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Cool Job: I’m A Front-End Software Engineer at iHeartRadio

As a classically-trained pianist in Nashville, Sarah O’Keefe always imagined working in the music industry. After getting a degree in music business and enrolling in law school to become an entertainment lawyer, she discovered another passion: coding.
“All the times when I probably should have had my nose in a law textbook, I was teaching myself how to code,” Sarah says. In 2016, Sarah left law school to pursue coding; and in March 2020, she was hired as a Front-End Software Engineer at iHeartRadio in Nashville.
Turns out, learning how to code is not a far cry from mastering a piece of music. “Having a music background really helps with learning to code and just in my day-to-day job,” Sarah says. “If I’m going to try and learn a musical composition, it’s a very similar skill set to teaching yourself a new coding language.”
In addition to her iHeartRadio job, Sarah started Codecademy’s Nashville Chapter, where she hosts meetups, study sessions, and Discord events for other Music City tech professionals and code enthusiasts. (Pro tip: You can join a local Codecademy Chapter to grow your network and stay motivated throughout your coding journey.)
Read on to learn more about Sarah’s journey to tech (including her tips for networking on LinkedIn) and what it’s like to be a Front-End Software Engineer at iHeartRadio.
What got me interested in the job
“I originally went to school for music business with the intention of becoming an entertainment lawyer. I went to law school and then quit after finishing my first year. I realized that was not the path for me. I found coding really exciting: I liked solving all the puzzles and just figuring out solutions for quirky problems you have.
I started looking for free online resources for teaching myself how to code. I had some friends who were Software Engineers and their jobs sounded awesome, so I started using Codecademy to learn JavaScript. When I was spending probably too much time in law school doing that, I realized I should take a better look into that career path. I eventually went to a coding bootcamp, and got my first job doing full-stack development.”
How I got in the door
“Around February of 2020 I was working as a Junior Full-Stack Developer for a startup that had just gone under. So we were all looking for jobs, not knowing the pandemic was about to happen.
I had a friend who worked in the marketing department at iHeartRadio who had no connection to the digital side at all. I asked him what it was like working for iHeart and what kind of a company it was. They had a whole bunch of openings for Junior Developers, so I applied online and then reached out on LinkedIn to a couple of different people on the web team.
Any time I’ve applied for jobs, usually how I get my foot in the door for the interview is by reaching out to people on LinkedIn and being like, Hey, can I buy you a coffee? I’d love to talk about your experience. I guess it’s like the squeaky wheel theory.
Once I got to the interview, it was a 3-step process: First I talked to a recruiter, and the second one was a language-agnostic technical interview, which we did on CoderPad. At that time, they were also in the middle of figuring out how to do virtual interviews. The final interview was like a 5-hour meeting with seven different people from the team and more technical questions.”
What I actually do every day
“We are working on some really cool new features for the iHeartRadio web application. What I’m personally working on is building out a component library for the rest of the company to use. I’m primarily just using React at iHeartRadio, with a couple of different frameworks and libraries.
Right now, all of our code is written differently, so we’re trying to have a single component library that all the teams can pull from. That way, we can all build things the same way; we’ll have fewer bugs; and it’ll be a lot easier for new people to come in and be able to read the code.
Most of my time is building components, which on the surface might sound boring, but it’s a lot of working back and forth with our UX and product team. It’s been really exciting getting to work a lot closer with people that aren’t directly like my co-workers on the web team.
I’m currently planning our internal HackWeek 2022 and have rented a house outside of Nashville for everyone to stay. Everyone gets into teams of up to four people, and you get to work on whatever project you come up with, as long as it’s related to making iHeartRadio better.
Working at iHeartRadio is really cool because we’re not necessarily a tech-first company. Before there were applications, it was a radio company, so there’s still such an emphasis on music and entertainment in the company. At the New York office, they’ve had tons of artists come in to do little live shows, and that’s the plan for the Nashville office — we’ve got a really sick stage setup for local musicians to come through.”
Here’s what you need to get started
Sarah’s advice for folks who are looking for ways to break into tech is to recognize that the future of every industry — from music to sports and everything in between— is going to involve software. “Your favorite company that does artsy things probably needs software developers if they don’t already have them,” she says.
When it comes time to actually start applying for positions, don’t be intimidated if you don’t meet every single one of the bullet points and experience requirements on a job listing. For example, Sarah didn’t know React prior to starting at iHeartRadio, but talked about her past experience as a JavaScript developer and law student to illustrate that she’s a quick and capable learner.
“If you’re getting your first job as a developer, people are looking for a hunger to learn and the ability to kind of mold you into a Software Engineer that works well on their team,” Sarah says. “Having humility and proving that you’re able to learn quickly are the two most important tips.” (That said, if you want to learn React, check out our beginner-friendly Learn React course.)
And no matter where you are in your coding journey, “try to jump in at Codecademy meetups,” Sarah says. Beginners and seasoned engineers can use these events to find support, get answers to common questions, and network with other people who are learning with Codecademy. Learn more about local Codecademy Chapters on our community page.
Find Sarah on Instagram and TikTok @sarahmorrisokeefe, and Twitter @sarahmokeefe. You can also read Sarah’s blog about the intersection of tech and community on Medium.
Front-End Software Engineer | Codecademy
Learn about the Full-Stack Software Engineer Career Path from Codecademy
The Science behind How Your Employees Learn
By Leah Belsky, Chief Revenue Officer at Coursera
When delivering L&D programs, too much focus is often placed on the content and teaching, rather than on the employees themselves. To upskill and reskill effectively, understanding how employees learn is important, too. That’s why we have partnered with Barbara Oakley, a distinguished professor of engineering at Oakland University and creator of some of the most popular courses on Coursera, to offer five science-backed recommendations to help build a more impactful, learner-centric L&D program.
You can download the full list of recommendations from The Science of Learning: 5 Ways to Make Your L&D strategy More Successful E-book. Here’s a quick overview of the takeaways:
- Help employees master new skills: Encourage combining periods of intense focus with relaxing mental breaks.
- Help employees learn successfully: Consider a range of different content formats suited to different types of learning needs.
- Cultivate employee curiosity: Allow space for your employees’ curiosity to flourish, giving them room to carve out their own careers.
- Help employees retain the material taught: Provide employees with the space to learn, retrieve and absorb knowledge.
- Encourage employees to go beyond passive listening: Incorporate different layers of interaction into learning experiences.
A Word from Barbara Oakley on Curiosity (Recommendation #3)
Short-form content like Clips from Coursera are a great way to pique employee curiosity. Clips teach quick skills while nurturing the desire for more in-depth learning. Clips consist of more than 200,000 video lessons that deliver new skills in under 10 minutes.
“[Clips] are, I think, a great new format to help encourage what we know works well in learning,” says Oakley. “Clips can help encourage that little curiosity — those short bursts of learning often geared to help pique your curiosity.”
The science of learning provides several important insights on how to engage employees despite distractions and competing interests. Shifting to a learner-centric strategy can engage employees more actively — a win for the entire business.
Find out more about how to create a learner-centric L&D program by downloading our E-book “The Science of Learning: 5 Ways to Make Your L&D strategy More Successful.”
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Montessori Teaching – Enabling Skillset to a Fulltime Career
The Montessori teaching method is recognized as one of the best methods for early childhood education. This tried and tested method is a rich combination of various ideas, methods, and practices enacted by Dr. Maria Montessori, who was a medical doctor hailing from Italy.
The case of Dr. Maria Montessori
In her earlier years of medical practice, Dr. Maria visited children around the Italian schools. Through her keen observations, she discovered that children have an innate desire for learning and exploring things around them. However, the problem was with the education system of that time which was not providing these children with opportunities to use their learning potential to the fullest.
This situation was unacceptable for Dr. Montessori, as she considered children to be the future of society. According to her, the meaning of a proper educational setting for children was the one where they had freedom of learning and developing progressively at their own individual speeds. Eventually, her journey led her to the foundation of the Montessori Method of teaching.
What does it mean to be a teacher in the Montessori system?
The Montessori system therefore carries the best concepts for early educationists. Teachers of the Montessori system are unlike any of their counterparts. Here, we are listing some of their special traits:
- They work as guides and mentors for their students. Instead of interfering in the learning process, they keep only a watch on their students and offer help only when needed
- They can differentiate between their students in terms of providing guidance or autonomy
- They have the necessary expertise in development of children’s curriculum
- They are aware of basic traits of child psychology
- They know how to create a proper learning environment according to children’s level of understanding
How can you become an expert Montessori teacher with online courses?
At Montessori Pro, we offer stress-free courses and training programs to teachers and parents alike. These cover both Montessori and psychology-led teaching methods for children. Montessori Pro also offers programs related to children with special educational needs.
The remarkable thing about our courses is their presentation. We use a variety of illustrations and guide our learners by providing them with easy explanations and step-by-step processes where needed. Our courses on Alison; range from explaining basics of children’s psychology to teaching them math, science, language, writing, and much more.
Below, we present a list of some of our published courses on Alison, so that you can get a better idea of what they intend to teach. As a side note, we should mention that most of our courses are short, concise, and to-the-point.
Montessori Teaching – Fundamental Concepts & Principles
As a beginner in the Montessori education system, you can benefit greatly from this course by building a solid basis in the Montessori teaching method. This is because it covers the fundamental concepts and historical context of early childhood education (ECE). It also covers observations of Dr. Maria Montessori regarding children’s learning behaviors and different established domains of Montessori. It also explains how children’s environment influences them in learning.
Child Psychology – Managing Development
This child psychology course provides essential insights into the fundamental elements concerning children’s behavior and emotions. In addition, it examines common psychological problems children face, and the approaches teachers and parents can take to mitigate these problems.
Montessori Teaching – Exercise of Practical Life (EPL)
This course discusses various essential aspects that are must-haves for any Montessori curriculum. Its contents provide a solid foundation for children’s future by enhancing their natural capabilities, i.e., concentration, coordination, and muscle movement. You will also explore necessary materials each classroom should have to enhance these capabilities for children.
A Sensorial Approach to Montessori Teaching
This comprehensive course will help your students by enhancing their basic sensory modalities. According to research, sensory play strengthens the connections between neurons in the child’s brain, enabling them to successfully perform more challenging learning activities. By participating in this course, you can explore the Montessori principles relevant to these sensory approaches and discover the beneficial sensorial activities in which you can engage your students.
Montessori Mathematics – Concepts Development in Math
This brief course on Montessori mathematics is designed to make you learn about the fun and innovative ways to introduce basic mathematical concepts to children. You will find different ways to introduce numerals to children, along with helping them recognize and write them using various Montessori materials. You will also learn to teach them the four basic arithmetical operations with various engaging and interactive activities.
Montessori Reading, Writing & Printables
This course is designed to help you build a solid foundation for your pupils in writing and reading. You will learn about the Montessori techniques and their modern applications to introduce these skills. In addition, you will examine their importance by exploring various activities through which you can present these skills to children in a fun and engaging manner.
Montessori Teaching – Music, Arts, and Gadgets
This short course is designed to teach you about the role of art, music, and digital devices in promoting Montessori children’s physical, mental, and cognitive abilities. You will discover ways to build a strong base in art and music in children’s lives. You will also learn meaningful ways of introducing children to digital devices, gadgets, and the internet.
Montessori Science – Children’s Journey to Lifetime Discovery
This Montessori education course is designed to help you build a solid scientific foundation for children. You will learn how to help children cultivate a lifelong interest in learning by explaining scientific concepts to them via different Montessori methods. The course also contains several exciting activities to explain basic concepts of zoology, botany, and physics through which children will get to know about the fun and rewarding side of making discoveries.
The Way Forward
The Montessori system of education helps children build the strongest foundations on which they can continue their educational journey. Early educationists and Montessori teachers can benefit a lot from these courses. They can transform themselves into a highly skilled, professional, and a successful early educationist or a successful Montessori teacher.
Your Alison Affiliate FAQs Answered
Good news is better when it is shared. At the core of Alison is a desire to empower people through education. Through learning, individuals are able to change their lives, that of their families and communities. The good news is that Alison is a free online learning platform that can change the course of your life. You can help spread the news through our Affiliate Programme to those in your online world. We sat down with Marian Cremin, who leads Alison’s Affiliate Programme to have your Alison Affiliate FAQs answered. Keep reading to learn more about the programme and find out how and why you can be a part of something that will empower you and those you know.
Please introduce yourself to Alison readers.
My name is Marian, I’m from Ireland and I have been working at Alison for the last 1.5 years as a Business Analyst and Project Manager. One of the biggest projects I have been working on lately is the Alison Affiliate Programme.
What is an Affiliate Programme?
Often when people enjoy something that they have purchased they will recommend that product to their friends or family. Well, an Affiliate Programme is exactly this, but you are financially rewarded for recommending a product or service to others.
How does Alison’s Affiliate Programme work?
At Alison we provide free courses and tools to people worldwide. An Alison Affiliate is someone who enjoys our platform and wants to recommend it to others while getting paid to do so. Therefore, they share links to the different resources we provide, for example a particular course or maybe a tool such as our Resume Builder. When someone on the internet clicks on the Affiliate’s link, signs-up to Alison and generates revenue, we pay the Affiliate 20%. Basically, an Affiliate gets paid for recommending Alison to others, therefore empowering others educationally while empowering themselves financially, it’s a win-win.
What should people look for in a reputable Affiliate programme and how does someone then become an Affiliate marketer?
In general, you should first think about the websites that you love using. If you want to become an Affiliate Marketer and promote products and services, it is important that you have tried these yourself and believe they are worth recommending to others. Once you have found the website you want to promote, check that they have an Affiliate Programme and ensure that the payment process suits your needs. Sometimes Affiliates are paid for their efforts while other times the company offers the Affiliate discount vouchers. At Alison, we pay our Affiliates, and they receive their earnings in instalments of 100 euro. Once you have found an Affiliate Programme that suits your needs you can register to become an Affiliate on the company’s website. On Alison, you can do so here.
Do you need qualifications to join Alison’s Affiliate programme?
No, you don’t need any qualifications to become an Alison Affiliate, there is no application process so you can join the Affiliate Programme with just a click of a button.
What support does Alison offer its Affiliates?
We provide Alison Affiliates with a Marketing Toolkit because we acknowledge that not all Affiliates are experienced marketers. This is basically their go-to guide which contains tips and tricks to get the most out of the programme. They can find suggestions on which links to share and how to utilise different online platforms to promote their links, from LinkedIn to TikTok to Email Marketing, our Alison marketing experts put together a comprehensive guide on how to do it all. Alison Affiliates have also been provided with a template pack where they can use images created by our design team to post on social media alongside their Affiliate link.
Not only do we provide our Affiliates with a Marketing Toolkit but we are also in the process of developing a new Affiliate Dashboard with cool features such as an interactive graph to track stats and a performance breakdown of the links they have previously shared so they can see what courses and tools their audience engages with the most.
We are constantly finding ways to improve the Alison Affiliate Programme so we can make it an enjoyable experience for our members.
What can Affiliates do to become successful in the programme?
Numbers never lie – track your stats! This is the Business Analyst coming out in me, but I do think the best way to succeed is to figure out what story your stats are telling you. The people who are clicking your Affiliates links, do they come from a certain country? Did more people enrol and complete a course that you shared in IT compared to when you shared a course in Health? Are more people clicking on your Affiliate links on a weekday vs a weekend? Every time you post an Affiliate link you should ask yourself these types of questions and use the answers to guide your strategy. Everything is about trial and error, but the hardest part is figuring out the most optimal combination to achieve high conversions.
What are some common mistakes Affiliates make?
- One of the biggest mistakes an Affiliate can make is not understanding their audience. It is so important to post content that your followers will find engaging. Whether you post Affiliate links on social media, in a personal blog, on an online forum or in a WhatsApp group, you must ensure you are tailoring the links you share and the accompanying messaging so that it is relevant and interesting to those viewing your content. For example, you probably don’t have the same conversations with your grandmother that you have with your best friend because you understand appropriate ways of communicating with the different people you socially interact with.
- Affiliate marketing is understanding online social cues and in response tailoring how you speak to people on the internet.
- Be personable, helpful and don’t view every online interaction as an opportunity for a sales pitch.
How can people know if the Alison Affiliate Programme is the ‘right fit’ for them?
There is no drawback to joining the Affiliate Programme, it’s quick and free to become an Alison Affiliate and we provide you with free resources to help you get the most out of the programme. If the programme interests you but you are on the fence about joining, just know there is no commitment, you can try it out and even make some money along the way while you figure out if the programme is the right fit for you.
What challenges do most people face as an Affiliate?
Sometimes Affiliates just don’t know where to start. They have joined an Affiliate Programme, they have generated Affiliate links for the pages they want to share but then they don’t know how to go about promoting these links online. Or often, Affiliates are unsure of which links to share in the first place. It can be overwhelming for people so that’s why we created an Affiliate Marketing Toolkit to guide Affiliates, giving tips for every step of the Affiliate process.
What courses or programmes should one take to become a better Affiliate?
I think one of the best courses an Affiliate can do and seems to be quite popular amongst our members of the Affiliate Programme is the free course called Master Affiliate Marketing With this Step-by-Step Guide. Having said that, there are also great courses specific to marketing on different platforms for example courses to learn more about YouTube Marketing or Twitter Marketing or general courses such as an Introduction to Advertising or Entrepreneurship. There are a large number of free courses which Affiliates can take to upskill and improve their performance.
What do you say to someone who isn’t “big” or active on social media but would like to be an Alison affiliate?
You definitely don’t need to be a social media Guru to become an Alison Affiliate. There are many platforms where you can share your Affiliate links such as WhatsApp, Online forums like Quora, you could even share courses via email with work colleagues who are looking to upskill. One of our expert marketers actually put together a guide for Affiliates on how to utilise these platforms to their advantage.
What is an Affiliate disclosure statement and do Alison Affiliates need to sign one?
An Affiliate disclosure statement is basically a disclaimer where the Affiliate is transparent with their audience, indicating that they are receiving commission for promoting a specific brand. The Affiliate doesn’t need to sign anything, but they do need to highlight their Affiliate relationship on the platform where they are sharing their Affiliate links.
What are some interesting trends in the global Affiliate industry?
Short-form video content is becoming more and more popular with many Affiliates taking advantage of platforms such as TikTok and Instagram Reels to generate leads. It is estimated that TikTok users spend approximately $110 million per month indicating that those using the App are impressionable and willing to spend.
There has also been a shift towards greater sustainability with 54% of Gen Z consumers willing to pay an extra 10% for more sustainable products. At Alison we acknowledge the importance of leading a sustainable lifestyle and therefore make courses pertaining to this subject area readily available to learners worldwide. People can find courses on Environmental Sustainability, Climate Change and even courses on following a Vegan Diet, all of which Affiliates can promote to help educate their audience.
Any last words for those interested in becoming an Alison Affiliate?
We strongly believe in providing people around the world with the resources they need to empower themselves in their personal and professional lives. By spreading the word of Alison, you can help us achieve our goal of helping others while being rewarded financially yourself through the Affiliate Programme.
We also want our Affiliates to enjoy the experience and have fun so we have lots of new features due to be released over the coming months which our Alison Affiliates will get exclusive access to. I am quite excited to see where the programme goes!
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