Jolene Kearse's Linkedin Analytics

I absolutely love coding! I’ve heard it explained like a map at the start of a video game. This is so fitting, that I'm using it to describe my journey. You start out with most of the map ‘greyed-out,’ you know there’s more out there but can’t see it yet. This is like starting out with HTML and CSS; you spend a lot of time incorporating the controls and rules of the game. The levels’ tasks are repeated again and again to get you ‘in the game.’ I was here for over a year about 5 years ago, falling in love with CSS. In came JavaScript and, suddenly, I saw so much more of the map! I could do increasingly magical things… For example, the first time I heard you could add an HTML element with JS. I said ‘No way!’ out loud, then went ahead and did it. I was like Super Mario getting the raccoon costume and - bam - being able to fly! Then, the game gets more challenging, you use your abilities in many different ways and combinations. I spent my first year in this world building vanilla projects and solving DSAs (now 4 years ago). This was my skills training to become a genuine player. React progressed my learning to a whole other level. I can see so much more of the map and realize it’s not a linear, 2D game like the retro Nintendo I adored. So many ‘lands’ are now open to me: TypeScript, React Router, hooks, Zod, even Rust! I’m living in this part of the game. I read articles daily and practice my four main languages: JavaScript, TypeScript, Python and Rust. I have the ability to explore many more paths than I imagined possible, when first booting up the game. Okay, enough with the video game metaphor, who is Jolene Kearse? - Teaching English as a Foreign Language prepared me for a career in tech. I was a pro at explaining the oft strange rules of my mother tongue and communicating them to learners. I was at my most content and satisfied when creating convoluted animations using Photoshop and PowerPoint to demonstrate activities and concepts. This is the same tingly feeling I get from ‘creating something from nothing’ with code. I also lived and worked in many countries, cities and roles, so I cultivated the ability to adapt and think on my feet. - Presently I'm upping my React skills, slaying increasingly challenging DSA's, and picking up Rust! Rust will supplant my secondary language, Python, this year! - I'm open to connections and opportunities. In the meantime, I'll keep levelling up my skillset!