I agree that you should not be required/obliged to code in your free time, that’s for sure.
If you work where you can learn new tools on company time (like mentioned in this article), good for you. If you are happy about your where you are right now (as in your programming skills, achievements, career prospects), you probably don’t need to code in your free time—unless you want to.
I had a late start into my programming career, have no mentoring or feedback system, and I tend to progress slower than (many? most?) others. Thus I need to work harder to catch up. “Work harder” could entail many things; for me it includes coding in my free time, which is very important for me.
That said, too much coding & not enough rest leads to burnout, which will be counterproductive to my goals. So I balance coding with social and community activities, and maintaining my mental & physical health.
Hi I'm totally new here in fact this is my first comment. I'm recently very interested in coding am learning JavaScript now (first week). I was thinking to change career path to become software engineer. but the thing is I have commitment so if I gave up the job now (self-employed roofer) to start to work as full time Dev my income surely could not match with my old income.
do u face similar issue? as u mention u staet ur Dev career late I thought maybe u can share ur experience with me. thanks!
I learned to code outside of my previous jobs, eg. at night or whenever I had time. Initially I did not even think about changing career; was doing it out of interest.
Gradually I started taking small projects as a side gig (setup & customize Wordpress sites for friends' small business; worked for super low rates on freelancing sites like Upwork and Fiverr)--so I was essentially learning while getting paid, albeit low amount. Only when I've saved enough backup fund and was confident I could make as much as my previous jobs from coding did I go to full-time coding.
However, at that time there was no bootcamp with income sharing agreement & job placement in my country. If I were in your position now, I'd probably consider this option.
I agree that you should not be required/obliged to code in your free time, that’s for sure.
If you work where you can learn new tools on company time (like mentioned in this article), good for you. If you are happy about your where you are right now (as in your programming skills, achievements, career prospects), you probably don’t need to code in your free time—unless you want to.
I had a late start into my programming career, have no mentoring or feedback system, and I tend to progress slower than (many? most?) others. Thus I need to work harder to catch up. “Work harder” could entail many things; for me it includes coding in my free time, which is very important for me.
That said, too much coding & not enough rest leads to burnout, which will be counterproductive to my goals. So I balance coding with social and community activities, and maintaining my mental & physical health.
Hi I'm totally new here in fact this is my first comment. I'm recently very interested in coding am learning JavaScript now (first week). I was thinking to change career path to become software engineer. but the thing is I have commitment so if I gave up the job now (self-employed roofer) to start to work as full time Dev my income surely could not match with my old income.
do u face similar issue? as u mention u staet ur Dev career late I thought maybe u can share ur experience with me. thanks!
I learned to code outside of my previous jobs, eg. at night or whenever I had time. Initially I did not even think about changing career; was doing it out of interest.
Gradually I started taking small projects as a side gig (setup & customize Wordpress sites for friends' small business; worked for super low rates on freelancing sites like Upwork and Fiverr)--so I was essentially learning while getting paid, albeit low amount. Only when I've saved enough backup fund and was confident I could make as much as my previous jobs from coding did I go to full-time coding.
However, at that time there was no bootcamp with income sharing agreement & job placement in my country. If I were in your position now, I'd probably consider this option.
thnak you so much for your sharing. much appreciated. :)