Here at Graffiti Recruitment, we meet many people who would like to learn web development and launch a new career but simply don’t know where to start. Should you learn to code? Get experience at a startup? Come up with an idea for your own business?
When you’re not in the tech scene, it can seem almost impenetrable, we should know. But we’re here to tell you it’s really not so hard to get the skills you need to become a programmer if it’s something you really want to do. With the right support, motivation, knowledge and experience your career in tech is within arm’s reach.
In this post, we’re going to discuss what steps to take and in what order to take them when you’re first starting out learning to code & get that new career in motion.
Want to Learn To Code?
- Have A Goal
Decide what you want to create. Do you have an idea for the next big social network? Do you have an idea for a great app? A useful tool that you’ve always needed and not found anywhere? If you think there’s a need for it and it doesn’t already exist, you can be the one to create it. Your app might be something that your family / job / journey to work has inspired you to create. For example, top model and longtime coder Lyndsey Scott created an app for her ‘book’ – the portfolio of photographs, campaigns and experience that models take along to fashion castings to give casting directors an idea of what they’ve done before. The app is called iPort, which allows models to upload their ‘book’ or portfolio onto an iPad. She said:
“I built that app because it was something I personally needed,’ she said. ‘My book always ends up looking terrible, the books fall apart, the pages are tearing, it’s dirty, and it’s a mess.”
If you’ve noticed a gap in the market or a need that hasn’t yet been met, that’s where your app or website could come in.
- Learn To Code
Many of us first learned to code using Codecademy and lots of other free online tutorials. You will also need the support and expertise of someone who has already been there. It is for this reason that we suggest getting a mentor. While you are learning to code it’s crucial to have someone you can ask direct questions to about the small, fiddling things to do with programming, but what’s also invaluable is having someone on-hand who can give you advice in your career, help you build a portfolio or find work. As David Shariff, Senior Engineer at Yahoo said: “Don’t settle for knowing a concept, roll your sleeves up and dig as deep as you can.”
- Google For Solutions
Someone once told me that when you’re learning how to program you really learn how to Google stuff like a pro. This is a key skill as a developer. All of the answers you need to any question you might have you will find online, but knowing HOW and WHERE to find them is the tough part. You need to learn exactly which search terms are going to get you the answers you need, whether you find them on GitHub or StackOverFlow or on some obscure forum. When you understand how to Google for things you’ll find learning code will be much faster. It is part of the learning process to get from problem to solution in as little time as possible – and when you are under pressure in a real, working environment this skill will be invaluable.
- Copy Cool Things
Copy cool things you find on great websites like widgets, videos, parallax images etc. (do view source on a page). Add it to your code. Then try to understand what it is doing. This is a great way to learn any new skills and impress your friends by having something advanced to show at a relatively early stage in your learning. Websites like TryRuby are great for practicing what you’ve learnt directly in your browser without having to download any software.
- Showcase Your Work
When you are pitching to do a job as a web developer you’re not asked to show your certificates, you’re asked to show what projects you have been part of creating already. This is why it’s really important to build up a portfolio of work – websites, apps, code, to show in your interview. You may also be asked technical questions in your interview, so it’s good to be prepared – read up on websites like StackOverFlow, ask questions on there and answer questions if you think you can. You’ll be building up a profile and reputation while you’re doing it. The best way to showcase your work to employers is to set up your Github page and or Website of your own and showcase your projects from there.
Next Steps
So what’s your next step? Do you need to get some experience at a startup, buckle down and learn to code, or start putting together a portfolio for future job interviews? Maybe you need more advice on some more about the subject and career prospect, in which case you can call one of our team on 0330 2233 047 or if you have already experience as a Web Developer check out our latest jobs here and apply now.
careerfoundry – ROSIE ALLABARTON
