Taken from The Odin Project's "Getting Hired as a Web Developer" section.
Why do I need a job?
I want to have my own place of live and be self-sustained. Eventually, I want to be locationally independent and be able to live or travel where I please. Ideally, I don’t want to have to worry about money.
What kind of salary level do I need to sustain myself and my family?
When I start out, depending on where I’m living, anywhere from __ to __ would be ideal. In the long run, I’d take a job with less hours and more freedom any day, as long as the salary was still enough for me to live comfortably.
What kind of job security level do I need to sustain myself?
I don’t particularly care about job security beyond knowing I’ll get a steady income for 6 months - 1 year.
How desperate am I to get a job right now?
Not desperate, but not content either. I don’t like inactivity.
Why do I want a job in web development?
I enjoy the combination of skills required to do web development, and I believe it matches my own skillset and interests quite well. I also think the web hasn't even begun to reach its full potential, and being along for the ride as the internet of things, big data, and machine learning take off will certainly be exciting.
If nothing else, web development is a field that not only encourages by necessitates continual learning,
What kind of career path do I want to have?
A varied one, which incorporates a lot of different abilities and insights from multiple fields. I enjoy journalism, media, technology, travel, and a host of other things, and the more I enjoy them the more I see parallels and similarities between them. I think I'd be putting my talents to waste if I pigeonholed myself into one market.
Do I want to work in a developer-led organization (vs sales- or business-led)?
Whether dev, sales, or business lead, I care about having leaders that recognize and have a decent grasp on fields outside their own.
Do I prefer working in a team environment or remotely?
I'm open to either! I enjoy the locational freedom of remote work but also appreciate the camaraderie and shared space of a physical office.
Do I like working long hours / weekends or 9-6?
I could for a period of my life, but for the indefinite future? Absolutely not. It's been proven time and time again that too much work results in negative productivity, especially when the work involved is heavily creative — which web development certainly is.
Indeed, I believe a majority of high-quality creative work is done is short 3 or 4 hour bursts with breaks inbetween.
Is the work more important than the people?
No. Work is never separate from people unless you delude yourself into thinking so. You are either working for someone or working for yourself, and in both cases you should view the work as a means to an end and not the end in itself. Whether you're creating a beautiful website, a complex algorithm, or a silly mobile game, your goal should be to create something of quality, something worthwhile, because it is these things that people can appreciate.
Do I have to care about the product I'm building?
Yes, I don't think I could do excellent work on a product I don't care about.
Do I have to care about the technologies I'm using?
I can't hate the technologies I'm using, but I don't have to love them either. Some technology takes time to warm up to, and I'm fine with that. That being said, if I'm able to work on technologies I enjoy using, that's a 1+ for me.
Do I prefer an "easy" work environment or one where I'm constantly pushed?
I don't mind being pushed, but ideally would work on stuff I enjoy enough that I don't need to be motivated. I should work hard because I want to, because I enjoy it.
Do I want "creature comfort" incentives like free food and beer at the office?
They're certainly nice!
Do I have to enjoy my work or can I power through a crappy job?
I absolutely have to enjoy my work and my coworkers. That's my first and most important requirement before I'd agree to work somewhere!
You should have at least an informal list of the things that matter to you. Now ruthlessly rank them. What are your non-negotiables and what are your nice-to-haves? Every company and opportunity will fall somewhere on the spectrum defined by those questions and they are the criteria you will later use to evaluate them. This will help you stay focused when considering opportunities and not spread yourself too thin chasing things that you wouldn't really choose anyway.
Make sure you know every one of your "must-haves" and your top 5 priorities for "nice-to-haves" in a job.
- Great coworkers I enjoy interacting and hanging out with.
- Work I enjoy and have personal interest in.
- Varied work that combines lot of different abilities and insights from multiple fields.
- A flexible work schedule where productivity is valued higher than number of hours worked.
- Work involving technology I enjoy using!
- Potential for remote work.
- Creature comforts like free food.
How hungry am I?
Very. I read pretty obessively and spend a huge chunk of my free time learning new things, I just need to make sure to direct and guide what I read and learn.
How good am I at building back end code?
Solid, although I do prefer front-end work. I think there's recently been a shift towards minimizing what the back end does until it's just a simple API, and letting the front end handle the user's side of things, and I'm quite capable of building up that simple API.
How good am I at putting together front ends?
I love the front end! I love trying out new frameworks like Angular and Backbone and I enjoy making stuff from scratch as well. I like designing (although I have a lot of room to improve) and learn new things about CSS every time I use it.
Can I solve really technical problems like brain teasers and algorithms?
Generally, yes. I have good proble msolving skills and quite logical and analytical. I don't have a very technical background in standard CS concepts (although I am reading up on them and taking online courses to resolve that), but if I am given a problem I am sure I would at least be able to form a base and lay out potential solutions.
Have I built projects that display a good range of skills?
Yes, I've built full-stack projects in a number of different frameworks, both with Ruby and Javascript.
Do I know people who can recommend me?
Yes, I know a good number of people both technical and otherwise that could recommend me.
Am I a good people person who builds relationships easily?
Do I portray an aura of confidence or act shy?
Do I tend to undersell myself and my capabilities?
Do I have a broad level of general tech knowledge?
Absolutely, I've been tinkering around with computers and reading stuff on the internet since I was a little kid, I'm very familiar with tech in general and try to keep up with recent advances in many fields.
Am I very familiar with a particular technical or industry vertical? (Usually career switchers have one)
I've been involved in a number of industries, but I'd say I spend most of my attention on the startup scene, music and music production industry, and the travel / remote worker industry.
Do I tend to procrastinate or do I just get shit done?
Do I wait to ask for help or do I go out and find the answer on my own?
I learn towards finding an answer on my own, although I don't hesitate to ask if I'm really stuck with something.
Do I lean in to challenges or avoid them?
What are some really difficult problems I've solved before?