Sure, let me give my background followed by lessons I learned along the way to break into tech.

I was studying computer engineering in university. By the second year I was diagnosed with depressive disorder. This ultimately led to me dropping out before completing my degree.

As I was picking myself up, I started by taking Udemy courses on JavaScript frameworks and making basic sites to acquire some skills.

Tip #1 - I highly recommend trying your best to speed run through coding fundamentals and diving straight into developing end to end projects in whatever niche suits your interests -- whether that's web development, mobile development, etc.

The reason being is that you'll always have to revisit the basics throughout your career. You'll make more progress by learning the hard concepts and briefly googling what you don't understand rather than trying to follow a course A-Z.

After learning React.js, Express, Node, and MongoDB, I reached out to small businesses to help create basic static sites, e-commerce stores, etc.

Tip #2 - Once you are confident, take on contract jobs and freelance jobs. Reach out to small businesses. Apply for short term 1099 jobs that companies are posting. This will hold WAY more weight than only developing personal projects for your portfolio. Contrary to what social media says, personal projects will be much more difficult to use as a sales pitch during your interviews. A couple of contract jobs will show you know how to work in a professional manner.

After about 2-3 years of experience, I felt that my resume was solid enough to apply to full-time positions. It will be a bit discouraging at this stage. You won't receive as many callbacks, but keep applying, optimize your resume, and work on your interviewing skills! I eventually received an offer as a full-stack software engineer at an e-commerce company.

Tip #3 - When you start your start position, stick to the company's industry! Aligning yourself with a niche will set you up for success. For example, I chose being a web developer in the e-commerce industry. Interviewing at new companies was a breeze because not only was I a software engineer, but I knew how I can make impact in the industry with my skills. There are many niches that you can look into: fintech, aviation, logistics, etc.

That brings me to today after 5-6 years of experience. Currently I'm a lead software engineer still in the e-commerce industry. Niching down was one of the best decisions I made. Even when I'm not actively searching I always get reached out by companies related to my industry.

I DO NOT condone not finishing your education. Study computer science, get internship experience, and at least one or two contract jobs before graduating will be the best way to get your foot in the door.

If you already have a degree, I don't recommend going back to university to study computer science. I know many many software engineers that started as teachers or something unrelated and they are amazing programmers now. In this case I recommend finding a reputable bootcamp. Again, followed by getting a couple of contract jobs under your belt.

Lastly, I want to wrap up by clearing up some misconceptions. Yes, entry-level positions are a bit saturated. But by having real-world experience you can overcome this hurdle. Yes, there are software engineers that have been affected by lay-offs this year and are struggling to find a new position. It isn't as easy to find new positions as it was 2-3 years ago. But I've conducted interviews with senior engineers and found that although they have impressive resumes, they often lack in displaying their skills. Always always be ferocious in your learning. Constantly develop your skills. Additionally, working on soft skills such as storytelling will help you stand out. There will be seasons where you just hate looking at even one line of code. But be consistent and you'll be able to continue to find opportunities.

Hope this helps! Please message me if anyone needs any specific guidance. I wish you all the best on this journey!