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✏️ Journal #16 Discussion

As discussed in the Journaling at Epicodus lesson, each weekend you'll receive a journaling assignment in addition to your coding homework. You'll then discuss your responses with a partner at the beginning of the next class session.

Journal Response Discussion​

This section's Prompt​

You were asked to research companies and write responses to the following in your journal over the weekend, as detailed in the Journal #16 prompt:

  • Is this a mission I'm interested in? Are these values aligned with mine? If so, how can I ensure this is depicted in my cover letter or interview? Do I have past experiences I can mention, technical or not, that highlight my investment in this same mission/value(s)?
  • Do they create a product, or a service? Do they focus solely on tech, or do they hire developers to maintain a site/app for an otherwise non-technical endeavor? Do they have multiple locations? What types of positions do they hire? What types of clients do they have? What products are listed in the job posting you're applying for, or their job postings in general?
  • Is this a product/service I'm interested in? Do I understand how it works? If not, what do I need to learn or research further to fully understand before my interview? How can I demonstrate that my skill set is capable of creating/supporting/working on these same products and services?
  • Does this sound like an environment I would enjoy? An environment that would be productive for me and my career? How will this information about their culture influence the formality of tone in my cover letter, or other presentations of myself?
  • Which, if any, of these pieces of news should I keep in my back pocket as a conversation starter/icebreaker? How do I think this news could/would influence the job position for which I'm applying? Can I prepare any insightful questions about their work or trajectory based on this news?
  • Does this sound like a work environment I could do well in? Do I have any questions to further research after hearing employees' perspectives? If details about compensation and benefits are listed, do they meet my needs? What do past employees say about the culture? Did they feel supported?
  • Do I have common interests with the person I might interview with? Shared connections? How are they related to the job I'm applying for? Will they be my supervisor, manager, or senior developer?

Discussion Questions​

Discuss what you recorded in your journal with your partner.