Find your motivation, and keep it
Learning to code can be hard, some people are able to learn online on their own using things like codeacademy or embarking on an online course, but it can be frustrating, time-consuming and lonely trying to figure out solutions to problems on your own. It’s a whole new world and mindset to grasp if you’re a complete beginner. Here are some kind words from different developers to help you make your decision to begin your journey!
- “Don’t be intimidated. This is an entirely vocational industry that can be much more inclusive than you think. Everyone has imposter syndrome — but you can spend a thousand years preparing but you’re not ready until you’re a few months in anyway so just jump in!”
- “Do your research, but there is something for everyone in tech, even if you won’t end up working with it, it’ll be very useful no matter what you do.”
- “Meetups and evening events are fantastic tasters before making the jump. Expect to be challenged more than any other learning experience, and there is no such thing as a stupid question.”
- “It’s tough, it requires dedication, it can be frustrating, but it’s absolutely worth it! Investing in a bootcamp is the best way. It may give you the kick you need to get started. Learning on your own in your spare time would take ages!”
- “Don’t forget about the people your tech/code affects. It’s easy to see numbers as just numbers, but when you consider what impact you’re making to each individual user’s life, it helps drive a sense of purpose beyond just writing software.”
When you’re learning
First, awesome! Once you’ve decided to take the plunge, quit your job or commit some ca$$ to a proper learning programme, you’ll have all the resources you need to become a great developer and improve your life, fast. Here’s what you need to know when deciding which course to take, there are loads out there to choose from, don’t be overwhelmed!
- “Start by completing a coding bootcamp, because it’s the most efficient and fastest way to gain great skills, then — to look for a job instantly and expect to be learning everyday. Some big companies are starting to have graduate programs dedicated to bootcamp alumni, which means if you’ve done one your profile’s value is recognised.”
- “If you don’t have any previous experience in tech or a background in computer science, doing a coding bootcamp (Le Wagon, I can’t speak for the others) is a great first step. It taught me the basics and structure of programming. It helped me building an MVP, but most importantly it taught me how to find solutions by myself.”
- “Be prepared to not understand a lot of new things you come across. Be humble, on your best day you’ll know 1%, but also be prepared to sit down for an hour or more to fully grasp this new tool, language or framework you just came across. If you’re motivated, learn consistently, in bite size chunks.”
- “Find like-minded people in the same position (like the people in bootcamp) and encourage each other like crazy. You can also go to meetups, they’re a great place to meet people with are going through to same process — the dev community in general is extremely helpful so ask lots of questions!”
- “You can even do a part time course and keep your current job if that’s what worries you about embarking on a full time bootcamp. You can build much more complex products & your own MVP for your startup whilst launching the business.”
Finding a job in tech and working as a developer
If you’re just finishing your course/bootcamp/online syllabus and you’re looking for jobs then there are loads of great resources out there. Ada’s list, Angel List, Jobbio, Hired tend to be helpful. You’ll also come across tech tests, so be prepared to be tested a little — the important thing to remember is if you don’t know the answers, is to show your thinking and logic behind the problem-solving approach. Once you have the basics of one language you can much more easily learn new ones and companies know this. You can learn on the job too.
- “Don’t worry too much about landing your perfect job or the salary when you’re looking for your first tech role. It’s the experience and satisfaction that coding can bring you that matters. If you get a basic job just to spend all day programming then your salary will double in a couple of years and you’ll have opportunities at other companies. Be patient.”
- “Take care of your GitHub profile as it’s the best tool in your arsenal as an entry-level job seeker to show what you’re made of.”
- “Apply for as many jobs as you can! Read as much as you can before and don’t expect to understand everything.”
- “Be a nice person. Most companies will hire personality over competency.”
- “Be prepared to work hard, be prepared for Ruby-stigma (if you’ve done Le Wagon), don’t take the first job that falls in your lap if it doesn’t feel right.”
Want to learn to code? Download to Le Wagon coding bootcamp syllabus for free here.
**quotes taken from an anonymous survey of 70 Le Wagon alumni.
