How I Learned to Code in 4 Months & Got a Job! (No CS Degree, No Bootcamp)

Summary

In this inspiring narrative, the speaker shares their journey from being in debt and stuck in dead-end jobs to becoming a self-taught programmer within four months. They detail their learning process using FreeCodeCamp, overcoming challenges, and eventually landing a job in the tech industry without formal education. The story highlights the importance of persistence, problem-solving, and the power of learning by doing, ultimately leading to a remote job with a significant salary increase and benefits.

Takeaways

• 🎓 Dropped out of college, worked dead-end jobs, and felt stuck before deciding to learn coding.
• 💻 Learned coding basics from FreeCodeCamp, starting with HTML, CSS, and JavaScript.
• 🧠 Used the 'Learning How to Learn' course to improve study techniques and productivity.
• 📅 Followed a strict daily schedule to maximize learning efficiency, using Pomodoro technique.
• 🖥️ Built front-end projects through FreeCodeCamp and learned by following tutorials on YouTube and watchandcode.com.
• 🌐 Created a full-stack project with guidance from a mentor, using tools like Jira and GitHub.
• 📚 Supplemented learning with Udemy courses on React and Node.js.
• 💼 Sought job opportunities by contacting hiring managers directly, offering to work for free initially.
• 📈 Received multiple job offers and secured a remote job with a starting salary of $50,000, which increased after the probationary period.
• 🔧 Emphasizes the importance of problem-solving and persistence in learning to code and advancing in a tech career.

Q & A

Why did the speaker drop out of college and end up in debt?

The speaker dropped out of college and ended up in debt due to a lack of skills and career direction, which led to working in dead-end sales jobs.

What was the speaker's initial motivation for learning to code?

The speaker was motivated by the desire for career mobility and the high earning potential in the tech industry, as well as the ability to build something from scratch.

What online resource did the speaker use to start learning web development?

The speaker used FreeCodeCamp to start learning about web development, including HTML, CSS, and JavaScript.

Why did the speaker choose JavaScript as their first programming language?

The speaker chose JavaScript because they wanted to build web apps, and it is widely used by major companies with a high demand in the job market.

What was the speaker's realization after completing tutorials on FreeCodeCamp?

The speaker realized that they knew how to code to solve logic problems but didn't know how to program, which involves using code to build something useful.

What drastic step did the speaker take to focus on learning to code?

The speaker quit their job and moved to Korea to minimize expenses, deciding to learn coding full time.

How did the speaker improve their learning process?

The speaker improved their learning process by adopting the Pomodoro technique for focused study sessions and creating a dedicated space for learning by joining a coworking space.

What was the speaker's approach to learning front-end projects on FreeCodeCamp?

The speaker watched a YouTube channel by Stephen, who streamed himself building projects, and also used watchandcode.com to follow along and understand the concepts better.

Why did the speaker decide to build a full-stack project?

The speaker wanted to prove to themselves that they were a real developer and not just someone who could solve coding problems, so they decided to build a full-stack project to learn about databases, servers, and APIs.

How did the speaker prepare for job applications after learning to code?

The speaker defined the type of job they wanted, researched jobs on specific websites, contacted hiring managers and developers directly, and offered to work for free to get a foot in the door.

What was the outcome of the speaker's job search after learning to code?

The speaker received three legitimate job offers, chose a company with the best learning opportunity and compensation, and started with a salary of $50,000 a year, which increased to $65,000 after the probationary period.