I proudly wrote like "Talk is cheap. Let's write." on my first page but writing is still not an easy task. To be precise, starting to write is the hardest part. I am trying to write my first article on the easiest possible topic. As I am writing this, it is December 1st, 2022, and there have been so many events that happened this year.
Even after graduation, I didn't know anything!
Before talking about 2022, let me briefly share about last year. After graduating in August 2021, I realized that I didn't know how to do much. I only had some knowledge in mechanical engineering and artificial intelligence. Although I had a degree, I couldn't call myself an engineer because I had never created anything. Upon a recommendation from my high school junior, I participated in a hackathon called JUNCTION X SEOUL. I was brave enough to apply for the position of an AI engineer, but once the situation called for me to actually create something, I realized that I couldn't do anything. My experience with AI was limited to building some models and doing personal projects. At that time, 2-3 days was hardly enough time to collect and preprocess data. Furthermore, our team had planned without incorporating AI. In that situation, I had no role to play. I didn't even know that there were areas like frontend and backend, and it was the first time I had heard of HTML/CSS/JS. It was then that I wanted to try making an actual product and thought that I needed to have the ability to do so in order to not rely on a company later on. Mechanical engineering is inevitably tied to manufacturing, and I have to work based on production facilities, but with computer science, it seemed like I could do anything with just a computer and time.
Naver Boostcamp Challenge
The first thing I did after graduation was studying algorithms at SDS Algorithm Camp and taking part in the Naver Boostcamp Challenge education program. There were overwhelmingly many computer science majors, but I was able to build a solid foundation there. At Boostcamp, we had to complete missions every day, which involved implementing computer science knowledge into vanilla JavaScript. However, I had to spend a considerable amount of time trying to understand the missions. While I managed to endure the first 1-2 weeks, later on, I had to study computer science basics from YouTube videos as I couldn't understand the problems themselves. I think Boostcamp helped me improve my development stamina. It was extremely challenging to concentrate for 12 hours while grappling with a single problem, but looking back, I think it laid the foundation for me to focus continuously without getting exhausted. The photo below shows a snack box that was delivered to my home right after I passed the Boostcamp entrance exam, which gave me energy while developing... the extra pounds were just an added bonus.
IT Startup Club CEOS
After Boostcamp, my friend introduced me to the IT club CEOS, and I started to learn front-end engineering. I made Ownroom, an interior consulting platform for single-person households, and learned how to communicate with designers and back-end devs while working on the front-end development. On the other hand, we organized a study group to learn front-end development. We had several assignments, such as developing a to-do list, creating a KakaoTalk clone, and implementing a voting system. Through the process of migrating the same project from vanilla JS to React and TypeScript, I gained familiarity with various frameworks. I'm still in touch with the friends I made during that time, and I'm glad to have found some really good friends.
My first full-time job offer
Now I can talk about the year 2022. After being part of a club, I participated in a program called "Seoul Youth SW Talent Scout" program. It's a job placement program where you can take coding tests and apply to multiple companies at once. After taking only the coding test, the company contacted me first to schedule an interview. The company was called Hanteo Global, and they offered me a position as a Java Spring backend engineer. I was surprised because both my resume and portfolio were focused on frontend development. I went for the interview and received an offer, but I wasn't satisfied with the salary they proposed during the salary negotiation. The good thing was that I could find out my minimum market value.
Startup Frontend Internship and Second Full-Time Opportunity
In February, I was introduced to an internship opportunity through a friend who knew the CEO, and I started working as a frontend development intern. The team was called "DeepBlueDot," and it was a true lean startup. All my colleagues were incredibly smart individuals, and work was fast-paced. One thing I remember distinctly was that it was a company where I never had to wait for the end of the workday. As I immersed myself in work, quitting time seemed to arrive naturally. During my time there, I had the opportunity to work on Electron and Chrome extension code, and I could gauge how fast I needed to work to become a senior developer.
Towards the end of my internship contract, I was offered a full-time position. I pondered this decision quite a bit, but ultimately, I declined the offer. Although the salary was ten million won higher than what I had been offered at my previous company, and the working environment was satisfactory, my desire to experience working in a large corporation was strong. Additionally, I thought it would be great to have a higher starting salary.
While working as an intern, I had already been accepted into the Software Maestro program, and as my internship came to an end, I decided to give up the full-time position and participate in the Software Maestro training program instead.
Software Maestro
Starting from the end of April, the Software Maestro preliminary course began. Software Maestro is an IT talent development program organized by the Ministry of Science and ICT and the Korea Association for ICT Promotion. In this program, teams of three work together to create a single service.
When I started the Software Maestro training program, my goal was to create a project with usability. The ultimate goal was to create a service that could generate actual revenue, but for that, we needed to secure loyal customers. Many job seekers work on their own projects to land a job at a major IT company, but the reality is that these services often disappear without anyone using them. I had experienced a similar failure with a project I created in a club. Learning from such failures, this time I aimed to create a solution rather than a platform. Platforms require a certain number of users to function, but I believed that a solution could be a valuable service even if only one person used it as long as it effectively addressed a problem.
Our team decided to create an auction information service with the goal of eventually starting a business.
본 과정이 시작한 6월부터 빠르게 달려서 2달 만에 서비스를 런칭했다. 우리 팀은 3인으로 구성되어 있었는데, 경매를 하나도 몰랐기 때문에 한 명이 개발을 포기하고 경매에 올인했다. 나는 눈에 보이는 것을 전부 만들었다. 앱 프론트는 Flutter + Next.js로 웹앱을 빌드해서 배포했다. Apple App Store 와 Google PlayStore에 모두 배포를 했는데, 실제로 개발자 계정을 등록하고 배포하는 과정은 처음 경험했다. 단순히 프론트엔드 개발만 하는 것이 아니라 피그마로 디자인하고, 발표자료를 시각화하는 일도 전부 했다. 프론트엔드 겸 디자이너 겸 발표자료/영상제작담당.. 보이는 건 제가 다 짰어요
From June when this program began, we worked diligently, and in just two months, we launched our service. Our team consisted of three members, and since none of us knew anything about auctions, one team member decided to focus on auctions entirely. I took on the task of building everything visible. We built and deployed the web app using Flutter + Next.js for the frontend. We even went through the process of registering and deploying the app on both the Apple App Store and Google PlayStore, which was a first-time experience for me. I didn't just do frontend development; I also designed using Figma and created presentation materials and videos. I was essentially a frontend developer, designer, and presentation material/video creator all rolled into one... I did it all.
During the app planning process, I met with potential customers and actual users several times. I even visited the courts to participate in auctions in person and conducted interviews with auctioneers to validate the product-market fit (PMF). While conducting Usability Tests at a baseball stadium, I learned that users often move differently than we expect. This taught me that to create a growing product, it's essential to constantly observe users and stay close to them. Since physical presence isn't always possible, I also learned the importance of thorough setups like tag managers to make data-driven decisions more accessible.
By the time of the final presentation, our metrics had accumulated to a point where we could proudly showcase our achievements. We reached as high as the 37th position in the Google Play Store's popular real estate apps category. When considering it as a dedicated auction app within the real estate category, we ranked as high as 2nd place. Our Monthly Active Users (MAU) exceeded 2000, and we recorded a daily retention rate of around 24 percent on the first day.
In the Software Maestro program, there is a certification system where they issue certificates to graduates who have achieved a top 10% ranking based on their performance. These top-performing graduates are also given the opportunity to participate in a one-month training program in the United States. Apart from certification, our team received excellent evaluations, and all members were offered the chance to go to the United States. Unfortunately, I had to give up the opportunity for the U.S. training due to scheduling issues related to my job.
Visiting Doodlin
During the Software Maestro program, as part of a visit to companies with graduates, I visited Doodlein, a company that develops enterprise recruitment management solutions, including "Greeting."
Doodlin was also a true lean startup. Everyone was hustling, and there was a strong sense of mutual respect and trust. I received a warm feeling during my visit. I learned about how this company could grow and heard about the thoughts of the CEO, and it seemed like a company with a bright future. Both the CEO and CTO were very young, yet their ability to shape their own lives and careers was inspiring. The CEO even handed out business cards to all the graduates, asking us to reach out, but I haven't contacted them yet. I should definitely reach out when the opportunity arises.
Third employment
I passed the final round of SK Hynix IT recruitment for the second half of 2022. I juggled between participating in the Software Maestro program and job hunting. Commuting was challenging, so I lived near the Anam Center in a goshiwon. Originally, I wasted three hours every day on the subway, but I saved that time and prepared diligently. Specifically, I won't know what I'll be doing until I start working. If you visit the website, you can see roles like Software Development/Operation, Software Platform Engineering, Data Engineering, Master Data Governance, IT Infrastructure Planning, AMHS Construction/Operation, IT Planning, and more. I want to try Software Development/Operation or Platform Engineering tasks. Currently, the job market is frozen, so I'm grateful for any opportunity I've received. I originally focused on frontend tasks, but I want to try server/infrastructure work this time. With three successful full-time job offers, my salary has increased by more than ten million won each time. If I start at a high level, I should be able to negotiate favorably at my next company as well. For the time being, I need to concentrate on getting familiar with the company's work.
Blog earnings
And in December, I made my second withdrawal from Google AdSense. It's been almost two years since I stopped writing on my old blog, which had a lot of stock-related articles, and it seems that people still visit it occasionally. With ads running on it, if I work hard to accumulate ad revenue, it's probably around $100 a year. I feel a sense of regret that if I write more diligently, the income could increase, and at the same time, I enjoy the sweetness of income without labor. I don't think I'll put ads on this blog, but I'll make sure to keep writing consistently.
Closing Remarks
As 2022 draws to a close, a year filled with many events, there are more happy memories than difficult ones. Above all, it seems to have been a year of tremendous growth. I remember demonstrating my Software Maestro presentation slides to my family, and their reaction made me proud. The reason I was able to continue growing without becoming exhausted was due to the many people around me who believed in me. I am grateful to my parents, my younger sibling, and my girlfriend, who always believed in me and supported me. Thanks to them, I have become more confident in myself and able to work harder.
As 2022 comes to a close, a new beginning is eagerly approaching. My life will become even more colorful next year.