How I learned to Code in 6 MONTHS & Got a Job Offer (Self-Taught)

Smoljames

12 Feb 202334:44

EducationalLearning

32 Likes 10 Comments

TLDRIn this video, the creator shares his inspiring journey of self-teaching himself to code and landing a remote full-stack developer job within six months, without any paid bootcamps or formal education. He guides viewers through the key steps, technologies, projects, and challenges he encountered along the way. From mastering JavaScript, HTML, and CSS to building dynamic web applications with React and Node.js, he offers invaluable insights into his learning process, navigation of tutorial hell, and strategies for gaining credibility with potential employers. With a focus on practical tips and advice, this video serves as a motivational roadmap for aspiring self-taught developers seeking to kickstart their coding careers.

Takeaways

😀 Start by learning JavaScript, HTML, and CSS through interactive resources like FreeCodeCamp - these form the foundation for web development.
🚀 Build 3 main projects to demonstrate your skills: a mobile app, an e-commerce site, and a full-stack application with authentication.
🌐 Host your projects live on the web and showcase the code on GitHub to prove your deployment and coding abilities.
💻 Learn additional technologies like React, Node.js, and Python to expand your skillset and increase job prospects.
📝 Craft a tailored cover letter and consistent resume for each job application, highlighting your relevant tech skills.
🔑 Connect with hiring managers on LinkedIn and take the initiative to stand out among applicants.
🧠 Adapt tutorials by making modifications to avoid tutorial hell and demonstrate your ability to create independent projects.
🚫 Avoid imposter syndrome by having unreasonable self-confidence and being receptive to feedback.
📚 Catalog useful resources, tutorials, and code snippets in a GitHub repository or blog for future reference.
💬 Develop excellent communication skills, as they are crucial for landing a job and working well in a team.

Q & A

What was the first resource the creator used to learn coding?
-The first resource the creator used to learn coding was FreeCodeCamp. He completed their JavaScript Algorithms and Data Structures course, which taught him JavaScript through interactive coding challenges.
What were the next two courses the creator completed after learning JavaScript?
-After learning JavaScript, the creator completed FreeCodeCamp's Responsive Web Design course, which taught him HTML and CSS.
What was the creator's first project after learning the basics?
-The creator's first project after learning the basics was building a beginner portfolio website using HTML, CSS, and JavaScript, following a tutorial by Kevin Powell.
Why did the creator decide to learn React Native initially?
-The creator was motivated to build mobile apps, so he decided to learn React Native (instead of React for web development) for his first major project.
What was the creator's second major project?
-The creator's second major project was building an e-commerce store using React and Stripe for billing and payment integration.
What was the third major project the creator built?
-The creator's third major project was a full-stack application using Firebase as the backend service, allowing users to log in, authenticate, and create and access their plans across devices.
How did the creator navigate the challenge of tutorial hell?
-To navigate tutorial hell, the creator adopted the strategy of making adaptations to the projects he built following tutorials. He would change minor things like colors, fonts, or functionalities to make the project his own.
What was the creator's approach to dealing with imposter syndrome?
-To deal with imposter syndrome, the creator maintained unreasonable levels of self-confidence and realized that rejections were more a reflection of the employers' inability to see his potential than his own shortcomings.
What did the creator recommend for cataloging information during the learning journey?
-The creator recommended cataloging useful resources, tutorials, articles, and code snippets in a GitHub repository or a medium article to build a library of information for future reference.
What was the creator's advice for learning and memorizing code more effectively?
-The creator advised commenting code extensively while following tutorials to understand the logic better and make it easier to revisit and reuse the code later without having to re-watch the entire tutorial.

Outlines

00:00

🚀 Introduction to the Self-Taught Development Journey

The speaker introduces the video as a tutorial about his self-taught experience in learning to code and landing a full-stack remote developer job within six months, without attending any paid bootcamps. He mentions that he'll discuss the technologies he learned, the progression steps, timelines, challenges faced (like imposter syndrome and tutorial hell), and tips for aspiring self-taught developers. He also introduces a website he created as an all-in-one guide based on his experience.

05:02

🛠️ Early Learning Steps: FreeCodeCamp, HTML/CSS, and Portfolio Website

The speaker's first step was completing the JavaScript Algorithms and Data Structures course on FreeCodeCamp, followed by their Responsive Web Design course covering HTML and CSS. He then built a beginner portfolio website using a Kevin Powell YouTube tutorial, which taught him how to host a website. This initial stage took around 1-2 months and provided a solid foundation in web development basics.

10:03

🏗️ Building Projects: React Native, E-Commerce Store, and Full-Stack App

The speaker then moved on to building projects to gain credibility for job applications. His first project was a mobile app built with React Native, followed by an e-commerce store using React and Stripe. His third and largest project was a full-stack app with client-side authentication and a database system, built using Firebase. This project phase took around 2-3 months, and he continually applied for jobs during this time.

15:05

👨‍💼 Job Application Strategies and Landing the Role

After building his portfolio projects, the speaker intensified his job application efforts, sending out around 3 applications per day. He shares strategies like tailoring cover letters, connecting with hiring managers on LinkedIn, and emphasizing communication skills during interviews. He also discusses the importance of demonstrating a willingness to learn and receiving feedback positively. These strategies eventually led him to land his current full-stack remote developer job.

20:06

🚧 Challenges Faced: Tutorial Hell and Imposter Syndrome

The speaker discusses two major challenges he faced: falling into "tutorial hell" and experiencing imposter syndrome. To combat tutorial hell, he emphasizes the importance of adapting tutorial projects by making minor changes initially and later modifying functionality. For imposter syndrome, he stresses maintaining unreasonable self-confidence, understanding that rejection is part of the process, and demonstrating a willingness to learn and receive feedback.

25:08

💡 Tips for Aspiring Self-Taught Developers

The speaker shares several tips for aspiring self-taught developers: maintaining a tidy LinkedIn profile, committing code regularly to GitHub, focusing on a few high-quality projects rather than spreading efforts thin, creating detailed README files for projects, cataloging useful resources, and commenting code extensively to aid learning and future reference.

30:09

🏁 Conclusion and Call to Action

The speaker concludes by summarizing his six-month journey of learning to code, building projects, and landing a full-stack remote developer job. He encourages viewers to check out his YouTube channel and website for more resources and guidance on a similar self-taught development path. He also invites viewers to join his mailing list and Discord community for additional content and support.

Mindmap

Keywords

💡Self-taught

Self-taught refers to the process of acquiring knowledge and skills through one's own efforts, without formal instruction or guidance from a teacher or institution. In the context of the video, the speaker emphasizes that he taught himself to code and landed a full-stack remote developer job within six months through self-directed learning, without attending any paid bootcamps or formal education programs.

💡FreeCodeCamp

FreeCodeCamp is an interactive online platform that provides free coding tutorials and certifications. The speaker mentions that he started his coding journey by completing the JavaScript Algorithms and Data Structures course on FreeCodeCamp, which he describes as a phenomenal resource for learning to code. It provided him with a solid foundation in JavaScript, HTML, and CSS.

💡Projects

Projects refer to practical coding assignments or applications that learners build to demonstrate their skills and knowledge. The speaker emphasizes the importance of having a portfolio of three main projects to showcase various technologies and gain credibility with potential employers. These projects served as proof of his coding abilities and helped him land job interviews.

💡Portfolio

A portfolio is a collection of a person's work, typically showcasing their skills, achievements, and projects. In the context of coding, a portfolio is a crucial element that demonstrates a developer's proficiency to potential employers. The speaker highlights the significance of creating a portfolio website and hosting his projects live to showcase his work during the job application process.

💡Credibility

Credibility refers to the quality of being trusted or believed in, particularly in terms of one's abilities or expertise. The speaker emphasizes that without formal education, gaining credibility as a self-taught developer is crucial for landing a job. He achieved this by building a portfolio of projects, learning various technologies, and showcasing his coding skills to employers.

💡React

React is a popular JavaScript library for building user interfaces, developed and maintained by Facebook. The speaker highlights the importance of learning React, as it is widely used in web development and is considered an essential skill for front-end developers. He built projects using React and React Native to demonstrate his proficiency with this technology.

💡Full-stack

Full-stack refers to the development of both the front-end (client-side) and back-end (server-side) portions of a web application or software. The speaker aimed to become a full-stack developer by learning technologies such as Node.js and Firebase, which enabled him to build complete applications with client-server interactions and database integration.

💡GitHub

GitHub is a web-based platform for version control and collaborative software development, primarily used for hosting and sharing code repositories. The speaker emphasizes the importance of having a GitHub account, committing code regularly, and providing detailed README files for each project to showcase his coding abilities and commitment to potential employers.

💡Job applications

Job applications refer to the process of applying for employment opportunities, typically involving submitting a resume, cover letter, and other relevant materials. The speaker discusses his strategies for applying for jobs, including tailoring cover letters, connecting with hiring managers on LinkedIn, and emphasizing his communication skills during interviews.

💡Imposter syndrome

Imposter syndrome is a psychological phenomenon where an individual doubts their skills, talents, or accomplishments and has a persistent fear of being exposed as a fraud or an imposter. The speaker acknowledges experiencing imposter syndrome as a self-taught developer, particularly when facing rejection during the job application process, and shares his strategies for overcoming it.

Highlights

The first thing the speaker did to start learning to code was to reach out to people who are software engineers or have a computer science role for resources and recommendations.

The speaker started with the JavaScript Algorithms and Data Structures course on FreeCodeCamp, which was an excellent interactive resource for learning the fundamentals.

After FreeCodeCamp, the speaker learned HTML and CSS from the Responsive Web Design course on the same platform.

The speaker built a beginner portfolio website following a YouTube tutorial by Kevin Powell, which helped solidify the knowledge and provided a live project to showcase.

Realizing the need for credibility, the speaker started building projects like a mobile app using React Native, an e-commerce store with React and Stripe, and a full-stack app with client-side authentication and a database.

The speaker learned Node.js and Firebase to gain back-end experience and demonstrate full-stack capabilities.

The speaker emphasized the importance of having a maximum of three well-developed projects in the portfolio to demonstrate a wide array of skills without spreading attention too thin.

After about four to five months of learning, the speaker felt comfortable with full-stack development and started applying for jobs, sending out around three applications per day.

The speaker's secret to landing interviews was adapting the cover letter for specific roles while keeping the resume consistent and reaching out directly to hiring managers on LinkedIn.

The speaker emphasized the importance of communication skills, positivity, and gratitude in the interview process, which ultimately led to landing the desired job.

The speaker encountered challenges like tutorial hell and imposter syndrome, which were overcome by making adaptations to projects and maintaining unreasonable self-confidence.

The speaker recommended having a tidy LinkedIn profile, an active GitHub account with well-documented projects, and a catalog of useful resources and learnings throughout the journey.

The speaker advised against spreading yourself too thin and suggested focusing on three well-developed projects that demonstrate a wide range of skills.

The speaker emphasized the importance of commenting code extensively while learning, as it aids in understanding, memorization, and future reference.

The speaker's journey from quitting an unsatisfying job to landing a full-stack remote developer job took about six months of self-directed learning and applying consistently.

Transcripts

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