CYF PD

Learning Objectives

Present your elevator pitch using positive and enthusiastic non-verbal communication

Preparation

Stickers for each trainee to put their roles on their top.

Introduction

Training as a developer is a tough and demanding task. You have been working so hard and dedicating so many hours to this. In this session, we will work to make sure that you can do justice to yourself and demonstrate your effort, strengths and skills effectively.

Exercises

Brag for your pair (30 minutes)

Goal: Express the strengths of another person

Pair up with someone you know well, someone you worked with together before. One of you will act as an interviewer, and the other will be an interviewee. Interviewers ask the following questions to their pair. The interviewees answer these questions not for themselves but for their pair. Interviewees pretend to be in the shoes of their pair and show off their pair’s strengths, skills, and achievements. Each of you should play both roles, so pay attention to time and don’t spend more than 15 minutes each. Put timers on your phones and don’t spend more than 2 minutes for each question.

Interview questions:

Please tell us a little bit about yourself
Can you tell us about an achievement you are proud of?
What is your biggest strength?
Which soft skills do you need to improve further?
Why do you want to become a professional developer?
What can you contribute to our team?

Tips for facilitators: Don’t worry if all questions aren’t covered by the end of 15 minutes, stop there and change roles.

What is your value for a company? (30 minutes)

Goal: Express own professional value

Work as a class. Study this job advertisement. Identify the pain points for the company. Remember, it’s not easy for employers to find the right candidate. Recruiting is expensive and hard for companies. Knowing how to present yourself correctly makes it easier for hiring managers to see that you are the right fit for their company.

What is the emphasis in the advertisement?
What qualities would the best candidate have?
What does the company need?
How can you help solve their problems?
What value will you add when you join their team?

Brainstorm about how junior devs create value for companies (e.g. by being proactive, by learning fast, etc.). List these traits for junior devs on a board.