Chan with a Plan

Why free learning can be expensive, time consuming and unproductive

EPISODE SUMMARY
Max discusses why if you're serious in learning a new skill that it's best to invest financially from the start to build your foundation, then trying the free route and figuring things out through trial and error. Based on this past week's episode with Emily Hill on how to be a software developer and make 6 figures without a degree. 
 
TIMESTAMPS
[2:06] The more money you invest the more you will be committed to the process
[3:34] The importance and value of accountability and getting real customized feedback 
 
RESOURCES & RELEVANT LINKS
Chan With A Plan
Chan With A Plan Facebook Group

How to be a software developer and make 6 figures without a degree

EPISODE SUMMARY
In this episode of Chan With A Plan, host Max Chan speaks with Emily Hill, Founder of Joy of Coding Academy. In this conversation Emily discusses how she started the Joy of Coding Academy school, and how she is able to train anyone with a non-technical background to be a 6 figure developer within 6 months as long as they put in consistent work. 
 
QUOTES
“We need everybody involved in designing and developing software. That's why I do what I do. Because right now, the only software we have is being created by the people that just got it. But there's so much value when you bring in other areas of expertise, everyone has a superpower, like, we're all looking to find and share our superpowers.”- Emily Hill
“What differentiates [a 6 figure developer with a 5 figure developer] is that a 5 figure developer is not going to have any experience working on a team. And they're not going to know that much. They might know HTML, CSS, and some JavaScript with the web stack. But they may not have experienced the major framework, they probably don't have a lot of back end skills, they may not be very good problem solvers, they're getting their foot in the door, and they're getting tried out.” - Emily Hill
“There's only one requirement, you don't have to be a math whiz, you don't have to be a genius, you don't have to be able to work 24/7. But you do have to be able to show up and practice and do the work. So that's like two hours a day, can you cut out two hours a day to invest in your dream of becoming a six figure developer, and if you can't, it's not going to work.” - Emily Hill
 
TIMESTAMPS
[1:18] Meet Emily
[5:38] The difference between programming and computer science
[7:17] How Emily learned computer programming languages on her own
[14:29] How Emily landed her first job as a programmer and how she developed the Joy of Coding Academy to teach others
[18:29] The essential programming language to learn first
[21:17] How Emily condensed her curriculum to 6 months 
[23:12] The 7 fundamentals of computer programming
[23:53] Common obstacles Emily’s students have faced when learning programming
[25:16] Difference between The Joy of Coding Academy and a bootcamp
[30:52] How Emily helps her students with their job search
[32:16] Difference between a 6 figure programmer and a 5 figure programmer
[36:28] How to continue to build up your skills once you graduated from the academy and landed your first job
[40:52] The mindset you need to have if you want to learn to become a programmer
[42:45] Biggest challenge in starting up the Joy of Coding Academy
[44:56] Biggest career challenge Emily has faced, and what steps she took to overcome it to get to where she is today 
[46:32] Contacting Emily
[47:49] Outro
 
RESOURCES & RELEVANT LINKS
Joy of Coding Academy Website
Joy of Coding Academy Facebook Group
Chan With A Plan
Chan With A Plan Facebook Group

Transferable Skills: How to Use Them to Land Your Next Job

EPISODE SUMMARY
Max discusses his strategy on how you can lean into your transferable skills to resonate with your target audience to help you pivot and land your next job in a new type of role and/or industry. Based on this past week's episode with JD Elliott on how to transition from military to Corporate America. 
 
TIMESTAMPS
[1:11] The importance of doing your research
[2:17] Removing technical terms and jargon that is only relevant in your current role and/or industry
[3:19] The importance of networking to help you find out what hiring managers really want in their next hire to help you craft a strategy to pivot to your next role successfully
 
RESOURCES & RELEVANT LINKS
Chan With A Plan
Chan With A Plan Facebook Group

How to transition from military to corporate america

EPISODE SUMMARY
In this episode of Chan With A Plan, host Max Chan speaks with Joshua David (JD) Elliott, a former military member who is currently a headhunter for Lucas Group, a Korn Ferry Company and a Podcast Host for the podcast The Military Corporate Survival Guide. In this conversation JD discusses his transition from the military to Corporate America and provides advice and strategies to other military members that are looking to do the same. 
 
QUOTES
“Another struggle I had was the idea that it's okay, if I mess up. Because in the entrepreneurial world, for example, or in the corporate world, whatever's going on, you learn through failure, you get so much more data from failure than you do from success. However, in the military, if you fail, there's a chance someone's going to die.” - JD Elliott
“[When it comes to pursuing further education] it really comes down to what they want to do from a salary perspective. Right now, it's a hot job environment. It really doesn't matter. And when I'm looking at MBAs, for example, unless it's Harvard, Yale, Princeton, I don't advertise you as having an MBA, I advertise your military experience, because there's a lot of people with MBAs, that are just not worth it. That's really what it comes down to.” - JD Elliott
“When I had interviews with, you know, Fortune 100 companies. Looking back, I see now that I came across as a bit on the cocky and arrogant side, which is not okay. Corporations are looking for someone who is teachable, who is hungry, and is willing to learn. So the biggest mistake, and I've had people that have made it to final rounds of interviews, and every one that failed, has come down to the fact that they thought highly of their skill sets more than they should have.” - JD Elliott
 
TIMESTAMPS
[1:00] Meet JD
[2:19] How JD pivoted from military to Corporate America
[4:26] Challenges that JD faced from pivoting from military to entrepreneurship 
[7:10] How JD’s experience in the military made him more effective in Corporate America
[8:11] Common challenges and fears military members have when they try to get into corporate and solutions to resolve them
[14:47] Discussing whether military members that want to get into Corporate America should go back to school and further their education first
[16:12] Common reasons why military members leave the military to pursue a corporate career
[17:20] Roles military members should look at right away to ease their transition into a corporate career
[19:49] The benefits for military members to use a recruitment agency to land a corporate role
[20:45] Common interview mistakes military members make
[24:51] Why some military members should stay in the military and not make the switch to corporate
[27:37] JD’s experience with the military and why he decided to join
[28:46] Why you should consider joining the military
[30:22] Learning lessons that JD had throughout his career and what advice he would give someone to grow their income and live a more fulfilling life
[33:54] Strategies on how not to overspend
[35:47] A career challenge JD is currently working on, and what he is doing to overcome it to become who he truly wants to be
[36:59] Contacting JD
[38:20] Outro
 
RESOURCES & RELEVANT LINKS
Military to Corporate The Survival Guide Podcast
Chan With A Plan
Chan With A Plan Facebook Group

How to be resourceful and succeed in your career

EPISODE SUMMARY
Max discusses why you shouldn't give up if something isn't going your way and how persistence and overcoming obstacles will be the X factor in helping you achieve your goals, not raw talent. Based on this past week's episode with Mike Motter on the struggles of finding a job with autism and how to take proper action to get your dream job.
 
TIMESTAMPS
[0:57] Why you should not give up on your goal if something isn't working and how pivoting is the right mindset to achieve any goal you set your mind to.
 
RESOURCES & RELEVANT LINKS
Chan With A Plan
Chan With A Plan Facebook Group

The struggles of finding a job with autism and how to take proper action to get your dream job

EPISODE SUMMARY
In this episode of Chan With A Plan, host Max Chan speaks with Mike Motter, an autistic professional with a mission to educate individuals on autism and how to effectively interact with autistic people in the workplace to make them feel welcome and feel they are a major contributor to the team and organization. In this conversation Mike discusses his career struggles as an autistic individual and what actions he took to help him land his dream job. 
 
QUOTES
“So the number being tossed around right now is that 80% of autistic people are either unemployed or underemployed. Now underemployed would be like I was before I got my Master's degree. I was driving a forklift in a warehouse, even though I had a college degree. That's just one example of being underemployed. Most autistic people I know, a lot of them don't even have a degree.” - Mike Motter
“Autism still isn't well understood. Because up until a few years ago, if you said autism in any case or capacity, people would associate that with people like who are nonverbal and don't have an executive function and can't take care of themselves and wouldn't be applying for these kinds of jobs in the first place. But recently, we found out that you can be autistic and you can be in a traditional work environment with some accommodations. Some people just don't know that. So if you tell them you're autistic, that's why they are probably going to be turned off by it.” - Mike Motter
“[When I didn’t get the job I really wanted] I really got disheartened and wondered if I was ever going to find a job. Then I started looking up neurodiversity hiring initiatives, just to see if they existed, and turns out they do.” - Mike Motter
 
TIMESTAMPS
[0:33] Meet Mike
[2:59] How to tell if someone is autistic
[4:54] Employment stats for the autistic 
[5:52] Mike’s educational experience as an autistic individual and advice for someone who’s autistic that’s currently getting their degree
[7:36] Mike’s initial struggle with the job search process as an autistic individual
[9:40] How Mike changed his approach when the regular job search process was not working for him and how he landed his dream job
[13:48] Mike’s current work experience at his dream job
[15:49] Mike’s terrible work experience from past jobs where they didn’t accommodate his autistic needs
[16:46] Advice from Mike for people who work with someone who’s autistic to make them feel more welcome and a part of the team
[18:48] Advice for autistic individuals currently struggling at school or at work and some solutions to help tackle these issues
[19:30] Mike’s mission
[20:20] The biggest career challenge Mike has faced, and what he did to overcome it to get to where he is today
[21:11] How Mike discovered that he was autistic
[22:38] Contacting Mike
[23:57] Outro
 
RESOURCES & RELEVANT LINKS
Mike Motter Youtube Channel
Mike Motter on LinkedIn
Chan With A Plan
Chan With A Plan Facebook Group

The right mindset for successful networking to accelerate your career

EPISODE SUMMARY
Max discusses the common reason why people get nervous talking to new people and the mindset shift you need to make to make meeting new people both enjoyable and prosperous. Based on this past week's episode with Kerrie Phipps on how to build new connections and grow your career.
 
TIMESTAMPS
[1:46] The common reason why people get nervous talking to new people
[2:50] The mindset shift you need to make, to make networking and meeting new people enjoyable
 
RESOURCES & RELEVANT LINKS
Chan With A Plan
Chan With A Plan Facebook Group

How to build new connections and grow your career

EPISODE SUMMARY
In this episode of Chan With A Plan, host Max Chan speaks with Kerrie Phipps, an International Speaker, Author and Coach that helps purpose-driven entrepreneurs and authors to increase their clarity and confidence to connect with anyone, and anywhere. In this conversation Kerrie provides strategies and advice on mindset to help you become more confident in connecting with anyone to grow your network and build your career. 
 
QUOTES
“Always start with gratitude. Like, if you can say, thank you so much for meeting with me, like, I'm really keen to learn more about what you do. Or you can just share again, what it is that you're looking for. And when we're honest with people, and being honest with ourselves, it really is the first step. But when we're honest with people, they will feel free to be honest with you.” - Kerrie Phipps
“But there are moments [in the conversation] where maybe it's awkward, maybe you're just like, we're just kind of doing this networking thing. Feel free to just shift the conversation, ask a better question.” - Kerrie Phipps
“I think it's important to remember, again, that you're having a conversation in your head, you're making assumptions that are quite possibly far from the truth, you don't know that somebody's not connecting with you or not responding to you, because they've got a family member in the hospital, something's come up. And they are far behind on their emails. And I have a friend who has an intense number of emails and social media messages. And she says, just message me again, don't get offended that I haven't responded.” - Kerrie Phipps
 
TIMESTAMPS
[0:36] Meet Kerrie
[3:59] Advice on mindset for someone who is looking to try networking for the 1st time to further their career
[7:33] How to reach out to people authentically
[15:11] How to prepare for your informational interview
[18:03] How to leave a lasting impression at the informational interview
[19:39] Handling conversations that aren’t going well or didn’t go well
[23:55] How to steer the conversation to a more personal level instead of only keeping focused on professional topics
[25:13] Maintaining contact after the initial informational interview is over
[30:10] Discussion on how rejection isn’t about you
[32:01] Networking at events / conferences
[37:13] Fitting in at a new job
[39:50] Main lessons Kerrie wants you to take away from this conversation 
[44:40] The biggest career challenge Kerrie has faced, and what she did to overcome it to get to where she is today
[47:04] Contacting Kerrie
[47:56] Outro
 
RESOURCES & RELEVANT LINKS
Kerrie Phipps Website
Career With Confidence Podcast
Chan With A Plan
Chan With A Plan Private Facebook Group