The technology industry has been a hot topic for quite some time and all evidences point to the possibility of that continuing. This article is focused on pointing you in the right direction to becoming a software developer, specifically a web developer. 2020 has been a challenging year and as it comes to an end, you might be making plans for a career change or just to learn something new. The software development industry is huge with many roles and a handful of languages and tools to pick from. This is great but can be overwhelming for someone who is about to test the waters. It will obviously be preferable to have our first swim in a smaller pool.
Where would our preferably smaller pool be?
I would say web development because it is quite easy to get started with and to get a grasp of. There are many roles associated with building and maintaining website and web applications. From research or design to actual hosting or production, there are a couple of professionals in-between but our focus in this article will be on coding/programming. Anyone can learn to be a software developer, like any other industry becoming good will need dedication. Programming is not a gift, it is a skill meaning it can be mastered over time. Just to debunk a few myths:
- A computer science degree is definitely helpful but not necessary.
- Basic math and good problem solving skills will get you through daily coding problems.
- There might be preferred languages to learn but no best languages, there are almost always options and preference varies depending on the learner.
Where’s the Juice? Hold up we are almost there!
There are frontend, backend and fullstack web developers. In basic terms, frontend developers handle what you see on the browser - the layout of the web application, backend developers are tasked with the logic that runs on the server while fullstack developers do both. Testing the waters usually means starting with frontend, you can always transition even to a totally different role that interests you more.
How do you get started?
There are awesome articles online on almost every topic, and videos on YouTube that explain concepts but my ultimate road map will be on Freecodecamp. It is very hands-on and starts from the bottom all the way to the top. It covers frontend, backend and even data science. There are a lot of resources out there and every time you search on a topic, there will be a ton to pick from. I am largely a self-taught developer, I am still learning and exploring my unending interests in programming so I’ll give you a few tips that continues to help me with my journey:
- Google it! Anything you don’t understand is a search away and you’ll be surprised at how many people encounter the same obstacles you do.
- Take advantage of free tools and resources. The likes of Freecodecamp, MDN Web Docs, W3Schools and more. This will be immensely helpful.
- Join a community. Whether it is offline, online or both take advantage of people walking the same path. Connect with them and build lasting relationships.
- YouTube is a huge library of technical content. There are a lot of technical content creators on YouTube who speak on almost every topic related to programming.
- Build projects and find a way to stay motivated. Learning especially on your own can be difficult. Share your progress and failures with family, friends or your tech community. Learn, build and show off projects you complete. Repeat!
- Practice! Practice! Practice!
In Conclusion
Getting into software development looks daunting but you'll never know how exciting the journey will be if you don't start. If you take the decision to do so today, then you are already a day into the life. A great intro to software development and programming I recommend for people from a non-technical background is this.
I want you to start today, so reach out to me on Twitter or connect with me on LinkedIn for further discussions. Cheers!