Hi folks 👋🏼 First things first, let me introduce myself. I’m John McGuinness, a Senior Software Engineer with a deep love for frontend development and a passion for crafting top-notch code and delightful user experiences. I’d like to share with you a journey through my career as a software engineer, from my no-code beginnings to where I am now—a confident Senior Software Engineer. So, grab a cup of coffee, sit back, and let’s dive into my story.

Growing Up Tech Savvy 🎮

I would be remiss not to recognize and share how fortunate I was to grow up in a tech-savvy household. My father, a database architect and engineer himself, distilled in me a love for technology at a young age. Playing video games, editing and publishing videos to YouTube, and recording and producing music were not just hobbies but deep passions. Little did I know at the time, but all the time I spent learning to operate consoles, installing Minecraft mods, and customizing my digital audio work stations laid quite a strong foundation from which to start building my software engineering career.

The Bootcamp Beginnings 🥾

In early 2017, I was soon to graduate university and unsure of my next step. As fate would have it, I received an Instagram ad for Launch Academy, an immersive full-stack web development bootcamp. Intrigued, I took my first step by working/struggling through John Elder’s Intro to Ruby Programming. I deeply enjoyed the challenge. With the excitement of a promising new career with ample job opportunities at the time, I enrolled in Launch Academy.

At first, I felt like a total noob, clueless about many things. And yet, I was filled with excitement about the endless possibilities in the tech world. As I dove deeper into learning Ruby on Rails and React, I quickly realized that there was much to learn. It took long days, exhausting mental effort, and a whole lot of repetition to truly grasp new and foreign concepts. I found myself naturally gravitating towards the frontend. I completed my bootcamp with a peer-nominated best final project and interviews already lined up. I’m forever grateful for my time at Launch and my instructors and peers who taught, encouraged, and believed in me.

Officially a Junior Web Developer 👨🏼‍💻

With luck and preparation, I landed my first developer job two months after graduating Launch Academy as a Junior Web Developer at a small, local web application development company. It was a pivotal moment when I transitioned from being a student to being a full-time employee. My hours were more structured, and a few months in I even mustered up the courage to ask for a raise (I got it!). I learned valuable lessons in time management and writing production code for the first time. After about a year, the company faced tough times and I was unfortunately laid off.

Rising to Mid-Level 📈

With a lot of luck and preparation, the next phase of my career led me to Comcast in late 2018, where I made my way from Junior to Mid-level. It was a return to React and greenfield projects, where I had a lot of ownership and some incredible mentors who helped shape my professional growth (thank you Rob, Chris, Mary, and Pawan!). Leading several projects gave me confidence and the opportunity to firmly form and justify my own opinions on software engineering decisions.

Then came my stint at Music Choice in early 2020, where I continued to expand my knowledge and get a truer taste of building for a vast userbase. I thoroughly enjoyed the opportunity to work on a music product with a fantastic cross-disciplinary team. I found another kind mentor in my manager who taught me valuable lessons in collaborative programming, code review, and leading by example (thank you, Chris!). My team and I successfully overhauled a music streaming application to a new framework and UI. Subsequently, I had one of my best performance reviews in which I received a 30% raise! My Music Choice experience boosted my confidence immensely and birthed a desire to take on bigger challenges.

Joining Spotify and Facing Adversity 🎶

With even more luck and preparation, I landed a role at Spotify as a Web Engineer II working on the Desktop and Web Player in the autumn of 2022. It did not come easy. I put more effort than ever into studying and preparing for interviews. In my first month, I felt like I learned a year’s worth of knowledge! I got to work together with some of the brightest, friendliest engineers I had ever met. It was a dream come true—contributing to a world-class product with an amazing new team.

However, life threw me a curveball at the end of January 2023 when I got laid off (along with all my immediate teammates and ~600 others) only four months after beginning my role at Spotify. It was a devastating blow. Frankly, a time filled with a lot of self-doubt and depression. Nonetheless, I pressed on, studying even harder than ever before, with the much-needed support of my family, friends, and former colleagues.

A New Chapter 📖

After several months of unemployment and a truly drudging job search, I found a role at Rhino as a Senior Software Engineer halfway through 2023. As I write this, I’m still within my first 90 days, but I’m happy to share how much I’m enjoying working on a new product with such kind and capable teammates as I return to my Ruby on Rails roots while bringing my 5 years of frontend engineering experience to the table. The future feels bright!

Embracing the Journey 💫

So, there you have it—my journey from coding bootcamp to a confident Senior Software Engineer. It has certainly had its ups and downs, but each experience has been a stepping stone towards personal and professional growth.

I remind myself that a career is a journey. It’s okay, better yet, expected to stumble along the way. It’s fine to not know things. The key is to keep learning, keep growing, and never stop pursuing your passions in the field. Who knows where your journey might take you next?

Thanks for joining me on this ride. Until next time, cheers! ☕️