Hi there! As someone who comes from a Chemical Engineer background, I used to think that coding was something only for those who were naturally gifted in programming. I believed that it required a lot of memorization and that it would be incredibly challenging to learn. However, I'm happy to say that I was proven wrong!
So I will help you become a developer based on my personal experience.
Let's begin the journey✌️
When I first started I was a complete beginner and I was not having any idea of a roadmap to becoming a developer. So I started with a udemy course not for certificates but for a direction that helped me find my path.
1st Month
Every developer has to start with Html and CSS. Learn the fundamentals of it, go slowly and try to create some static website with it. And you have to learn such that if anyone gives you any layouts you can easily create that.
2nd Month
This is the very important month when you will get introduced to Javascript. Remember that this is not easy to get in a month, but in this month you will learn the basics and make your website dynamic by linking your HTML, CSS, and Javascript together.
3rd Month
Now, will utilize all your knowledge from the previous 2 months and prepare some good projects also remember that you have to make your own projects and not copy from others or youtube tutorials. Also now learn how GitHub and git work and start creating a repository for your projects because these are very much important when you join any company.
"Learn by creating projects and not just reading theoretically."
Issues & Bugs
While learning and creating you will face so many issues and bugs, and its completely normal you don't have to freak out. Whenever you come across any problem just search for it on google. At the initial level, you will mostly find the solutions on StackOverflow.
"A developer knows how to search the internet"
Next 4 Months
You have learned Html, CSS, and Javascript but this is not enough to land a job. In today's world, most of the company used famous libraries/frameworks like React and angular. So you need to get any one skill to become competitive in this world. I started with React.js because it is too popular. And also decide if you are looking for frontend, backend or complete full stack.
Decide your tech stack accordingly. I have chosen the MERN stack from the beginning itself. Remember that these are important months so focus more on basics. And you have to make 3 good projects for your resume which we will discuss further. I have built a full stack project which took me around 2 months, but I learn so many things during this project.
Resume Building
Start with this step only if you are confident in your skills and have good 3 major projects to showcase in your resume.
Resume building is the most important step for getting shortlisted for the interview. If you failed at this step you will never go ahead of it.
Some of the key points you should consider are:
Skillset
Work experience or Internships
Projects - Mention some good projects and write descriptions in bullet points.
Certification if any.
Honor/Awards/Participations - If any awards or participated in a hackathon, this will highlight your resume.
Educations
Follow some good practices while creating a resume, and mention your GitHub along with your email.
Job Application & Preparation
This is one of the hardest steps of all I would say. During this phase pick some good platforms and choose jobs by skills and experience and start applying for them. Remember that it is not that easy to get a response back, you will have to apply 20-30 applications almost every day.
Some key points are as follows:
Apply for an internship or less than 1-year experience role.
Don't look at how much they are paying initially.
Prepare a good cold email template for reaching out to people or applying through company websites.
Keep your LinkedIn up to date.
Along with the job application, you have to prepare for the interview on the side for whatever skills you are focusing on like HTML, CSS, Javascript, and React for frontend. Prepare each day unless you get a call for an interview, and make some good notes so that you can revise the day before the interview.
You will have so many rejections and failures during this phase.
“Never give up! Failure and rejection are only the first step to succeeding.”
Remember that your current goal is to just land a job somehow and once you have experience of 1 year then no one will stop you from reaching the peak🗻.
Last Thought
It is important to note that having a degree or certification alone does not necessarily mean that someone has the practical skills required to excel as a developer. Ultimately, it is the skills and experience that a developer possesses that determine their ability to excel in the field.
If I can do it, you can too. It just requires hard work, patience, and dedication to your goal.
"SLOW AND STEADY WINS THE RACE"🐢✌️
Even after getting the job, remember that this is not the end, you have to keep yourself up-to-date with the skillset you have and learn new techs and apply to new jobs and this goes on continuously.
If you face any problems throughout your journey you can get in touch with me on Twitter
HAPPY CODING!!