Why I Decided to Become a Web Developer
Welcome to my blog! Bienvenue à mon blog! 龜高爾夫球風向袋(rough translation: “turtle-golf windsock”).
If you’re reading this you’re either 1) interested in learning more about the experiences of an incredibly green, wide-eyed nOOb in the world of software development who is about to embark on the Summer 2015 Cohort at Boston’s Launch Academy, or 2) you slid down a rabbit hole of internet clickbait and somehow ended up here.
If you’re a #1, keep reading, and I’ll tell you a bit more about myself.
If you’re a #2: keep reading, and I promise you will be bored enough to go back to work.
I’m writing this now having not really met anyone in my Launch cohort or very many people associated with Launch Academy, so it feels a little like I’m in the dark on a lot of things. Ironically enough, I am also writing this literally in the dark. My wife and I just had a baby three weeks ago and she is sleeping so — shhhhhh. Shhhhhhhhhhh.
My path to choosing to be a web developer goes like this: I studied journalism in college, moved to NYC to work in TV comedy for a year, picked up and moved out to LA to do the same and spent seven years as a writer/assistant/cheerful hoody-wearing man.
If anything in this post is funny, you will know it’s because I used to work in comedy. If it’s not, you will know why I quit.
After leaving LA and moving to Boston, I began taking random classes (Psychology, Linguistics, German) and poking around online to learn about different careers (Psychology/Linguistics/German Professor).
For a while I really wanted to be a dentist, for which I was summarily mocked by my wife, until I proved my finite hand coordination by expertly clipping our baby’s fingernails on the first. Try. Who’s laughing now, former-future wife of Cool Guy, DDS? (I’m just kidding, I wouldn’t have become a dentist, but it would have been nice to drive a BMW).
Anyway, my point is that there was a period of “searching,” with a lot of “Netflix” as my spirit guide. Finally I got a “paj-ob” (n. — a job conducted entirely in one’s pajamas) telecommuting, writing ad copy for various companies and continuing to dabble in, like, a bajillion things.
One of my hobbies eventually led to my pursuing the fabulous career I’m about to embark on now. For you see, I was (and still am) very interested in foreign languages (I can speak French, German and Spanish and, clearly, no Chinese), which led me to take a Codecademy course in Ruby to learn what computer languages were all about.
I had never even touched programming before, or even thought about it as a viable career option, but I was 29, a recently failed prospective dentist, and rakishly charming as hell, so I thought why not?
I was curious about a lot of things, but the biggest question was: How does learning a computer language compare with learning a language-language?
The answer: It doesn’t. At all.
Well, that was easy. I had no intention of following up on pursuing this little experiment for a living, but a funny thing happened:
I really, really started to enjoy learning how to code.
It seemed that software development had so much of what I was looking for in a career — it involved creative problem solving, team work but with an emphasis on individual accountability, as well as the chance to make cool stuff. And cool stuff is good.
I ended up continuing to explore this weird new software world— taking classes in Java through Harvard Extension while also exploring free resources online in my spare time. I was amazed and really excited about the opportunities and possibilities. I could even build a calculator! (Reflexively pushes nerd glasses up the bridge of nose)
Software development is such a huge field though, and to an outsider the breadth can seem pretty intimidating at times. I watched more than my fair share of webinars and signed up for more than a few listservs where I couldn’t understand a word of what people were saying (another reason foreign language experience comes in handy).
So, I decided to apply to Launch Academy and one or two other web immersive bootcamps here in Boston for a lot of reasons, two of which I will list right…… now:
- I natually learn better in an in-person, group environment
Everyone has their own style of learning, and programming can test the limits of that style for sure. I tried online DIY resources, in-person lecture-style classes and more formal online courses that met once a week, but for me, there was no substitute for working in small groups with lots of one on one time to hear a teacher explain things and to have to explain other things myself.
2. I wanted to get involved in the community
Being involved in a community with other creative/supportive humans is an awesome experience I learned a lot about while doing comedy theater in LA. It’s another important thing I wanted my new career to have. Going to a brick and mortar school and meeting other people, in person, I felt would be a great way to launch myself into the community and get to know what it’s all about.
So, that is what I am preparing to do.
Over the next few weeks I will be posting stuff about how I’m getting ready for Launch, as well as any thoughts/worries I’m having as I go through the process.
I’m excited to use this as a platform to track my learning and look back on my progress since I’ve never really kept a learning journal before. It seems like it would be a really interesting exercise though, and I’m generally a fan of little mental exercises and exploring different methods of learning.
So, there you have it. Please check back often for updates on my experiences, my work, and my nutty command-line hijinks!
(> cd ‘wackiness’)
Unless you’re a # 2 — then get back to work, you crazy #2, you!
