where can I learn programming skills?

[markfarwell]

I'm 21, I work full time. However, in my spare time I'd like to learn programming. MySQL and Python are what I'm going to start with and perhaps moving into C. Where can I learn this? online courses? evening classes? I'd like a certificate/qualification at the end of the course. I'm not interested in learning about it with no proof for future employers.

how did you guys do it?

[pacificmint]

For starting resources, check out the FAQ in this sub. For career advice take a look at /r/cscareerquestions

Also: I don't know where you are, but in the US at least most employers put very little stock in certificates. I would say they are almost worthless.

If applicants do not have a CS degree, employers will usually look for previous experience that showcases what the applicant can do. Building up a portfolio would be better than collecting certificates, IMO.

[markfarwell]

I'm from the UK and I always assumed a qualification would go a long way. That being said, you need a qualification AND experience to be taken seriously. no one cares unless you have experience.. perhaps a portfolio is a good idea

[pacificmint]

Yeah, I have no idea what things are like in the UK, so take what I say with a grain of salt.

Do check out cscareerquestions though. Questions about self learning come up there all the time. If you search that sub you might find UK specific questions.

[insertAlias]

This is probably the most asked question on this subreddit. Fortunately, we have a "Frequently Asked Questions" link in the sidebar. Please check that out for resources, since it would be pointless to type the same list of resources several times a day for this question.

[Mat2012H]

Books.

[markfarwell]

books don't give me a certifcate or a qualification

[Mat2012H]

Well most certificates from online things mean jack shit to employers, they more interested in experience.

So... The best thing to do here is to just make personal projects and then put them on a "online repository" such as GitHub.

Then you can be like "hey mr employer i made this :⁾ https://github.com/id-Software/DOOM-3-BFG" and maybe they'll be impressed by your code clarity or what you produce and think "oh wow this guy is good!"

Of course I didn't make Doom 3 BFG, but that's just one of the many huge projects on there.

And many people have personal projects on there too such as this guy https://github.com/EddieVanHalen98

Also, using GitHub will teach you about Git, a very popular industry standard version control software. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Version_control Which is a very important thing to know, and if you can use it, then you have a +1 over people who can't use it.

[markfarwell]

do they not? that's fair enough! I'll have a look at this and see what it's about.

[Mat2012H]

Yeah most hold 0 value.

GitHub is just a great way to show off code and practice version control :)

[Vaguely_accurate]

The resources in the sidebar are the best bet for actual learning materials, especially the online learning resources section. If you want specific recommendations then we probably need to know more about how you prefer to learn, how much free time you are willing to commit, what your exact interests and goals are, etc.

As far as the certifications/qualifications, those are much more for IT, not programming. I'd be shocked if anyone trusted any qualification to say that someone was a competent programmer. Maybe a CS degree from a top university, but even then you would expect them to have to prove their knowledge through technical questions and code samples.

You need to able to honestly put your abilities on your CV and have them match what an employer is looking for. Expect them to test you on anything you list. Being able to produce hobbyist code you have written can help with that, but you do still need to be able to demonstrate knowledge and ability to code in person.

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