The CS Primer Show E5: Omar the High-Octane Learning Machine
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Apr 21, 2023 Omar Rayward, a Senior Staff Software Engineer who attended an early coding bootcamp, shares his study habits and motivation. Topics include consistent learning routines, transitioning careers from ophthalmology to software engineering, embracing failure, and the importance of mentorship and problem-solving in the workplace.
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Showing Up In Person Won Me My First Interview
- Omar biked to Vida Health's office after not getting email responses and knocked to demand an interview.
- The company had already emailed a rejection, but meeting in person got him an on-the-spot interview that changed his career trajectory.
Treat Job Search As A Numbers Game
- Do treat job seeking as a numbers game and expect rejection; apply broadly and iterate quickly.
- Oz advises not to wait for the dream company first — interview widely and learn from failures like Omar's bike visit.
Comfort With Not Knowing Enables Rapid Learning
- Omar became comfortable with not knowing things and treated learning as continuous, which reduced fear and enabled deliberate improvement.
- Facing harder tasks at work exposed knowledge gaps and motivated targeted study rather than avoidance.