What's your background?

Hallo! I’m Dimitri and I’m currently living in Germany. Since my childhood, I have been fascinated by machines and mechanical objects, but also by computers and the digital world. I am currently working full time as a mechanic for a large automotive company, but in the future I would like to work as a front end developer.

What inspired you to learn to code?

My interest in programming was actually awakened at an early age. Back in the programming course at school, we wrote programs for everyday life, such as a calculator or a to-do app. The course lasted a year and I forgot about programming a bit. (Some things were more important back then.) But about a year ago, I was talking to an old friend about our professions. He works as a full stack developer and told me about his everyday work that was very challenging and never boring. I miss that a lot in my current job.

How did Mimo Dev fit into your coding journey?

Before Mimo Dev, I did a few tutorials at freeCodeCamp and was also active on the Mimo app. But I also wanted to exchange ideas with other students and have a contact person I could talk to. On top of that, I was working full time in a difficult shift system. So Mimo Dev was perfect for me, because I could learn when I had the time and I had a contact person who could help me. When I had time, I also joined the group sessions. The Mimo Dev program is very well balanced in terms of projects and guided tasks. I can advise everyone to do as many projects as possible, as this is how you learn the most.

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Mimo Dev was perfect for me, because I could learn when I had the time and I had a contact person who could help me.

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How has Mimo Dev impacted your life?

Mimo Dev inspired me to take the path of a frontend developer. The most fun part was working in a group with other students (programmers). It was an extraordinary experience because it was important to work in a team, solve the problems and present a working product at the end.

How did the job search go for you?

While I was in the Mimo Dev program, I wasn’t looking for a job. I focused on the learning and that worked well for me. After the program I applied to about 20-25 job postings. Most of them rejected my application immediately. About 5 companies invited me to an interview, but working remotely wasn’t possible and relocating was not an option for me. Two companies invited me to a technical interview. At one of them (working with the frontend of Shopify environment called Liquid) I failed because I couldn’t figure out how to work with the new environment. With the other company the interview went well, but they decided to proceed with another candidate. I will not give up and will continue to look for a job that suits me.

I found my first freelance assignment for a facility management company near my town. I plan, design, code and publish their new website. I found the job through my network and besides having my first “real“ project that I can show in my portfolio, experience is what I am hoping to get.

What did Mimo Dev help you accomplish?

At Mimo Dev I was able to code and collaborate in a team and also learned how to code in different languages. The biggest milestones were the team project and my first own React application. Learning to code is about learning to solve problems from different perspectives. It also helped me to approach problems at my current work, where I’m more patient now.

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At Mimo Dev I was able to code and collaborate in a team and also learned how to code in different languages.

Any advice for those who are just starting to learn to code?

1. Do some programming every day. Whether reading, programming or watching instructional videos.
2. In my opinion, the best way to learn is to code your own projects. As many as you can. It’s hard and frustrating sometimes, but worth every minute.
3. Don’t pay attention to the learning pace of others. Every person is different and some get a job after a short time, others take longer. But it's important to stay consistent.
4. Don't listen to too many opinions about programming. It can easily confuse you and the IT industry is very fast-paced.

When you’re not coding, what do you do for fun?

In my free time I love doing sports, especially kickboxing and football are my passions.

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