Jan Horak

Jan Horak brings a wealth of experience to the instructional team. His professional background includes over 20 years working with a wide range of international individuals and families, where he was responsible for team management, providing support, and organizing various programs and events. Throughout that time, Jan also developed a strong interest and hands-on experience in technology, managing office networks, servers, and online platforms. Recognizing his passion, Jan pursued formal tech education, completing a German trade school in system integration and software engineering (Java and Python) in 2020, followed by a General Assembly bootcamp in 2021 to enhance his skills. Having experienced the bootcamp environment himself, Jan is well-positioned to understand and support students as they navigate their learning journey. When not instructing, Jan enjoys working on personal tech projects, browsing local thrift shops, cooking, or spending time with his family.

IN CONVERSATION WITH JAN:

What is your favorite technical skill to work with on your own projects and why?

Out of all the skills we teach I enjoy using React on my own projects the most. It is a powerful library of tools that can make any site or web-app dynamic and highly functional.

What is your favorite technical skill to teach to students and why?

I enjoy teaching all the skills, but seeing students make the connection between the front end and the backend as we go full-stack is my favorite part. Specifically teaching the MERN stack is my favorite, as I know we are equipping students with a powerful skill that they can use on their journey as developers.

What is most important to you about teaching technical skills at General Assembly?

It is important to me that we equip career changers with skills they can use to step into a new career or strengthen skills they may already have begun learning on their own. One of those skills is learning how to learn, so that students can keep growing as the technology changes, updates, and upgrades. We will give them a foundation to build upon, and ensure they can continue to grow and instill in students the confidence that they can find solutions to problems they may encounter.

What advice do you have for anyone looking to learn technical skills to reach new career goals?

There are no short-cuts to learning. You must work to understand these foundational skills on your own. You will learn more, and learn better when you write your own code and solve your own bugs - rather than turning to AI tools in the learning process. There is no shame in turning to others (instructors or classmates) for help. It enriches your learning process when you realize you are not in this journey alone and begin early in the cohort to reach out, ask questions, and build connections and network with your classmates.

What would you like to highlight about your experience in your technical domain outside of teaching?

I have discovered and seen that the foundations learned at General Assembly are sufficient to get started, however you have to keep learning and keep building projects. Find others to collaborate with between jobs so you keep your skills sharp. On the job, you will see that planning and problem solving are a large part of what brings a project together. Once again, having a growth mindset is important because things change so often. You have to stay informed about changes in your tech stack to keep your projects safe and often even functional.

WHAT JAN'S STUDENTS ARE SAYING...

”One of Jan's greatest strengths is his unwavering support for students, always available to answer questions and provide guidance whenever needed. Jan goes above and beyond by curating and sharing high-quality resources, which significantly enhances the learning experience and helped me grasp complex concepts more effectively. His approachable demeanor and patience create a welcoming environment where students feel comfortable seeking help, fostering a positive and collaborative classroom atmosphere.”