Meet Tom Haxell, one of our Part-Time Web Development Instructors here at HackerYou. Tom is a freelance Web Developer and Part-Time Web Development and Bootcamp grad who has created sites for large corporations, startups, and small mom & pop businesses. He loves coding, camping, reading, and watching the Leafs.
Q: Why do you love being a developer? A: I find each day I'm learning something new. Everyday I'm faced with new challenges and I need to find a way to solve them. I enjoy coming up with solutions and building out something really cool with just a few lines of code.
Q: What's the most important quality that you think every developer needs to be successful? A: Grit. The ability to stick with it and to keep learning. As I said before you're going to be challenged daily and it's up to you to take a breath and keep moving forward.
Q: What new technology are you most excited about right now? A: I'm really looking forward to implementing CSS Grids in my upcoming projects. Grids is going to change how we design and build out sites.
Q: What new skill are you learning right now/would you most like to learn? A: I'm currently learning the ins and outs of CSS Grids.
Q: What's your favourite HackerYou memory or favourite HackerYou tradition? A: I love HackerYou's Slack group. The group is always active, people are asking questions, discussing new ideas, and offering up leads on jobs and projects. It's a fantastic community to be a part of.
Q: Tell us something you've learned during your career that you wish you knew when you were starting out. A: When I first started I thought that there would just be a point where I knew pretty much everything I needed to know as a developer. I was so wrong. I'm learning something new everyday and there's always something new out there.
Q: What is your advice for someone who is thinking about switching into the tech industry or becoming a developer? A: There are a lot of opportunities in this industry. If you're thinking about becoming a developer try taking an online course first or attending a CLC (Canada Learning Code) workshop. If you like it then come talk to someone at HackerYou. Before I touched a line of code I thought coding was typing 10110 again and again on a green screen. Coding is a lot more user friendly and fun than that. Take a chance on coding - I think you'll like what you find.
Ready to dive in and start learning with Tom? Apply today to get started!