Studying to be a Software Developer is hard.
There's no standard, no roadmap for breaking in.
If you're an accountant or lawyer, then you work towards taking a test - the CPA or bar exam - then you apply to jobs.
It doesn't work that way for developers.
There's no test. There's no certification or license. Everyone you speak to has a slighlty different story about how they got started.
And that's a good thing. It means that no matter what you're background is, there's no artificial barrier stopping you from becoming a professional developer. If you have the apitude and grit, you can learn how to code.
The downside is to reach your goal you have to wade through a swamp of conflicting advice about what to study and what to build.
The danger is that bad advice will set you back and erode the confidence and energy you need to master a difficult subject - software development.
And that's why I created the 5 Steps to Your First Dev Job.
I wanted to find a way to give aspiring coders my hard earned perspective so they will have clairty and confidence on their journey.
I'm not interested in the coding language wars, or gatekeeping. I'm also not interested in the technology hype cycle or selling false hopes.
My view is based on being a Software Engineer for over two decades and creating three software companies. I've hired, fired, and managed CS grads and self-taught developers.
I've pitched to clients and investors. And I've been pitched to by investors and vendors.
Some of my advice to aspiring careerists may seems contrarian, but that's not on purpose.
I'm just sharing what has worked for me, my employees, and now the students who attend my school, Coder Foundry.
And now, I hope it helps you.
- Bobby Davis, founder
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