Hello everyone,

I hope you're all doing well and sticking to your New Year's resolutions. We're now in February, and I wanted to share an update on how I'm getting on with the resolutions I set out at the beginning of January.

First up, I wanted to really get into TypeScript, spending the first weeks of the year working on a personal project I've called Coding Crossroads. The idea was to build a new website where I'd be using TypeScript to apply what I’ve learned. As you can see, we are now on this website, so my project was successful. At the start, I wasn't totally sold on TypeScript because it seemed to make simple things more complicated. But, the more time I spent with it, the more I started to see its benefits. It makes the code clearer and helps to catch mistakes early. When I learned basics of C# and Java later this month, I thanked myself. knowing TypeScript made these languages easier to understand and convinced me further that strongly typed languages exist for some reason. I also decided to take a W3Schools certification exam in TypeScript. Some people might wonder why I'd spend money on that, but for me, it's a way to prove to myself that I've learned something well, and it’s a kind of verification for potential employers.

Next on my list was to start blogging on my new website. I've got to say, I really enjoy writing blogs, even though it takes up a lot of time. Writing helps me think things through. It's like sitting down and having a good think about what's happened, what I've learned, and what it all means. So far, I've managed to put together eight blog posts, which I'm pretty pleased with. My website, Coding-Crossroads, is my first go at using TypeScript, and everything's working just fine. The best bit is the CMS system I've used, which lets me write and post blogs straight from my phone. This website has quickly become my little spot on the internet, a place where I can share what I'm up to, what I'm learning, and the challenges I'm facing. If I had more time, I'd write even more, but I think eight posts in a month isn't too bad at all.

Finding a job has been hard. I've sent out loads of applications and had my CV checked a few times, but no luck so far. Getting a job as a junior developer isn't easy, but I'm keeping my chin up and carrying on trying. This February, I'm planning to make a list of tech companies around Derby and Nottingham and send them personalised emails. I'm not too sure about just sending out hundreds of CVs on big job websites. I'm going to try a different way and see how it goes.

For health, I had mixed results. I didn't exercise at all. I haven’t got enough time for it, but I did start a low-carb diet and lost 4kg, which is great. I will stay on a diet, for at least 3-4 months now.I need to start exercising more, but being very limited on time got some negative consequences.

Lastly, I was excited about a freelance project for a beauty salon in Derby. But I haven't started it yet. It looks like it will begin in the second half of February or early March. The good point is I learned how to create a website with easy button to change content language, as this website will be either Polish or English, and I wasn’t sure how to implement that.

Looking ahead, I've been talking to lots of experienced developers, and they've given me some advice. There are more opportunities in backend development, so I might focus more on that. I'm thinking about learning Java or C#, but I haven't decided yet. My first goal for February is to get an AWS Practitioner certification because I think cloud technology is important for the future and even junior developers should have at least a basic level of knowledge about it.

January was busy, and February looks like it will be too. It's all part of changing careers. You learn new things and adjust your plans. I'm excited to see what I'll learn next. I'll be meeting some friends from School of Code Bootcamp in Birmingham, and I want to attend to more tech events. I went to my first one to Manchester in January, but that's a story for another time. I'll write recap about February next month. It's not easy to admit when things don't go as planned, but that's how you learn and get better. So, that's it for now. Thanks for reading, and I'll be back with more updates soon.