Tech Talent: This DJ-Turned-Programmer Crossed The Country For Coding Classes

Lorenzo Salvio discovered a knack for programming while building a website for his DJ services. Once he picked up web development, he couldn't put it back down. He was so passionate about immersing himself in the world of technology and programming in fact that he packed up his things and drove across the country to enroll in DigitalCrafts' Immersive program this past fall. How's that for an incredible work ethic?

"There is nothing like the feeling of building something from nothing," he says. Next up to add to his roster? Languages like GoLang, Python, and C#, like he did with JavaScript.

Learn more about this rock star junior programmer who is looking for a workplace that promotes learning and mentoring for its engineering team.

What is your previous education?

I attended Orange Coast College in Costa Mesa, California for two years to get an Associate’s Degree in Business Administration, then transferred to California State University, Fullerton, and spent one year pursuing a Bachelor’s in Business Economics. During this time, I was working 6-7 days per week and teaching myself music production.

In the spring of 2018, I discovered my love for coding while attempting to learn web development in the hopes of building a website for my DJ alter-ego. After that, I was hooked on the idea of pursuing software as a career. I left California a few months after that and drove across the country to attend DigitalCrafts.

Why the interest in the technology field?

The tech industry is the future. In the past, architects and engineers have been praised for their ability to erect beautiful structures in the physical world from nothing. Software developers are the architects of the virtual world. There is nothing like the feeling of building something from nothing.

What tech projects have you worked on?

I currently have four finished apps in my portfolio, with two of them deployed live. PhotoSpotter is a front-end web app that returns images based on keyword search, locates them on a map, and displays the local weather for that location. The second and third are both fully back-end generated applications using Express.js and a PostgreSQL database. One is a mood tracker using Chart.js and the other is a simple budget tracker.

My most recent completed project is called Dashboard. It was built as a proof of concept for my capstone project which is nearly done. It uses a React front-end and a PostgreSQL back-end connected by Express.js. It is a customizable board made up of widgets which can be added, deleted, or rearranged by dragging and dropping.

My final project is a virtual social assistant Progressive Web App. Using the user’s location, it displays many types of information including restaurants and events nearby, as well as how to get there.

What tech or tools are essential to you as a developer?

The Chrome Dev Tools and React Dev Tools are the tools I use the most, along with the terminal for everything from debugging to file structuring. I use the git version control system, GitHub for my remote repositories and Visual Studio Code as my IDE.

How do you stay on-top of emerging trends?

Every morning before I start coding, I spend 30 minutes to an hour browsing Medium, Hacker Noon, TechCrunch, FlipBoard and LinkedIn to find out what people are excited about. There is no shortage of excellent writers on all of those sites, so I rarely run out of things to read. I love reading about the newest technologies that are changing the way people approach software development.

What are your best technical or creative skills?

React and CSS are by far my favorite and most used technologies, and thus my strongest technical skills. I have always been a creative thinker and am very good at coming up with new solutions to difficult problems. I work better hands-on, but also thoroughly enjoy discussing abstract ideas.

What’s next on your list to learn?

I would like to grow and expand my level of expertise in Test Driven Development, which is one of the essential tools any developer should have at their disposal. I have dabbled in Python and C# in the past, but would love to grow my knowledge in those two languages and GoLang as I have with JavaScript.

Are you interested in working for a startup, mid-sized company, or a corporate giant?

At the moment, my priority is to find a work environment that promotes learning above all else, as well as a healthy work-life balance. I like the idea of working in the fast-paced environment of a startup, but more established companies seem to have more opportunities for me to learn and grow as a developer.

Interested in looking at Lorenzo’s credentials? Here you go! GitHub, Portfolio, and LinkedIn.