1. FIGURE OUT YOUR END GOAL
Work for a big company, startup, freelance ? Web development (frontend/backend), gaming, data science, mobile apps? What are you naturally good at ? Check pay scales, job security, etc for different types of dev jobs
2. CHOOSE A PROGRAMMING LANGAUGE
Figure out which language you should learn for what
you want to do . Fundamentals first! (Save frameworks, etc for later). Chose a text editor / IDE and get comfortable with it. You can always switch or learn another language
3. FIND RESOURCES & BUILD A CURRICULUM
Books: Great for learning language fundamentals — Documentation: Best used for reference — Resource Websites: W3Schools, MDN Web Docs — Video Courses: Youtube, Udemy, Pluralsight, Lynda,
Coursers, etc — Online Bootcamps: Freecodecamp, Codeacademy,
Team Treehouse — Challenge Websites: Codewars
4. FIND A COMMUNITY
Having people to talk to and learn from is very beneficial .Find a mentor if possible.Join an online community.Go to meetups
5. CREATE YOUR OWN PROJECTS
Following along with courses is only half the battle .This is where most get stuck and many quit.Your projects do NOT have to be from scratch .Add new features, use the docs as a supplement to figure new stuff out .Look at other people’s code that is similar to what you want to achieve .Eventually you won’t need to use other projects as a starting point
6. CREATE YOUR PORTFOLIO
Create an attractive but simple portfolio. Showcase a live version (if possible) and your source code. Self taught developers NEED a great portfolio with work examples
7. CONTRIBUTE TO OPEN SOURCE
— Gives you experience with real-life projects . Collaborate with other developers. Something for your resume . Learn how to use Github
8. CREATE AN ONLINE PRESENCE
— Also extremely important for self-taught devs with no degree. Have an up to date Linkedin and professional Twitter. Upload all of your work to Github and keep it well documented. Write articles, tutorials, videos, etc. The more you are visible on the web, the better
9. PREPARE & APPLY TO JOBS
All other boxes should be checked . Prepare for interviews, practice algorithms, create a resume, cover letter, etc — Search for jobs in your area that are looking for things you know. Apply even if it says degree required
Remember… it is your first job, not your last
If you have any other guides share it. :)
