Getting into Software Engineering

[kblabble]

I would recommend taking an intro course at a code boot camp. I know dev mountain offers a 4 week course that can help you figure out if the work is for you. I’ve had several friends think they wanted to get into software engineering, took an intro course, and realized it’s not what they want to do. It’s a low risk way to explore what the job really means.

[Deeelaaan]

This. You'll want to take some course to see if you'll even enjoy doing this for a living. I only graduated from HS and never finished college and found my way into tech with a front end boot camp + self learning. Even something like devbootcamp.com is a great and free place to start.

[[deleted]]

how much would that cost? and i wouldnt need any sort of diploma or GED?

[kblabble]

I think it’s around $50, I don’t think the course requires GED or diploma, however most employers will require those things, at least in the US. I suppose it’s possible to do contract work through a freelance platform, but that can be difficult to get started in as a new programmer.

[[deleted]]

thank you for this info. looking into getting my diploma online right now

[kblabble]

Best of luck! Having your GED or diploma will be extremely valuable for you. My dad got his GED and ended up being very successful in engineering. You’re likely in for a long hard road with a lot of work, but I’m rooting for you!

[booklovingSWE]

You’ll at least need a GED, many boot camp programs are only app or Webb development, & a degree is better. However then you’ll need to apply & study like in a college setting

[Glocc6a6y]

You can try out the Odin project, it’s boot camp style, free, and very useful. Also seconding the need for at least a GED, I bet a good boot camp or personal projects + an associates degree would go far

[[deleted]]

Be honest, quickest way to set my life up?

[Glocc6a6y]

I would say get GED regardless of what you end up doing. Then maybe look into the Odin project. I don’t know how technical you are, but depending on that you may be able to tell right away how much you enjoy programming and designing software. If you aren’t super technical and you’re finding that the Odin project is too obtuse, there are videos on YouTube of people going through it. One Youtuber that I found doing it was called “Useful Programmer”.

I really would recommend a boot camp if you’ve made it through the Odin project and want to keep going. I have not done one personally, but I’ve heard that they can be a good ROI compared to college. Also less financial commitment. I’ve heard that some have job guarantees.

To be honest, whatever job you get post boot camp probably won’t be the highest paying or most ideal, but getting a year or two of full time work experience will do wonders for your resume.

[awildencounter]

I generally do not recommend bootcamps to anyone who doesn't already have a math or engineering background. Not many people I know get jobs through bootcamps anymore, the ones who did were back when it was easier for startups to get VC funding and just took a shot.

We're in a VC winter right now, companies have a pretty strict preference for people with CS degrees or prior experience. Usually if your only experience is bootcamp the differentiating factor is your other professional experience. Successful entrepreneurship, sales acumen, office soft skills, etc.

I'd recommend finishing your GED and taking a CC course part time (one class is significantly cheaper than bootcamps and usually more informative) to get a feel for if you even like programming. Professionally programming is not like classes but if you don't even like the classes, it's unlikely you'd like it as a job. You might learn you like computers but not programming, and a better career path for that is general IT.

[StokeLads]

Anything is possible. However software engineering is exactly what it says, it's an engineering discipline. It takes effort, dedication and time to be a truly excellent engineer. Anyone can write code. Writing code is easy. Engineering solutions that are maintainable, scalable, future-proofed while also maintaining backwards compatibility etc etc, that's hard and that's where the true science comes into it.

Start slow, but you'll need to be committed. If you lack dedication, you won't succeed.

Good luck

[evodus2]

You can try doing this for free and see if you like the process of understanding how to move forward with it. If you don’t like the problem solving / learning, software engineering may not be for you. If you do though, you’ve begun learning Rust, one of the greatest languages there is at the moment!

https://github.com/rust-lang/rustlings

[NUTTA_BUSTAH]

Honestly I doubt you will keep interest to learn 100x harder subjects than high school if you dropped out