Last time I discussed what a developer’s goals would tend to be at different levels. Let’s do some deeper digging for each level. What skills would a new developer need, and what are some exercises to grow those skills?
So we have someone new to software development who wants to get up to speed quickly. The quickest way would be one of the many bootcamp training programs that have popped up recently. They aren’t cheap, and they demand a lot of work. But at the end you will have been exposed to many technologies and types of programs. You will have learned at least the basics of VS Code, Git, and Maven (or Gradle or some other build system.) You would have a basic introduction to how to structure a computer program in a given language, and spent some serious time debugging. So you would be ready to start as an entry-level developer.
Four years earning a computer science degree at a university would be much more expensive, and much less stressful, and would give you opportunities to work for companies that still require a college degree. So if you can afford the time and expense for that, it could be helpful.
What if you want to try to get there on your own? I would recommend you talk to a few software developers and get insights from them about what to study. It would also be helpful to have someone to talk to when you’re stuck on a programming problem. Having a study buddy would be a big help, too – as long as they are committed and studying the same things you are.
Some great online places to learn are freeCodeCamp, Exercism, or Sololearn. You could sign up for GitHub’s student developer pack here: https://education.github.com/pack. And here‘s an article with links for learning Web design. There are also thousands of videos on YouTube and other video sites.
The speed at which a new developer gains the skills to become employable really depend on how much time and effort they are willing to put into the effort. A helpful coach or mentor will be able to guide them towards more effective resources and a more streamlined plan. But so will a code camp or college program.
If you are new to software development, what are your biggest struggles?