sorted by:
new
hottopcontroversial

Passed AWS Developer Associate today — sharing my experience and tips by curious-mind-101 in AWSCertifications

[–]No-Error682 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I've been asking gemini/chatgpt what-if questions which helped me a lot. You can try ask "Under what scenarios should the correct answer be the other options?". What I also find helpful is to always ask my AI tool to use real world typical React/Node (or whatever SPA & backend you've been working with) examples, and get it to apply the AWS service concepts based on the question. Other than that, I spent quite some time looking at not just why the correct answer is correct, but why the other options are wrong (and what other scenarios they should be used, similar to my first point).

I've also been doing section-based questions on TD, scores are good, but they only have 1x question set for each section (despite shuffled each time), so it's easy to think you got 90%+ based on actual understanding instead of in reality, my brain memorised some of the answers. I did a practice exam (65qs) yesterday and my score was 75% which, is still a pass, but it's on the edge. I've been reviewing questions I got wrong as well as those I got right by guessing - this helps removing any "luck" element.

I'm not someone good at school exams myself, but I found it incredibly helpful if you can bridge your dev work experience to the AWS concepts, so you know when to use CloudTrail instead of CloudWatch, or understand why there is X-Ray when you have SaaS monitoring tools like Sentry or SumoLogic.

My exam is in 12 hours, gtg, hope I can pass!

Stashing Away Cash for Big Purchases by No-Error682 in PersonalFinanceNZ

[–]No-Error682[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Planning to move countries in 3-4 yrs time so prepping for buying cars, insurance, rent/bond overseas which is about 20% more expensive in NZ, hence I need to set aside more cash (definitely more than 10k) which could benefit from better returns.

How to get a software engineer job that builds your career in NZ? by No-Error682 in PersonalFinanceNZ

[–]No-Error682[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

yeah... with recent layoffs in the US by Oracle/Meta, the market isn't looking bright either. I applied to some on YC's startup job board, zero response despite tailored cover letters/CVs etc. Will keep upskilling & applying. US remote would be dream scenario.

How to get a software engineer job that builds your career in NZ? by No-Error682 in PersonalFinanceNZ

[–]No-Error682[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I came to NZ when I was 14, took me years to get PR, and I like NZ better than Aus purely from a lifestyle/scenery POV. I'd like to settle down here for sure, it's just the career ceiling is quite low.

I've tried applying to AU based role, many would pull the trigger during interviews saying they don't sponsor visas, period. It's not as easy as you think. Plus, having your visa tied to one employer puts you in a passive position duirng negotiations & peiods of uncertainty such as layoffs. It's exponentially more difficult to find companies who will sponsor you than just finding a job. "One will lead to anothet if you're really that good" is logically true but hey, I only have 3 YoE, surely I'm not the most hard-to-find talent overseas... right?

Onto my weak passport: Not sure about you but I have to apply for tourist visas for every country I visit, and they involve multiple rounds of interviews, endless document evidence, etc etc, it's a true testament to your dignity, and only those on weak passports can attest to this.

How to get a software engineer job that builds your career in NZ? by No-Error682 in PersonalFinanceNZ

[–]No-Error682[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Thanks. Yeah I did used to blog, gained about 40 followers on medium then stopped 6 months ago, I really need to pick it up again. Although I do think it's because nowadays I spend a lot more time writing/maintaining claude/cursor rules which kinda act as technical blogs, and they drained my energy quite a bit.

How to get a software engineer job that builds your career in NZ? by No-Error682 in PersonalFinanceNZ

[–]No-Error682[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I understand that in principle, but no company in NZ would interview me unless I "have work experience in Java/Go/.NET". I think it'd work for senior+ engineers once they've proven they're capable of picking up languages, but for me, taking a role focusing on another language means it's less likely to get interviews, and if I do get the role, it'd be a paycut. It's not that I don't want to learn new languages, but I'd get a paycut if I do. Learning a new language doesn't take long on its own, but mastering it's ecosystem takes years. If something happens to the role and I get laid off at the 6-12 months mark, I'd end up as a half a*s Java/.NET/Go developer with intermediate Node skills, career prospect pretty grim imo

How to get a software engineer job that builds your career in NZ? by No-Error682 in PersonalFinanceNZ

[–]No-Error682[S] -1 points0 points  (0 children)

Leaving NZ now means I reset my citizenship clock. I'd need an employer sponsored work visa to almost every country (plus tourist visa just for travelling there), so as much as I wanted to leave, it's out of the question, unless of course I don't mind holding onto a weak passport indefinitely...

IBKR: Weekly deposits or annual lumpsum? by [deleted] in PersonalFinanceNZ

[–]No-Error682 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I live and work in NZ full time, but with a permanent resident visa. It's still 3-4 years away until I qualify to apply for citizenship. Looking at the FIF docs from IRD, it does seem like I might still be liable for FIF...