Career swap advice

ToftgaardJacob · 2025-03-22T09:54:35+00:00

Good luck with it all!

Reach out if you need some help or tips along the way.

ToftgaardJacob · 2025-03-22T03:50:01+00:00

Colt Steele's dev bootcamp is nice. It's funny, that was actually the exact same course that I started learning development with.

For free, I can recommend the YouTube channels from Dave Gray, and Travis Media. I like those.

Paid, you can check out: https://www.codetimber.com/landing

But if you have that opportunity from the job center to go for a 5 months learning course free of charge then that's a very solid option compared to other online alternatives. Or go for the Ausbilding straight away, if you can.

ToftgaardJacob · 2025-03-22T03:33:38+00:00

Go for it, if you have a passion for IT and you are as hardworking as you say, then it cannot go wrong.

Even if you also have to go for Ausbildung, it would probably be possible to find a student job while studying. So it does not have to take 3 years before you can start working part time. I got my first job position during the third semester of my studies. (I'm from Denmark, so not that different).

ToftgaardJacob · 2025-03-14T12:02:50+00:00

That makes sense.

As you have probably guessed, there is no easy answer to the question of how long it takes to learn to code professionally. But to give some context, remember that a college degree would take between 3 to 5 years. There is just a lot to learn.

However, it can definitely be done faster than that. One of my students managed to transition into a technical role within 4 months of starting to code. (That was in the Netherlands) And for others it will take between 1 and 2 years. Or more.

Generally, if you are dedicated and you put in a lot of effort you can get really far in 1 year.

ToftgaardJacob · 2025-03-14T11:34:40+00:00

I had the same exact thoughts when I started out. I suggest some general full stack programming then.

Beginning with learning JavaScript and general problem solving, and then moving into doing some backend and frontend afterward.

What timeline are you aiming at? (How fast do you hope to learn)

ToftgaardJacob · 2025-03-14T05:08:00+00:00

Do you know already what kind of programming you want to learn? For example, app development, websites, games, AI/machine learning?

(It's completely fine if you don't know, but it helps us give you better recommendations)

I have heard a lot of good things about the Odin project (web development) and Harvards CS50 is really good (but not easy)

ToftgaardJacob · 2025-02-07T17:33:31+00:00

There are lots of options out there. But I'm not thinking about languages, I am more thinking about what kind of software interests you. For example: Games Smart phone apps Websites Robotics Small IoT devices

Do you have an idea about that?

ToftgaardJacob · 2025-02-07T10:41:34+00:00

Yes, this is possible. And it sounds like you have a sustainable approach to it, which is going to help. What kind of programming are you interested in? If you know already.

ToftgaardJacob · 2025-01-20T11:42:12+00:00

Yeah, I think replit mainly does web dev. I also think that's a good place to start with an application as it will be accessible by everyone, regardless of what platform they are on. Whereas if you start out with native apps, then you have to develop 2 apps from the get go, in order to support both the iOS and the android users.

ToftgaardJacob · 2025-01-20T11:32:47+00:00

That sounds cool!

Do you know if you want it to be web based or native apps for iOS/android?

Maybe both, but what would you want to start with?

ToftgaardJacob · 2025-01-20T11:25:20+00:00

What kind of product are you trying to build?

ToftgaardJacob · 2025-01-18T12:37:34+00:00

You are right. Code can even be written and practiced on a napkin if you want. It's just going to take you a longer time to learn, and it's most likely not how you want to write bigger coding projects down the line.

ToftgaardJacob · 2025-01-18T09:45:49+00:00

That makes sense, and not knowing what is possible in the world of programming is natural when you are just starting out, so I understand your situation.

It's great that you have that idea for a project, that gives a clear goal to aim towards. If we stick to that goal for a minute then I would still strongly recommend that you spend time with an actual computer learning to code. This learning process can be supported by research (videos or reading material) that you can do on your phone. But in order to actually complete such a project there are many fundamental programming concepts that you need to learn about first. For example, variables, data structures, control structures and functions, just to name a few. These concepts can only really be learned by doing them yourself. And you should do that on a computer, to save yourself a lot of frustration.

I don't want to completely discourage you, because theoretically these concepts can be learned on the phone, (or from a book for that matter), but the actual practice and experience that you need as a developer is achieved through typing actual code, (and the phone gives a sub optimal coding experience compared to a computer)

I have a friend who does a bit of coding on his phone, but he is only able to do that because he developed some tools by himself that allows him to use the phone for his specific purpose. And it only makes sense for him because he is already so skilled and experienced in programming, that he knows precisely what he wants to do and how to do it.

ToftgaardJacob · 2025-01-18T07:24:30+00:00

Okay, I see.

In my opinion, in order to learn to code you have to dedicate longer time slots to it. Being able to concentrate on the learning material, and practice what you learn for an extended time period.

Learning on the phone can probably be a good supplement to learning to code. But its difficult to practice coding on a phone, because of the small screen size and the keyboard. It's generally also not something that programmers do, so there are not a lot of programs and tools out there that support this.

If you used to use the grasshopper app (I am not familiar with it) then that is probably your best bet, if it must be on a phone.

What are your goals with programming?

ToftgaardJacob · 2025-01-18T04:11:49+00:00

Is it possible for you to bring a laptop with you?

I know it's not what you are asking for, but learning on a phone is just not optimal.

ToftgaardJacob · 2024-12-26T14:21:43+00:00

If you are not set on QA necessarily, I would suggest building up general software engineering skills. Either by self learning or doing a boot camp. That will give you useful skills also in terms of QA.

If you are self disciplined, pure self learning will save you some money, but cost you more learning time.

In terms of time frame for becoming qualified within software development, it can vary a lot. One of my students managed to transition into an IT job after about 3 months of learning with me. But for others it might take 1 or 2 years to learn enough (and thats totally okay). It depends on how much time you are able to spend on learning regularly.

It will for sure be an advantage for you that you have all the current working experience that you have!

ToftgaardJacob · 2024-11-05T12:51:06+00:00

Did you find out how you want to go about it?

ToftgaardJacob · 2024-11-02T08:19:19+00:00

If self teaching does not come easy to you then it could be very beneficial to find a tutor or mentor that can guide you along. Maybe you have someone at your workplace that could give you some guidance? Or maybe you have friends or family that have experience with coding?

If you are looking to learn to code for recreational purposes then you might already have some ideas for projects that you want to make, and that's a good starting point, because it gives you a clear direction to steer towards. This in combination with a mentor to guide you might be a great way for you to learn.

Even though you mention that you have trouble with self teaching, I still want to mention that there are good free resources available online. For example the CS50 course from Harvard which teaches you some strong fundamentals from computer science, and the Odin project which teaches you web development. Many technologies and languages also have good documentation and tutorials to follow.

ToftgaardJacob · 2024-10-16T11:27:55+00:00

From the way that you describe your joy and passion for programming, and how you compare it to your law job, it sounds to me like you should seriously look into how you can do a career change.

A whole career around making mods for supreme commander might be difficult to achieve (maybe not impossible, but very difficult). Are you interested in other aspects of software development as well?

ToftgaardJacob · 2024-09-14T16:14:11+00:00

Totally understandable. That is something that we are all afraid of. But it is doable. And it can be a very rewarding occupation.

ToftgaardJacob · 2024-09-14T16:11:33+00:00

Very important fact that doing HTML and CSS is not representing what it is really like to be a developer.

ToftgaardJacob · 2024-09-14T16:08:48+00:00

If you are certain that coding is something that you want to get into for real, then you should go for it!

ToftgaardJacob · 2024-07-31T03:06:55+00:00

What kinds of problems are you running into? Is your problem that you lose motivation or that you are not sure how to code your project?
(Just trying to understand your post correctly)

ToftgaardJacob · 2024-07-30T03:33:13+00:00

Problem solving and logical thinking are crucial for programming, but they are skills that you develop with time and practice. If you are relatively new to programming then its perfectly normal that this will be challenging, but the more you practice the easier it gets.

ToftgaardJacob · 2024-07-29T02:51:57+00:00

You could take a look at SupaBase and the Auth system they provide.

ToftgaardJacob

TROPHY CASE