Self-taught software developer and cloud computing enthusiast Andrew Cook helps web developers understand why projects are so important to their career, and how they can get started building their own! I first met Andrew through CodeNewbie chats on Wednesday nights—my favorite night of the week—and we got to chatting about his work. I was really fascinated by a few aspects of his story. First, he had made this career transition from the medical industry to software development. I'm always interested to hear someone's story when they make a big jump like that! But on top of that, a consistent theme kept coming up in Andrew's story—and that theme was projects. Andrew's true passion, as he'll tell you, is in cloud computing. When he began building his skills for his first job in web development, he still working as a paramedic. During this time, Andrew began building projects to provide a publicly visible application of what he was learning. Those projects helped him to get his first job, and they've greatly benefited him since. In this episode, Andrew tells us what inspired his first projects, what he did right, and what he could have done better. We also discuss some important topics for new web developers, like: Learning how to learn Where to find help when you get stuck Protecting your projects as you build them What employers are REALLY looking for when they ask about your projects in a job interview So strap in for some Grade A-quality insight and advice from Andrew! (And myself... but mostly Andrew) Show notes and Tweetables on the episode page at: http://www.lavieencode.net/27