Beginner looking for any and all advice

hello friends! i am excited to say i am going to self teach myself programming. I am basically starting from nothing with the goal to become successfully and more importantly happily employed. i love to learn and have always had a passion for computer science. sadly i've worked physically demanding jobs that left me feeling empty and unfulfilled. I have little ones now and want to see them grow up. I know the challenge will be tuff but im up to it. i want to end my day feeling like i made the world a better place! i want to make just enough money to buy a home and leave my babies something to call their own! if anybody would like to point me in the right directions or possibly allow me help on a project to boost my skill set and knowledge i would be extremely grateful! i know basically nothing currently and im starting the oden project. i wish u all the best thank u much

Comments

[Sameer Qaiser]

Three weeks ago I was where you are right now. Starting from nothing. Not sure if I could actually do this.

Here's what I'd tell you, from someone who's still early but has moved past the "I know basically nothing" stage:

1. Pick one thing and finish it. Not five tutorials. One project. The first thing I built was a weather app in Python. It was 30 lines. It broke twice. I fixed it. That taught me more than three courses combined.

2. Write about what you learn. I started publishing short articles on Dev.to. Not because I'm an expert — because writing forces you to understand something deeply. When you have to explain a concept, you can't hand-wave.

3. Consistency beats motivation. I've published 22 articles in 22 days. Not because I always felt like it. Because I decided "today" doesn't get to be optional.

4. The job is not the finish line. You said you want to feel like you made the world better at the end of the day. That feeling doesn't come from a job title. It comes from building things that help people. Start small. Build something for someone you know. That's the whole game.

The Odin Project is a great choice. Finish it. Don't jump around.

You've got this. One day at a time.

[Get On The Job]

Welcome, Brandon — and starting at 41 with a genuine passion for tech is more of an advantage than people think. Mature learners tend to be disciplined and actually finish things, which matters far more than age ever will.

The Odin Project is a solid choice. My biggest piece of advice: finish one curriculum instead of hopping between tutorials. Build every project it assigns, even the boring ones. Tutorials teach you syntax; finished projects teach you how to think like a developer.

One thing most beginners get wrong: they assume they need a stack of IT certifications before anyone takes them seriously. You don't need any certification to start building real skills. What actually gets people hired is proof they can do the work — not credentials on paper.

That's also why I'd suggest getting exposure to realistic work early, not just coursework. Over at getonthejob.com you can work realistic simulated shifts — handling real tickets and incidents, graded the way a real job would grade you — and build a verifiable work record you can show employers. Proof of real work is what gets you hired.

Keep going one day at a time, and try a free simulated shift at getonthejob.com to see what working a real IT shift feels like.