DEV Community: Harmony Mukolwe

How to Become a Self-Taught Software Developer in 2024

Harmony Mukolwe — Thu, 18 Jan 2024 09:42:51 +0000

In my first article in 2024, I thought of sharing insights (all of which I still use myself) on the roadmap to becoming a self-taught developer.

Becoming proficient in either front-end or back-end development, or both, takes a lot of hard work. One must work round the clock to master at least one programming language and several technologies. A beginner front-end developer, for instance, must know at least a little bit of the following technologies: HTML, CSS (grid/ flexbox), React/ Redux, Bootstrap, TypeScript (if you’re taking up Angular), Webpack, ES6, Babel, etc.

Getting your first paycheck as a software engineer won’t happen overnight. Stick around to get a gist of how to pursue a career as a software engineer without pursuing a degree in Computer Science. Remember that this is not a complete overview of the process - they are ideas from a self-taught developer’s experience.

Photo by AltumCode on Unsplash

If This Isn’t You, Stop!

Have you thought about the most natural way to become good at something? People don’t play soccer to become good at soccer. They play soccer because they enjoy the game. Getting good at soccer is just a consequence of their enthusiasm to play. Do you agree?

If you love programming and intentionally explore the industry for 2 or so years, you will become a better programmer than over 80% of recent computer science graduates at best. The only issue that will bite you more than it does the graduates is proving this to hiring managers or recruiters within the limited time they give your profile.

You may have the skills and experience, but without a degree, some hiring managers may overlook your qualifications. However, by showcasing your work through a strong portfolio and networking within the industry, you can improve your chances of landing the right opportunity.

Build stuff! My friend who introduced me to coding retorted this to me more times than I would have loved, but 2 years into the craft, I appreciate it that he sensitized me toward projects. You can use projects in place of the ‘Work History’ section of your resume. They are a testimony that you possess the skills you claim to possess.

You will get frustrated if you have to build stuff you don’t enjoy working on. I have had to sift through tens of videos and through the fluff of several articles to find a solution when I hit a wall with my projects. If you are interested in programming as opposed to the more idolized lifestyle a programming career can afford you, you’re right to have chosen this path.

The Image of a Home-Grown Developer

Becoming a self-taught developer is a long and exciting journey. It demands lots of patience, resilience, and hard work. I can’t count the number of times I have had to stay awake for long hours through the night, writing code. It will squeeze everything out of you.

Despite the tedious process, here’s why I think those who have had the patience to see the process through have a great image:

-They are excellent problem-solvers because they have developed the thick skin to fix things on their own.
-They become programming experts since they figured out how things work by themselves. When something is completely new to you, you consider every bit important. You will leave no ‘t’ uncrossed and no ‘i’ dotted.
-They often know very intricate coding methodologies. Self-taught programmers are usually all out to learn.
-For one to take their time, 2 or more years in some cases, and dedicate it to learning to code, they are passionate about programming. They would thrive in a fast-paced and eccentric environment.

This should encourage you to brave it and get down to work. Let me show you how.

A Guide to Become a Developer Without a CS Degree

1. Get an Overview of Basic Programming Concepts

The first step in your software development journey is understanding how computer programs work. Learning programming concepts gives you a solid foundation. You can do this through tutorials, programming books, and interactive coding platforms. Many universities such as Harvard offer free courses.

What is a programming language, to begin with? Get familiar with such concepts as variables, parameters, functions, loops, and conditionals.

2. Choose What You Want to Specialize in

The world of software development is broad. You can’t specialize in everything. Once you have grasped the programming concepts, go ahead and niche down to a specialty that will help you achieve your goals.

Choosing a specialty will enhance your learning since it reduces the chances of getting overwhelmed. Decide if you want to do web development, or develop mobile or desktop apps, etc. If you are interested in more than one area of specialty, at least focus on one at a time for a start until you become proficient.

The niche you choose will inform the programming language(s) you need to learn. There are many programming languages, each with its own strengths and specific use cases.

Since you are also probably looking to become hirable, consider the demand for these languages. Additionally, consider the community support options available. Popular programming languages in 2024 include JavaScript, Python, Ruby, and Java.

3. Learn the Chosen Language by Doing

Software development is hands-on. Don’t get stuck in tutorial hell without writing even a single line of code.

Try out everything you learn on your own. If you manage to solve the problem, even with the use of some research, you will not fail when confronted with a similar challenge in the future. This is how I put more perspective into my learning. Practice, practice, practice!

Online interactive coding platforms help you apply the concepts you have learned in real-world scenarios. I used freeCodeCamp. I love how well-ordered their online lessons are. Other popular platforms include Codecademy and W3 schools. Many good courses on Udemy also expose you to real-world projects.

As you navigate these platforms, seek out their forums where you get to interact with other learners and experienced developers.

4. Join Coding Communities to Network with Other Developers

Another vital part of your development journey is networking with other developers. You can not only turn to them when facing challenges, but you will also get to discuss the latest development trends to stay updated.

As you interact, ask questions, propose solutions, and contribute during discussions.

You can use platforms like Stack Overflow and GitHub, or join a local tech community. A local community will help you connect with professionals in your area and attend physical meetups.

Photo by John Schnobrich on Unsplash

5. Keep Building Your Portfolio

Let’s face it- there has been a mass exodus into the tech industry in recent years, and the number of developers is about to get bigger in 2024. There are an estimated 4.3 million developers in the US alone.

Projects play an important role in showcasing your ability to solve problems using code. A good portfolio will help you stand out from the crowd.

Push your code to GitHub.

No project is too small to be part of your portfolio. Start by working on small projects. As you gain more confidence, start working on more advanced projects and contribute to open-source projects.

You may be wondering what the place of the projects you have built as part of a course is. Well, you could include them but endeavor to have personal quality projects that you have built as solutions to certain problems. You’d rather have few tangible projects than several projects of low quality.

Photo by Jefferson Santos on Unsplash

6. Prepare for Interviews; Try Some Real Ones as Well

I’m assuming you’re pursuing software development as a potential career path.

Once you have started building your portfolio and get confident with your newly-found skills, start preparing for interviews. Try out coding challenges that simulate what is commonly asked during interviews. Highlight your thought process in coming up with the said solution. You can use resources such as LeetCode which puts together thousands of interview questions.

You can start applying for jobs. It doesn’t hurt. The worst response you can ever get is, “You’re not a good fit for this role”. Some companies will go ahead and tell you, “We’ll keep your information for future possible collaboration”. I have myself received tens of such emails. That’s beside the point. All I’m trying to say is that you won’t know if you’re ready or not until you step out into the job market.

Whenever you fail a coding interview, ask for feedback on what you would have done better. Some interviewers will provide you with this information. Act on the feedback, rinse, and try again.

If you wait to get ready, you will never overcome the fear of sending out applications. Getting good at acing interviews should be part and parcel of your learning journey. With consistent learning and building of projects, you will finally land that dream job.

In Closing

It is possible to become a great software engineer without an associate degree.

Once you have become a home-grown prodigy, keep learning. Refresh your knowledge on concepts you have already learned, keep up with the software development trends, and read widely.

Some of the ideas I have shared in this article are insights I wish I had known when I was starting. We learn new things every single day. You will not have it all figured out at the beginning, but you’ll sure keep unraveling this beautiful mystery - software development.

Thank you for reading. If you’d like to know my motivations for choosing the path of software development, check out this article: Why I Decided to Become a Developer.

Why I Decided to Become a Developer

Harmony Mukolwe — Thu, 10 Aug 2023 09:49:51 +0000

Going through the process of finding what's right for you can be one of the most daunting things. You may find yourself trying out several things before landing where you belong. Like anyone else, I went through this search. I stumbled upon web development and settled, at least for now.

It took me a lot of research, experimenting, reading, and engaging with other web developers to make this critical decision. The process has been quite extensive, but I have enjoyed the process.
After being in the process for two years, I now know why I became a web developer.

Who is a Web Developer?

A skilled web developer crafts and brings to life captivating websites. A developer ensures the website is visually appealing, optimally functional, and easy to navigate by users. Web developers also ensure a website's functionality.

There are three types of web developers. They are front-end developers, back-end developers, and full-stack developers.

Front-end web developers specialize in the visual aspects of a website. They create the pages users see and interact with, commonly known as the user interface (UI). Back-end developers focus on building server-side applications and managing access points for people to manage a website's content. Full-stack developers do the work done by both front-end developers and back-end developers.

Photo by Fotis Fotopoulos on Unsplash

What Led Me to Choose a Path as a Developer

Unknown to many, my primary career interest was in the Aviation industry. If anyone told me I would later work with computers or in the digital environment, I would have found that laughable.

Aviation eluded me, and here is why my search ended when I discovered the exciting world of coding!

1. Coding is Challenging

"How is this a motivation to learn to code?" you may ask. I love a good challenge.

In the world of coding, the learning journey is continuous. There's always something new to learn. Every day, new technologies and programming languages are constantly being developed. It is an opportunity to add to your knowledge and skills.

When learning to code, my first project was based purely on HTML and CSS. I excitedly showed this project to everyone who knew I was learning to code. I thought I was ready to start applying for jobs. To my amazement, that was just the tip of the coding iceberg. Lying beneath the surface of the web development ocean was the core language of the web, JavaScript.

The same thing happened when I learned the basics of JavaScript. I needed to grasp a front-end framework afterward and how to use web development tools and resources such as Git and GitHub. As if that was not enough, when I landed my first internship as a junior developer, the project I was working on required me to have NextJS and TypeScript knowledge on top of React. The first order of business was to learn these technologies.

Coding has fostered in me a growth mindset. I have learned to see challenges as opportunities to grow. It has made me believe that there is no limit to what I can achieve.

2. It Satisfies my High Creative Drive.

If you want a creative career path, then web development could be it. You can use your creativity skills to design and create page layouts that users enjoy navigating.

Coding is a multifaceted discipline that combines the technical intricacies of Science and the creative allure of art. It allows you to use your imagination to 'breathe life' into something.

Creativity was one of the main things that informed my pursuit of a career path. As a web developer, I have produced unique effects for websites, allowing me to create something beautiful.

By learning to code, I joined the vast group of innovators who work to improve the now overly digitalized world.

3. Creative Problem-Solving

Besides being a creative venture, it is a creative process that requires out-of-the-box thinking to solve a problem.

There are many ways to tackle a programming problem. Some solutions are more effective than others. I have learned to weigh the possible solutions I have at hand to choose the best.

Coding has given me an endless opportunity to explore my creativity and come up with solutions to complex problems. I use this simple four-step method to solve programming problems. I critically analyze the issue from different angles and break it into smaller manageable pieces.

The approach I used to learn code strengthened my problem-solving muscle. I learned through practically solving coding challenges, most of which modeled real-life problems that programmers solve daily in the real world.

Creative problem-solving is part of coding. It often involves collaborating with others. Programmers may need to brainstorm with other team members to decide the best approach to tackling a problem.

Photo Headway on Unsplash

4. Exposure to Multiple Disciplines

I conducted extensive research on web development and the tech world, and this is one of the things I came across that piqued my interest.

Chief among the perks of becoming a web developer is the opportunity to work cross-functionally with various stakeholders. In your day-to-day life as a developer, you're likely to work with a UX designer, a UI designer, or a product manager, among others.

Developers should work collaboratively with people of various backgrounds to create satisfactory products and solutions. That way, they create user-friendly solutions that run smoothly and meet customer needs.

In my first role as a developer, I joined the marketing team as a content writer and strategist. I had worked as an article and blog post writer in the Real Estate niche for five years, so this wasn't such a leap. I didn't plan to pick up technical writing but developed the skill while working as a developer. I owe this to my thirst to learn new things. I just realized I had a knack for technical writing besides coding.

If you are looking for a career with exposure to lots of business functions, web development could be a great fit.

5. A Sense of Community

As a web developer, you will never walk alone unless you've chosen to, in which case you won't succeed as a developer.

There is an expansive web development community, and therein are supportive people. Countless Discord servers and Slack groups bring web developers together to chat and share ideas. They even help each other solve problems.

The communities that built my developer skills include the Front-end Mentor Slack group. Being part of this community helped me improve my front-end skills by building real-world projects. I also joined an African tech community called SpaceYaTech, through which I networked with many developers and stakeholders in the tech industry. I recommend SpaceYaTech to anyone who wants to join an African open-source tech community.

At every step in your web development journey, you will have a community of people who openly share ideas. These folks will keep you motivated and encourage your learning.

Photo by Jason Goodman on Unsplash

Final Thoughts

Besides the prospect of making large amounts of money, which is almost every aspiring developer's motivation, web development has several other perks.

Coding can give you access to worldwide opportunities through remote work. Learning to code and working as a web developer can be fun. It's artistic and beautiful.

To mention a few, I was motivated to become a developer since it presents the chance to be a creative problem solver. Coding has also exposed me to various disciplines and a pool of talented and highly motivated folks.

Many resources are available to anyone who would like to learn coding. It is an excellent choice with numerous benefits.