Did you attend a code school or boot camp? Or are you a self taught dev who learned to code without a CS degree?
This is the thread to share resources, compare experiences, celebrate triumphs of getting into the tech scene from a different starting point. What was your biggest struggle? What do you wish you had known? Which code school did you attend and why?
Thought I would chime in since lately, I’ve been really proud of my (small) achievements over the past year and a half. Although CSS and HTM Lintrigued me back in the Myspace garage band theme days, coding never seemed to be more than a curiosity. I still loved building computers though, but my passions led me to music, hospitality, and various unrelated fields. A little over a year and a half ago I got serious with my self teaching, using tutorials, FreeCodeCamp. and finally enrolled in an online bootcamp called Flatiron. Two months ago I started as the sole dev at a boutique digital marketing agency, and am also in the beginning phases of developing my first mobile app. Just typing that is insane to me!
It’s definitively true when they say you can teach yourself exactly what they offer in these boot camps. For me personally, the support system and having a structured well thought out curriculum helped me land my first humble dev job 2 months ago. I can’t recommend these guys enough, and if you are like me and tend to wander down every rabbit hole, having classmates and instructors helping you stay accountable was paramount.
That said, my current employer not once asked me about my bootcamp, rather they wanted to see completed projects, and gave me a day to have a mock run with the team to see if I was a good fit. At 30 years old, having some life experience, self reliance, and social skills are strengths I learned to play on.
My advice is, if you love doing this, have a curiosity bordering on obsession, and fully invest yourself into your future in web development, you will surely find a fulfilling, challenging, and amazing field of work with nearly endless possibilities and some incredible colleagues.
My biggest struggle has been with burnout and knowing when it’s ok to put the pc down and enjoy whats in front of me. I think with the right work/life balance, there could be no more perfect industry and career for me personally. Just don’t get lost in the sauce.
I wish you all the best in your journey, and feel free to reach out anytime!!