Here's How I'm Paving My Path to Becoming a Software Engineer💻

Java and JavaScript aren’t the same thing? What the heck is the difference between languages, frameworks and libraries? What do I have to know to land my first role in tech? Where do I even begin?!

I hear you.

I’ve been through it all and frankly am STILL going through it. If you’re just getting started in tech and learning how to code for the first time, all of this must feel very daunting to you too😵.

This week marks my 3-month anniversary of learning how to code so I wanted to do a comprehensive overview of the steps I’ve taken so far in the first 3 months of my career change to tech! This is by no means the best or only path one can take to becoming a developer because everyone’s journey is unique – however, I thought, “Why not spill ✨ MY secrets ✨ on what I’ve been doing to work towards landing my first role in tech?”

So let’s dive right in 😎💨

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⚡️Table of Contents⚡️

• Week 0: Getting Ready
• Weeks 1-2: Researching & Planning
• Weeks 3-4: Setting Goals & Begin Studying
• Weeks 5-8: HTML + CSS Galore!
• Weeks 9-12(present): JavaScript & Self Reflection
• Weeks 13-Moving forward...

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Week 0: GETTING READY

Before I decided to quit my job and commit full-time to becoming a software engineer (after 3 years of debating this career change😅), I had to make sure that I could see myself enjoying coding in the long run. Truth is, there was no way for me to guarantee that this would be the right path for me but I had to give it my best shot. So, I took out all of my remaining PTO days to take a free, introductory course on web development by Practicum . Their interactive lessons were brimming with information for a newbie like me. Despite the difficulties I faced while trying to finish the course with zero coding background, I absolutely loved every moment of it.

Two weeks later, I resigned from my position to start learning coding full-time (you can read my career-change story here).

Weeks 1-2: RESEARCH & PLAN

My first two weeks consisted of just simply CONSUMING information online (constantly), through various platforms: Reddit, Medium, Dev.to, YouTube, personal blogs, etc. I was particularly focused on gathering insights regarding:

1. Is this the right path for me?
2. What does the job market look like?
3. What kind of transferable skills do I already possess?
4. College degree vs Bootcamp vs Self-Study
5. If I choose to go through any one of these routes, which university/bootcamp/self-study program works with my schedule, personal finances and learning goals?

I also started going through my LinkedIn connections list to see if anyone I knew was currently working as a developer so that I could reach out for advice. This process was really rewarding because I got to reconnect with friends from college who I hadn’t spoken to in years.

💬 REFLECTION #1: Trying to capture the big picture of a new career path in an entirely new industry was an immensely overwhelming task😰. I eventually became aware that certain claims or suggestions you find online must be taken with a grain of salt. Below are three things I found most difficult in this “research” stage:

• Trying to understand industry jargon (I literally did not understand anything anyone was talking about in the first few days)
• Feeling overwhelmed by the number of different languages/frameworks suggested for beginners to learn
• Not getting caught up in the CS Degree vs Bootcamp vs Self-Taught debate, which was a popular topic wherever I looked

Weeks 3-4: SETTING GOALS & BEGIN STUDYING

By week 3, after long, careful consideration, I decided that going the 💡self-taught💡 path would be the best for me. Once this was settled, I quickly moved onto:

1. Gathering a list of different online platforms to learn coding from
2. Setting learning goals & a daily study schedule
3. Finding ways to network in tech
4. Researching to see if there were any scholarship, internship, mentorship or other career-advancing opportunities available that would be suitable for me
5. START STUDYING!

Choosing a learning platform to start off with:

I personally chose The Odin Project (TOP) and FreeCodeCamp (FCC) to begin my coding journey. TOP’s Foundations course begins with learning:

• ✔️ How the internet and web works on a high level
• ✔️ How to set up your development environment
• ✔️ Thorough introduction to using git and GitHub

which I really liked. During my research phase on week 1, I quickly realized how important knowing git is for any aspiring developer so I appreciated TOP’s prioritization of this. However, this course also has a LOT of reading involved (i.e. documentation) so if you’re more of an interactive/visual learner, that’s something to be aware of🔺.

In concurrence to TOP’s course, I also worked on obtaining FCC’s ‘Responsive Web Design’ certificate. I often found answers to problems I was stuck on QUICKER if I moved onto another task and came back to them with a fresh mind. As a result, working on two courses simultaneously was very helpful for me; it ensured that I never wasted too much time blankly staring👀 at the screen on one particular lesson.

💬 REFLECTION #2: I also made my first official Twitter account and started my #100daysofcode challenge to log my journey, which has been a wonderful experience thus far. The amount of support shown by the tech community for newcomers is out of this world🌏 – there is nothing quite like it. Not only have I met countless amazing individuals through this platform, I’ve also been able to obtain an exorbitant amount of knowledge by simply scrolling through my feed a few times a day.

Weeks 5-8: HTML + CSS GALORE!

I practiced HTML and CSS for a whole month afterwards – nonstop. I also read numerous articles on my free time to fill any gaps in my knowledge for concepts that I didn’t fully understand. In addition, I worked on various small projects to start solidifying my coding skills. Per everyone’s warning(s), I tried my best not to fall into ‘tutorial hell’💀🔥 and immediately began implementing what I learned by starting a project. This truly is the best way to put your new knowledge to test.

💬 REFLECTION #3: One thing I realized during this stage is that although people often make HTML+CSS seem like a basic skill that is relatively “easy” to acquire, it’s actually not! Writing clean and concise CSS to achieve a particular look, and with the least amount of declarations, is a skill that I believe requires lots of practice. Becoming an expert at efficiently finding a path of least resistance when writing code is something that I feel I’ll be working on for the entirety of my career as a developer.

Tip:

Aside from just coding during this stage, I also spent quite a lot of my free time on career-planning and networking by:

• 👋 Attending Meetup events
• 🙋 Becoming a member on several online groups that are dedicated to supporting women in tech (WomenWhoCode, Elpha, TechLadies, etc.)
• 📑 Bookmarking job boards for when I start actively searching for opportunities

  “Luck is when preparation meets opportunity.”

• 🏢 Creating a list of companies I want to work for
• ✒️ Collecting resume/portfolio pointers specifically geared toward finding roles in tech
• 👂 Listening in on Twitter spaces led by seniors in the industry that I found relevant

And most importantly…I started writing down all of my application and project ideas into a journal 📝. By the end of month 2, ideas were flooding into my brain. My online journal keeps track of those ideas and I revisit them often to brainstorm how I can make them come to life one day!

Weeks 9 – 12 (present): JAVASCRIPT & SELF REFLECTION

By month 3, I started learning JavaScript, algorithms and data structures. Let me just say…I struggled a lot with JavaScript at first😭. My imposter syndrome really started to kick in during this time. I had my first of many cycles of questioning, “Why is this not working?” followed by, “Why is this working?” It took me a whopping SEVEN days to complete my first project: a ‘Rock, Paper, Scissors’ game. Although unanticipated, I believe that this process will be crucial for my future success because it allowed me to practice my Googling skills😁.

And here comes the moment of truth...

Learning JavaScript served as a pivotal point for me to reflect on the efficacy of a self-taught route. I had so many questions but not enough time in the day to get them all answered. I spent a great deal of time just on formatting and uploading proper questions to places like Stack Overflow or Discord channels, which was often not the best use of my time. I realized that:

• 👉 I wanted access to experienced instructors who could offer me live feedback so that I knew I was on the right track with my current task

• 👉 I knew deep in my heart that I would thrive in a structured classroom environment, surrounded by others who are on a similar path as me

As a result, after another round of rigorous research and careful consideration, I decided to apply for an in-person, full-immersion bootcamp🎓.

The application process consisted of three parts: two technical assessments and a 1:1 interview. The JavaScript portion of the technical assessment was rather difficult but I thought it did a really great job on testing the limits of my existing knowledge. I passed all three parts with flying colors🌈, which I was extremely happy about! In the end, I was glad that I had already gone through a few months of self-studying prior to applying for a program because it assured me on my readiness to dive into an intensive learning environment.

💬 REFLECTION #4: In addition to my program acceptance, I was also recently selected as a recipient for a Women in Tech: Scholarship + Mentorship Program. As the name suggests, I was awarded a monetary prize💰 to help pay for my bootcamp and paired with an amazing mentor who I meet with weekly 💻 to discuss progress. I spent a lot of time💦 researching mentorship opportunities and preparing for this interview, so you can imagine the joy when I heard back that I was the winner! Hard work pays off🙌

Weeks 13 - MOVING FORWARD…

My program starts at the end of this month and goes until mid-March. I’m nervous, but also super excited! I can’t wait for all the Hackathons and full-stack applications that I’ll be participating in and creating during my time there.

Hint: I’m already planning my 6-month update post to give you all a full overview of my experience with the program and my job search game-plan for when I graduate!

That was a long one 😆

but if you’re still reading, thank you for sticking around! This wasn’t an exhaustive list of what I’ve done thus far, but it covers all the important topics👍. If you’re just getting started in tech like me, I want to let you know that you’re doing great. Breaking into a new industry is no easy feat so give yourself a pat on the back! If you’re an experienced professional in the field, thank you for being present in this online community to offer words of wisdom and endless support for us incoming juniors. We appreciate you!

Lastly, if you have any questions or would like to connect with me, you can find me on my Twitter 😊!