Tech Talent: This Programmer Got Into Tech to Bring His Ideas to Life

Joseph Kim was lured into technology by a constant flow of new ideas for apps and solutions, but his technical skills were holding him back. The Business Administration grad took matter into his own hands and enrolled in Thinkful‘s Engineering Immersion program to learn the inner workings of how applications come together and bring his own ideas to life.

Now Kim is looking to join a team at a corporate giant to build a strong knowledge base, seek mentorship and find stability as he kickstarts his programming career. With a few projects under his belt and previous experience as a project manager, here’s why Kim would be a great addition to your team.

Why the interest in the technology field?

I learned three years ago that one of the things that stressed me out the most was not being able to execute on my ideas because of my lack of technical ability. My interest in technology comes from a passion to create apps, games and sites based on these ideas that I come up with. The ability to enjoy the final product and the experience of my idea “coming to life” is truly one of the greatest feelings I’ve ever felt.

What projects have you worked on?

I’ve worked on several projects including LaunchPad, a web app designed to display all upcoming video games and their associated release dates, synopsis, platform and trailers. Using Mapbox’s API and toast notifications, I created Karpül, a site built to help users find nearby carpools and host new carpools. It features nearby pickup points, destinations, carpool schedules and alerts that are easily viewable.

I also created KNOW(tation), a learning app created to teach users about the mathematical concept Big O Notation. The app leverages a spaced-repetition algorithm to sort questions/topics based on the user’s strengths and weaknesses.

What tech or tools are essential to you as a developer?

As far as hardware goes, having dual monitors is absolutely essential. It helps having a code editor up on one monitor and the project up on the other. JS, Node, React/Redux, Sublime/Visual Studio, Photoshop, FL Studio, Aseprite, Unity and Blender are all tools that are essential and that I use on a daily basis.

How do you stay on top of emerging trends?

I try to keep in contact with as many people as I can in the tech industry and love to have “nerdy” conversations with them. Through those conversations, I learn a lot about shifts in the industry, design trends and new, emerging tech.

What are your best technical or creative skills?

I’ve spent some time as a project manager at a dev agency and I developed several skills such as the ability to view projects holistically, wire-framing, and breaking down large projects into manageable epics and stories. I find that having experience in both project management and coding is invaluable. I’m also able to understand what my strengths and weaknesses are creatively and being proactive in leveraging those strengths when it comes to all things design is my best creative trait.

What’s next on your list to learn?

Currently spending a lot of time on Unity/C# and loving every second of it. Once I feel comfortable with Unity, I want to transition into a deeper-dive on Python. I’ve made REST APIs with Python, but that’s merely scratching the surface. Adding Unity3D, C#, Django, machine learning and automation with Python to my toolbox is my stretch goal for the year.

Are you interested in working for a startup, mid-sized company, or a corporate giant?

All three sound great but if I had to pick one, it’d probably be a corporate giant because of job security. I tend to do a lot of risk-taking with my projects outside of work and would prefer to have a long and successful career with a stable company as the counterbalance.

Interested in looking at Joseph’s credentials? Here you go! PortfolioGitHub, and LinkedIn.