Hi, I’m 29, and I have a BA in English Literature from BC. I have been teaching English as a job, and do not have any other experiences.
I want to start studying to become a Front-end Web Developer eventually, and I am completely lost as to how I should go about it. I’m mainly discouraged because I don’t have any relevant knowledge/skills in IT/CS, but want to start studying so that I can eventually build a skill set/portfolio/resume that will land me a job in the future.
I’ve just very recently started the curriculum on this website, but I don’t know what I should be working on other than going through the curriculum here.
My main questions are:
How many and which certifications should I complete to have the knowledge to get me a job in web development,
What other resources should I be using, and
What else should I be doing to prepare for Front-end Web Development?
I’m very concerned because I’m very new to all this, and thus do not have a clue as to what direction I should be taking. It seems like people here at least have some experience in CS and coding, but I do not have much, if any at all.
If anyone could direct me to some resources and a roadmap, as well as give me some advice on what I should do, please help!
I will answer all of these in detail later tonight, but for now here are my tl;dr in advance to offer some hope:
• I have a BA in English Lit.
• I’m 35 and have been teaching English for 12 years.
• No Comp Sci qualifications or any relevant tertiary study at all.
• I started work as a full-time front end developer this week!
It’s not the certs that land you a job, it’s the knowledge, projects and portfolio you can demonstrate to potential employers that matters. Start by working through the front end certificates in order and go from there. As you get stuck, take time to deep dive on the areas you stumble on.
I use a mix of resources, from YouTube videos, blog posts and documentation to fill in gaps and learn new ideas. The forum is also a gold mine of resources and is great for seeking help if you get stuck.
Attend meetups. Find your local freeCodeCamp meetup and join it. Eventually, start attending other programmer meetups too. I got my job through a contact I made at MelbJS. Even if you don’t land a job through a meetup, they are still great for getting to know more like minded programmers - I found it very motivating to meet other coders and have buddies to work on side projects with.
Try to find open source projects you are comfortable contributing to. The freeCodeCamp guides are a good starting point.
It can be hard and discouraging at times, but it is possible to break into the industry with no relevant education or experience if you can learn javascript reasonably well, build some good show pieces, and meet the right people.
Like you, i started my coding journey relatively recently (all within the last year). It takes time and dedication. No ONE resource will be the holy grail to get you in as a developer. Suppliment FCC with other resources like youtube, udemy, codeacademy, books, etc. If you want to get in as quick as possible, and have the financial ability, you can always look at a bootcamp.
While I haven’t found a job yet, I have been at least getting more interviews. As @JacksonBates said, projects and portfolio are key. When you start feeling comfortable, start learning about Git and GitHub so you can have some code samples online as well.
Don’t stress, just take things day by day happy coding!
Thank you for your time giving me advice and encouragement @JacksonBates! It definitely helps to see that someone with a similar background has had success in Web Development. I am still a little worried and confused, but with your comments, I feel a bit better about the direction I am taking.
Thanks @dankhayutin for your encouragement as well… I certainly need all that I can get!
I hope you all the best, and hope you find more and more success as Developers!
