I originally wrote this for my profile seeking a mentor on PHPMentoring.org. I thought it summarized really well how I got here and where I hope to go with my career, so I thought it was worth including on the ol’ blog as well.
Hi! My name is Dennis. I am very excited that a mentoring resource like PHPMentoring.org exists and I am hoping to establish a mutually beneficial (and awesomely fulfilling) mentor/mentee relationship of my own.
BACKGROUND
I got into application development 15 years ago using Coldfusion. I built a lot of CRUD web applications for students attending a college. 8 years later, my technology was phased out and I moved into project management. I missed being hands on and found an opportunity to do WordPress development building marketing websites, which I’ve done for the last 5 years. This is where I became introduced to PHP.
I enjoyed my last job, but it still wasn’t completely fulfilling. It made me realize I want to be a more serious programmer, solving real business problems and opportunities. So, at the beginning of the year I actually quit to focus full-time on learning and building a portfolio, with the hope that at the end of the process I could eventually find a job as a PHP application developer. It was a little gutsy, but I felt like it was a smart investment in my future, and also serves as an example of my seriousness about making a career change.
WHERE I AM NOW
Since quitting my job, I’ve read multiple books on PHP development, with the last few on OOD, design patterns, and modern best practices. At this point I need to take my book learning and apply it. This is an area where I think a good mentor can help, as a guide and an occasional reviewer to make suggestions and point out areas for improvement.
WHAT I BRING TO THE TABLE
I’ve got a lot of drive and am a good self learner. I am excited, motivated to learn, goal driven, and have technical aptitude.
WHAT I AM LOOKING FOR
Someone excited about helping others to learn real world development best practices in PHP. Someone with a proven track record of mentoring. Someone excited to have a kick ass mentee ready to soak up and apply everything they can learn. I’m looking for an awesome, fulfilling, motivating relationship that will hopefully last beyond the portfolio building process. My first, great connection to the PHP community.
What I’m not expecting is someone to spend all of their time with me or build my portfolio.
THANK YOU
I’m looking forward to the new connections soon to be made. I can be reached through PHPMentoring.org, @DLoBoston, or WebDevDLo on gmail. You can also learn a little bit more about me at DigitalDLo.com. Thanks!