Resolutions for the New Year

I. Have a junior developer job by the end of February

I’ve been studying for a little over a year learning C#, ASP.NET and front-end development (HTML, CSS, and JavaScript). I have built up a portfolio of projects I’ve worked on and am ready to enter the workforce as a junior developer.

I’ve been in the process of setting up interviews the past few months with this goal in mind. So it may not be a New Years Resolution but the plan is for it to happen in 2016

II. Have moved closer by July

This resolution will depend on the prior one as to where I’m moving. The current goal is to find a job in the Nashville area but I’m also looking up in Cleveland Ohio since my sister lives up there and it would be nice to be near her and my nephew.

III. Attend 1 out of state coding conference this year

As part of my effort to learn and improve as a programmer I want to attend my first out of state conference this year. I’ve been to some local training seminars and participate in the Nashville User Groups. I’m hoping to attend one where I am able to meet my heroes from Dot Net Rocks.

IV. Set up Recreational Math blog and have 12 posts by August

I’m looking forward to finishing this project. It’s exciting and I have several people interested including my sister and some of her friends and coworkers that are also math teachers. Finishing the coding will not be the difficult part here. I want to have 12 posts, one per month by the time school is back in session after the summer break this year.

V. Blog more regularly on here with weekly posts written in advance

I plan to start using the same management techniques we have for the podcast in my blogging so that I am able to produce a weekly blog and have them written a few weeks in advance. This has helped the podcast tremendously as there are times that Will or I are unable to record one week but because we stay ahead of it we are able to not fall behind. I’ll be applying that strategy to my blogging for the new year.

VI. Begin process of starting business and build business website for self

Following in my mentor’s footsteps I plan to take my side projects and freelance work and turn it into a business that brings in extra income. If successful this will be how I pay to attend the out of state conferences and possibly even get an Xbox One.

I have already acquired the domain name and am now in the process of setting up the site. It has been suggested that I specialize in setting up WordPress sites for those looking to get into podcasting. This is something I do have some experience and talent with doing however I am concerned about limiting myself too much. Let me know what you think in the comments below.