Hello, Im 26 years old, and I always wanted a job that allowed me to work from my laptop.
Not long ago i started to consider Web design or Web Development and in 2017 I went to Manchester college to start a level 2 on IT essentials, i went on level 3 CCENT networking, and what came after was Cyber-security and Hacking a Level (4 and 5), and then if you do a TOP UP (Level 6) it would be a bachelors degree. I just realised at the beginning of Level 4 that it was not what I wanted at all!
Now I am here wondering should I go for Web Design or Web Dev? I sick of being stuck where I am with the job I have, and I want to be free, I dont know if going back to college would be my best option since it would require for me to stay stuck here for another 3 years!!!
If I do the codecamp course, what exactly should I do? Is it just one course? And when I finish will I be considered for jobs as much as others with a degree? Will I be able to work from my computer?
Please… I need some advice, this topic has got me crying for months… Im so lost… and no one around me seems to know abot it, please guys help me!
Assuming that you “should” pursue a career in web technology in the first place, it depends on where your interests lie. Do you like to write code? If you don’t enjoy it, you will not be happy in a development role. If you do enjoy it and just wonder where more career opportunities are, then there are definitely more jobs for developers than designers.
Start at the beginning and work your way forward. If it remains interesting and rewarding, then you may enjoy a career in web development.
Essentially, yes. It’s broken into categories and here may be some specific categories that some people are more or less interested in, but it’s the Full Stack Developer certificate at the end that is the goal.
Generally, a relevant degree will always hold an advantage for entry-level jobs. People without a degree do get hired, but the burden is on them to build a skillset and portfolio that proves that they are at least as good as the average college graduate.
It’s programming, so you would do it from a computer. If what you’re asking about is the ability to work from home, it’s possible but hard to find. Although software development is adopting the concept of a remote workforce faster than most industries, those jobs are still the minority and often quite competitive. They also tend to be reserved for more experienced developers.
The first thing I want to say is that you’re not alone. Many of us have struggled with similar questions about what to do in terms of school and our careers. The great thing is you figured out what you don’t want to do. That will only help you going forward.
As a first step, I suggest you make an account at freecodecamp.org/learn. Start at the beginning and work through the curriculum challenge by challenge. You’ll learn the fundamentals of web development, and learn a bit about web design along the way.
If you like it, great! Keep going. If you have trouble along the way please reach out to us here. It’s a very friendly community.
As @ArielLeslie mentioned, getting a job as a developer is hard, even after earning a few freeCodeCamp certificates. But the fCC curriculum is a good way to test the waters and see if development is something you enjoy. After some time you might decide to go back to school, attend an in-person bootcamp, or continue on the self-taught route. There’s a lot of paths to the same destination.
I think the important thing now is just to try it and see if this is something you can see yourself doing in the future.
First of all welcome to the community. A lot of other people here feel the same way you do and a lot of us have been lost in the same way you seem to be right now. I would start working on the curriculum and see what you think of it before you make decisions on how much to do. You will find out if you prefer web design or web development in time. Think about what is fun for you and what you find intrinsically rewarding.
I haven’t been hired for a job in the industry yet but I know when i do I will most likely be judged for my portfolio of work and not for the certificates I have. You want to have a project or a website you will be able to show to an employer. Projects are a part of the curriculum here at freeCodeCamp and will give you ideas as to what you want to eventually build on your own. Check out other resources like the LearnToCodeWithMe blog and podcast and the #100DaysOfCode community on Twitter. These are great places to explore and will give you a better idea of what you want to do
I also am looking to do what you are looking at doing
Back in the day when i first realized i wanted to get into web development i started looking at uni courses.
I was too broke to pay for any so instead i started teaching myself online.
i learnt html, css a little js and php and mysql.
I worked as an admin at a company and they had an IT department. when it came to career review time i mentioned i would one day want to be in the IT department and web dev… from this i was allocated to work 1 half day a week in IT doing web design. this then turned into 1 day a week.
they then decided they needed a new web dev and advertised and I applied. I did not get the job BUT without any diploma or official study, just self taught… they told me i made it to the top 2 (the other person had graphic design so they wanted that too)
They told me that the interview was better than my original interview to get the job i had
I have been to a few meetups and asked around online and asked about diplomas and degrees… 95-98% of the people i spoke to would say they never ask for a degree but instead ask for a portfolio.
one guy even said, great… you studied for 4 years, now what you learnt has probably changed… i want to see what you have done, not what a piece of paper says you can.
i did try online study once but stopped once i found a 17 yr old self taught had a better portfolio than me purely because he just got in and practiced and done it while i was still just following a curriculum and not getting much practice.
I’m a little tired so this is probs all just random but hope something helps
