devices, consider following C.C. Chapman's lead and getting a notebook for yourself - something small and easy to carry with you. Think about filling the pages with thoughts or sketches on project ideas, career plans, or whatever strikes you. You'll be amazed when you revisit the pages later as you might see your true passions illustrated before you.

  Online Self-Assessment

  EducationPlanner provides access to many helpful career and job evaluation tools.

  Please note: Unfortunately, CareerPath.com is no longer accessible.

Careers in the Tech Industry

Through a series of interviews with Treehouse teachers and more, we explore the current state of the tech industry, including how to get started as a web designer, developer, or app developer.

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• Understanding the Tech Landscape

  1:33

• Careers in Web Design

  17:53

• The Web Design Industry

  5 questions

• Careers in Web Development

  18:06

• Careers in Mobile Development

  13:35

• The Web Development and Mobile Development Industry

  5 questions

Setting Your Course

Through a personal analysis of strengths, weaknesses, needs and obligations, we will learn how a potential career path can be optimized to include opportunities worth considering.

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• Identifying Strengths & Weaknesses

  3:04

• Personal Needs & Obligations

  7:07

• Taking the Next Step

  5:25

• Setting Your Course

  5 questions

• Extra Credit

  Someone To Talk To

  Sometimes, it's difficult to share ideas for your career hopes or dreams, or even to take an honest look at yourself. Friends and family may know nothing about the job you might want, but they do know you. Consider talking to them about your ideas, and they may be able to connect what they know about you with an idea you have for your future.

  Online Communities

  If you're interested in a career in tech, many others out there are in the same boat. Consider finding professional forums, either on LinkedIn or more niche platforms like Dribbble and Github, to bounce your ideas off of those who may have the same experience you have.

Personal Branding

Developing your professional identity means establishing your personal brand online. In this series of videos, we will discuss how using website tools, social media, and online portfolios can reveal opportunities to network and establish credibility.

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• Introduction to Personal Branding

  1:19

• instruction

  Establishing Yourself Online

• Showing Off Your Work

  4:39

• Developing Your Personal Brand

  5:44

• Personal Branding

  6 questions

• Extra Credit

  Need Help Creating a Portfolio?

  In addition to learning HTML and CSS at Treehouse, you should also consider WordPress. Zac Gordon teaches a course on How to Build a WordPress Template and discusses how to build your own portfolio.

  Who Inspires You?

  If you're not sure which direction to go when developing your own online presence, look to those that inspire you. Visit platforms like Twitter and follow leaders in your industry: great designers, developers, authors, speakers, etc. What do their websites look like? Their portfolios? Their social media profiles?

  You don't have to copy your heroes, but emulating some of the things they do can give you a way to get started while giving you ideas on how to develop your own voice and presence.

Networking

Making connections in your industry - both online and offline - can lead to opportunities for new projects, collaborations, and career opportunities. We will discuss the best practices and strategies for networking while looking for projects and new employment.

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• Making Connections

  2:35

• Online Networks

  4:04

• Networking in the Real World

  6:21

• Best Practices

  10:45

• Networking

  5 questions

• Extra Credit

  Make a Real Connection

  You don't need thousands of followers to be successful. In fact, true success comes when you understand what's important to you, and you make it happen. Connecting with others that are along similar paths can help, and it's important for your career in the tech industry to try.

  If you're starting out, set a goal for yourself: attend one workshop, conference, or local talk this year. Try it out, meet some people, and talk to them. You'll be amazed to discover that events can be a great way to grow your professional network and perhaps get some work - or find a new job.

  But it might even be enough to inspire you to try something new. Attend a talk about a new programming language, framework, app, or something else you can learn. Even if you don't apply the knowledge, share your feedback with the speaker or organizer, and there's a chance you can start a new connection there as well.

The Job Search

Looking for a job requires important steps, including preparation and follow-through. We'll discuss what you could be doing wrong, where web professionals find job openings, and how self-assessment can benefit your search.

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• Self-Assessment

  4:21

• Curate Your Presence

  2:29

• Job Search Mistakes

  4:51

• Research

  3:58

• The Job Search

  6 questions

Applying & Interviewing

Job interviews aren't just an opportunity for a company to learn about you; it's where you can learn about the position and company. We'll discuss tips and best practices for applying for jobs, preparing for interviews and following up on job applications.

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• Reaching Out

  7:35

• Reaching Out

  5 questions

• Evaluating Responses

  5:25

• Preparation

  6:59

• Preparation

  5 questions

• Selling Yourself

  12:20

• Wrapping Up

  1:23

• Sell Yourself

  5 questions

Professional Development

Getting the job you want is just the next step in the journey along your career path. In this series of videos, we'll discuss some of the skills new employees must possess, how to further your own development, and opportunities to share what you've learned along the way.

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• Skills for New Employees

  6:18

• Continue Your Progress

  7:25

• Pay It Forward

  9:33

• The Journey Ahead

  4:35

• Final Exam: Careers Foundations

  10 questions

• Extra Credit

  Don't Stop Learning

  Our lives and careers are very busy, but you have to make the time. Once again, set a goal for yourself: read one new book each month, or refresh one website or project you manage each quarter. Set some dates, goals, and get to it. Share the project with others and grow your network.