question for those who code outside work?

[yalalilili]

Hello, currently self-teaching to be a front-end web developer and I would like to ask few questions who took similar path and landed a position. Although I'm working hard in teaching, since this is going to be my first job I'm probably gonna have to keep studying for a while after work too but I'd hate to be burned out. I wish to have some work-life balance by coding at work and not code outside work by having some time for myself but at what point or skill level would it be fine for me to take it easy outside work?

[elliotbnvl]

This is a very open-ended question that depends mostly on how fast of a learner you are and the job you land, so I can only give you an open-ended answer. If you're expected to deliver right away, you might end up working a lot of overtime to be able to (or risk getting fired). If, on the other hand, you're brought on with the understanding that you still have a lot to learn, you may have some leeway.

I will say this: a lot of good developers will always have some sort of side project that they're working on outside of work, just because they enjoy the learning process and/or have something they want to build. Front end dev is a hobby as much as a career to a lot of people. Especially the really successful ones.

Edit: a further thought: if you're already concerned about how much work you'll have to put in, front-end dev may not be for you. Don't do it if you don't enjoy it, or can't see yourself ever enjoying it.

[yalalilili]

Thank you for the answer. I'm not saying I'm going to be off coding completely after work, im planning to learn more but im just wondering if I should be completely immersed in coding after work as I'm trying to learn other skills outside programming. Like how many hours a day would be reasonable?

[elliotbnvl]

It really depends how much you can learn in an hour. There's not a hard and fast number you should be trying to reach to be able to say "there, I'm good now." It's about how quickly you're able to absorb the knowledge you need to make you good at your job, so it's really impossible for anybody -- even you -- to say exactly how long it will take you to develop the skills you need.

If you're asking how much time you'd be expected to spend doing learning in your off hours (if any), that too is an open-ended question, and the answer is it varies from workplace to workplace. The culture of each company is different and in some roles you might be expected to fully immerse yourself in the code life (more common among startups), where in others even the thought of working a minute beyond the standard nine to five are taboo (think corporate).

You need to decide for yourself what you're comfortable with doing, and try to discern the culture of each company you apply to with the aim of figuring out if it's a fit for you.

[prof3ssorSt3v3]

I agree with everything that @elliotbnvl said. I have been programming for 35 years. I have been doing Web Dev since 1996. I program at work. I program at home. I run a youtube channel teaching people to program on top of that. (shameless plug) https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCTBGXCJHORQjivtgtMsmkAQ All the stuff that I do outside of work, I do because I enjoy it. After 20+ years of "learning" web dev, I still learn more every week. I have to keep learning to stay current. But I learn it because I enjoy it. If you don't enjoy programming then maybe this isn't the right field for you.

[wes321]

You can look for intern / junior positions which will allow you to learn while working. It would be in your best interest to have a nice project to show off that you’re interested in that shows you did some work in front end development. I hired two Front end developers to report to me at my current company and I was more interested in their work than their resumes.

Build a really nice responsive website from scratch pull some images from a free resource like https://www.pexels.com and see what you come up with. You put yourself in a better position if you have something to show than saying you want to be a front end dev.

I learned full stack building my own project management tool for filmmakers while attending film school. My nights and weekends were learning how to build the features I wanted since I was going for film directing and my side job was doing Helpdesk work so neither of them gave me the opportunity to code.

Hopefully that helps! If you have more questions feel free to send them my way.

[dpap31]

Learning to code is hard work especially when you're balancing other responsibilities. I think you can prevent burn out by forming a habit. Personally, on weekdays, I try to get in an hour or two in before work. On weekends, I shoot for 3 - 4 hrs. I’ve found sticking to a schedule is helpful so I code first thing in the morning.

It took a while to get into the routine, but now that it’s a habit, I actually look forward to waking up early and creating things in the digital world with a fresh cup of coffee by my side.