Hi,

Since moving to Chiang Mai, Thailand a few months ago and meeting my amazing Thai girlfriend here, I started to realize I was ready to move up in my life and stop floundering.

What I wanted was a real career with excellent opportunity for growth, long term employability, no high upfront training or learning costs, always in demand no matter where you live in the world, and as a bonus, excellent financial compensation for my skill set.

That’s when I started to do some research into computer programming. I knew that line of work was perfect for someone like me. Specifically I decided on learning the Python language because of it’s power, ease of use, versatility and increasing demand in data science and other high growth industries.

So what now?

In exactly 3 months from today (May 9th, 2018), I will start applying and interviewing for companies as a professional Python developer.

As a qualifier I believe it’s important I point these things out first:

- I have no prior programming experience.
- I didn’t go to college, I’m actually a high school dropout and community college dropout. I did receive my GED at 21 years old.
- I’ve never stuck with anything for more than a couple of weeks. I always give up, lose interest, or get impatient and chase something else shiny.

You might be wondering, Why does this guy think he can learn a whole programming language in 3 months fluently enough to get a good paying salary, when he’s got zero experience and he’s got a track record of never finishing or accomplishing anything before?

In order to answer that, I think I must explain what my working life has been like up until today to show why I’m truly motivated for change:

• My first job was Washing Dishes at a Cracker Barrel restaurant making minimum wage.
• My next jobs were retail jobs paying minimum wage, working nights and weekends, and dealing with all of the hell associated with retail American holidays like Black Friday, Thanksgiving, and Christmas.
• After that I’ve held all kinds of random dead end jobs: Telemarketing, Sales, IT, and…. Worst of all… Customer Service Call Center Jobs :(

I’ve never had a “Good Job” in my entire life. I’ve always settled for low paying, low skilled jobs, and as a result it’s been extremely hard knowing I’m smarter than this, I’m worth more than these jobs pay me, and I deserve a real career that doesn’t make me live paycheck to paycheck.

What will this mean for me when I’m hired as a Python Developer?

First, I can’t express the amount of pride and happiness this is going to bring me. My goal is to marry my girlfriend and give her the best life possible and start a family together. I’m determined to show her that she made the right choice letting me take her on that first date and giving me a chance to be her boyfriend and future husband. I love you bunny.

What is my strategy to accomplishing this in exactly 3 months?

Let’s be honest If you spent several hours everyday for 30 days of committed studying you would be able to learn how to play the guitar and a few basic songs, play the drums, a few songs on the piano, speak the basics of a foreign language, and so on.

With the right Junior position, you could study hard for 30 days intensively and you would continue to learn Python on the job and do great after 1 year of growth.

What I’m looking to avoid is starting off as a junior/entry level developer.

My strategy is to spend 90 days of intensive studying so that I can start off as an intermediate Python developer, and reach my career and financial goals through just a little more hard work and determination upfront.

I’m going to study every. single . day. No days off, and I must write code everyday of this boot-camp I’m putting myself through. It’s time to get my butt in gear!

Will I really do this and overcome a lifetime of frustrating dead-end jobs???

Stay tuned ;)

-Rafael Marrero