Hey guys, I wanted to apologise for my recent radio silence 🤐. With the recent situation at home, it has prompted me to step up at home in order to take care of the household expenses and everything else in between. Not to mention my own survival.
I want to be absolutely clear, I have chosen not to see this situation as an inconvenience. In fact, after all my parents have done to raise us, I think it is only fair that it is my turn now to step up and take care of my parents.
That said, I'm not going to lie to you. The timing is not the best. I guess when it comes to health issues, it often never is. I had been out of a job for slightly over 6 months, and my hope was running on empty.
First Job Interview in 6 Months
Recently, I finally got a call. The first one in 6 months. First one after sending out hundreds of job applications. I'm glad I didn't give up. I'm glad I persisted.
Right after receiving the call, over the recent weekend, I've also received an email from the recruiter saying that the hiring company wants me to perform a technical test. The goal is to build a Task Management system using React. And it had a list of core features/requirements as well as a few bonus ones.
With sheer will and determination, I was able to focus myself (never easy to do for anyone that is on the ADHD spectrum) on Sunday, and I managed to complete 90% of the requested deliverables. There were a two bonus requirements that I wasn't able to complete. Mostly due to time constraint.
You can take a look at my work here: https://github.com/d2d-weizhi/project-flow
The completed project is also viewable via Vercel. The link is already in the GitHub Repo. Love to know your thoughts on it.
Since I've submitted my work, I have been feeling genuinely good about myself. It's not that overconfidence feeling, but rather, a sense of quiet confidence knowing that I've given my best to the interview assignment and I trust that the rest is now in God's hands.
My Perspective on Technical Tests
Speaking professionally, I share a more moderate/well-balanced perspective when it comes to the reason for having technical tests. I've been in this industry for long enough, so I've seen almost every kind of technical test you can think of.
It is my genuine belief that some technical tests are indeed a waste of time, especially when it comes to someone that's interviewing for a senior role. Now, the more basic technical tests, I believe they can be meaningful/helpful for entry-level hires, especially when the goal of the hirer is to test for competency in certain key skills.
That said, I still believe more strongly that a technical test that requires us to build a more "Real-world" solution is far more effective and meaningful. Besides, on a more professional/personal note, this is also an area where I tend to excel at more than anything else (problem-solving, critical thinking skills).
I've always been much better at demonstrating my abilities than trying to explain how good I am at something. It's just easier to SHOW THEM what I can do.
Thinking Ahead...and Raising Funds
So this is where I am right now. I'm awaiting the word from the recruiter. I'm not sure what the verdict might be, but I am doing my best to keep a positive attitude. I am also hoping to secure some kind of freelance gig soon because that would help to generate some income at least.
After having done all that I can, I've decided to do something else that I have never done before: Raising Funds.
It is also why I've been reaching out to various dev/blogging communities where I have established my credibility as someone authentic and genuine (builds real trust), in the hopes to raise S$1,500 so that I can make it for another month or two while I continue to look for work and to provide for my household.
Using My PayPal.Me Page
That is also why I recently made the decision to set up my PayPal account properly, and then linked it up to my own personal savings account.
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Amount Raised: S$0.00 / S$1,500.00 (0%)
From what I can understand, between receiving the funds and transferring them to my personal account, PayPal will make a minor fee deduction. So, its only logical for me try and raise more than S$1,500 if that is the amount that I'm going to need.
I'll admit that this isn't the usual kind of technical write-up that I'm used to doing. I've never ever tried to write something like this before. But I've also been building an online reputation for myself as someone that's authentic, genuine and trustworthy, so I like to maintain that by being totally honest.
I've set up a progress bar as a way for me to keep track of how much I've managed to raised over time. Everytime that I receive funds, I will make the calculations and update this progress bar that you see. I will be religious about it and I will do my best to be as precise as I can be, down to every last cent.
Finally, I want to tell you how deeply I appreciate your love and support during this season of my life.