25 Tips for New Developers: Advice from a (Mostly) Self-Taught Software Engineer

Show how you think

Most interview questions are there to see how you think. So show that! Explain your thought process, draw diagrams, write out the intermediary code, explain pitfalls in your approach, etc! Be vocal, and ask clarifying questions. That's part of being a good developer after all!

Negotiate

Negotiate everything you can. Job offers, content creation, work hours, remote days, job duties, benefits, compensation, etc. can all be negotiated. Use your wins to give you confidence and as a tangible list of accomplishments. The format I normally use is:

• 
  Thanking them for the initial offer, telling them I'm excited about it
  
• 
  Telling them what I want to negotiate
  
• 
  Listing my "wins" that lead to me getting what I am negotiating for
  
• 
  How I plan to help the company in the future
  
• 
  Sign off
  

It has worked really well for me.

Don't tell prospective employers how much you make

On a related note, you may get asked in interviews how much money you currently make. Don't answer this question, in fact it's illegal in a lot of states. You can spin and answer it with "Here's the number I'm looking for in my next position." instead. If they push, tell them you don't answer that question.

Don't undervalue your non-tech experiences

You have experiences outside of tech that are valuable, contribute to who you are, and can contribute to a company as well. Your customer service skills translate to client management, your teaching experience makes you a better mentor, your previous career in the insurance industry will give you subject matter expertise to help make the product better. I can keep going!
Don't undervalue your previous experience, sell it. If you can find a job that hybridizes your interests or previous career and code, you'll be a huge step ahead. Your non-programming skills are incredibly important, don't ignore them.