There are many different paths to becoming a successful Web Developer, including self-taught learning. If you are going to go down this route of learning and perfecting your skills on your own we have a few key tips to make the process go as smoothly as possible…
Set up a cool work space
Obviously everyone is different and has their preferences but either way it is salient that you have an incredible and comfortable work space. First things first, you will need Dual monitors as this is a necessity not a preference! You are going to get good at multitasking and this will help you to do so. Have all the desk essential like pens, paper, sticky notes etc but most importantly a super comfy chair that is going to support you through the endless hours of coding you are about to encounter.
Got a unique/super cool work space? Showcase it by tagging us @HolleringsUK.
Passion is key
You must have passion if you want to learn anything in life not just how to code, learning to code takes a lot of time and effort so it is key to have a passion for what you want to be, where you want to be and how you are going to get there. Other developers in the community would advise that as a newbie you should focus on one area and build a passion for that particular area. If you can code you can truly make a difference!
Patience
Following on from your passion and desire to code is Patience, one bug will feel like it can ruin your life but it is important not to let that get to you. Once you have the passion to code you will need to grow your patience. If you feel yourself starting to stress and get impatient remember why you started, take a step back from your computer, make a brew or whatever you fancy and come back to it when you have a clear mind.
Ask Questions
There are loads of communities online as well as meetup’s in your local area where you can network and ask any questions about something you are struggling with. The Developer communities are really supportive and helpful when you are at the beginners level. It is important that you continue asking questions throughout your career as we never stop learning!
Join a community
If you want to ask questions, as mentioned above, it is best to join a community, depending on which tech stack you are concentrating on there will be a community of developers and experts in that field who are willing to offer help. Meetup.com is a great website for finding local technology related meetups that can be highly beneficial to your development as a code newbie. By building your network you are increasing your opportunities to land a Developer role when you feel confident enough.
Attend a Hackathon
Once you feel you have learnt enough to start building small apps/web pages you should absolutely attend a hackathon! A hackathon is a competition-style event that you can attend to build and design something cool from scratch. Hackathon’s are a great way of increasing your technical skills by learning and talking to others. Not only is this a fun way of increasing your level of expertise, most of them offer FREE FOOD too!
Set yourself a goal
Want to land your first development role within a year? Make this your key goal and set yourself tasks along the way to ensure you are likely to get there. Whatever your goals may be you must commit to achieving them.
