EASIEST Way To Become A SOFTWARE DEVELOPER Without Going To School

Everything I wish someone told me. The fastest & easiest way to become a software developer requires a game plan. These are the exact strategies that I used to become a self taught software developer along with the things I would do differently. I will share the programming language and stack I would use. I will share some good courses to get started. What to focus on and what to skip. Some tips for being competitive against computer science students and bootcamp grads. And my favorite programming interview tip.
My story. Construction Worker to Programmer: • Becoming a Self-taught...
Odin Project: www.theodinproject.com/
Free Code Camp: www.freecodecamp.org/
0:00 Fastest way to become a software developer
0:50 Wrong way to learn software development
1:49 Best strategy to learn software development quickly
2:49 Programming language I recommend
3:45 Learn the right stuff
7:24 Recommended software development courses
14:09 How to compete with computer science graduates
16:10 Software interview tip
More background info:
After failing at my first attempt to learn code, I went from a construction worker to a software developer in 9 months. Had I known these strategies, I could have learned to code much faster. The tips I am sharing helped me get an offer at my very first software job interview. I can't promise you will get a job offer that quickly, but I am confident that you can learn to be a software engineer without going back to school. Do I wish I could go back in time and get a computer science degree? Sure. But sometimes things just are practical.
Going back to school to get a computer science degree would have hurt my young family financially and emotionally. Going the self taught programmer route was very challenging. It takes a lot of hard work, but it is possible. How long it takes to learn JavaScript will largely come down to you and the effort you put into it. I was feeling pretty comfortable with the JavaScript basics around 4 months. Some can do it faster. I hope you find these tips helpful and I wish you the best on your programming journey!
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[@jamescross]

My job and salary history as a web developer: kzbin.info/www/bejne/h3qvqaCApa1pra8

[@rolco6536]

Hi James, I want to be backend developer, but wanna learn basic frontend also. Could you please share backend developer roadmap? My situation right now is just like yours. I don't enjoy what I do, and I want to learn new skillset. I am choosing web dev skillset

[@jeffreymcleod5925]

Hey James, Is this still good for 2024?

[@mischa8786]

As someone who has been looking into becoming a self taught programmer for the past weeks, this seems to be the best strategy. Great content, keep it up! Subbed

[@jamescross]

thanks! what areas of programming interest you?

[@GetGwapThisYear]

How are you progressing bro? I’m just getting started, with only some previous html and css experience.

[@1MW07F]

I'm not a graduate of any computer related course but I'm obsessed to learn Web Development, this will helps me a lot.

[@victorayodeji8665]

So how are you now?

[@waitingpatiently]

I can’t agree more!!!

[@jamallawrence2976]

I appreciate you, your message gave me the comfort to continue.

[@rickiamp]

Thanks for this. I'm really lost about how I should approach my learning. This will help set my path straight. Will update you in a year.

[@nemeandragon9062]

Thanks for making these videos--been really appreciating them! On the road to teaching myself--though I do have some background in coding, but very little.

[@jamescross]

thanks for the feedback! best wishes on your journey!

[@codingwithbobbysiharath3184]

Thank you for the gameplan.

[@TravisHDev]

Currently transitioning out of the Navy after 14 years. 3 years ago I went back for a second degree in CS thinking I would get classes on JS and some front end… I was wrong. Graduate in 2 month, started building my first react app a week ago. Everything in this video is spot on. You can do it, I did it working full time military, 3 kids, wife, full time school. Keep the drive it will be over before you know it and you will be doing things you love!

[@jamescross]

first of all, thanks for your service. also thanks for your thoughts! best wishes!

[@aberry007]

wow such an underrated video, you should have 20 million views on this piece of gold mate, lucky i found this video. thanks for taking out the time and effort. Big fan of your content

[@jamescross]

Glad you enjoyed it!

[@LDInThePost]

This video is a diamond in the rough. Thanks for making this video to fast track us;This came right on time for me!!

[@jamescross]

You're so welcome!

[@dparra119911]

Thanks for this.. learned HTML and CSS earlier in the year, just now getting started on JS. Was debating going back for another bachelors for that CS degree which sounded so daunting but I think I’ll wait after watching this video. I’m going to work on building my project portfolio along with finishing the Meta Frontend Developer cert I already started. That one has helped me a lot actually to learn JS. It’s tough juggling this with a full-time job, wife and two kids in my 30s, but I know at the end of it all, it’ll be worth it. Thanks bro!

[@jamescross]

Best wishes with the journey and props juggling it with a family!

[@bruceben87]

I just started the Meta front end developer certificate, do you have any tips

[@tenniswithric]

Love it, thanks for the advise!

[@jamescross]

Any time!

[@chequermin5365]

really helpful man! I am waiting for more valuable clips.

[@jamescross]

thanks! appreciate the feedback! are there any topics in particular that interest you?

[@parthamodkar6531]

This is what I was looking for :) Thank you so much...Great Content :)

[@jamescross]

Glad it was helpful!

[@mohamednaceurmahmoud6271]

Keep going man thanks for the advices

[@jamescross]

you’re welcome. have a great day!

[@Zubbee]

Thanks a lot. I wish I saw this when I was starting out but It's not late to adopt some of the approaches you've mentioned. I live in a different country so I'm sure that my options and opportunities may differ but your advice and suggestions are really great for self taught people like me. Thanks a lot again!

[@jamescross]

yeah it's good to take in your areas trends and needs.

[@vatrucker915]

Great video I’m currently a truck driver and decided to start the process of learning IT keep up the good work I’ll stay tuned in

[@YwY-ct5yq]

You have earned my sub... May this bring me progress

[@oceanview3165]

I just graduated in May 2022 with a bachelor in computer science. I wish I had mastered in web development while I was in college but unfortunately our curriculum didn’t include many web development classes. I have been teaching myself backend development in Django so hopefully that helps me get a software engineering job.

[@iamkrisefobi]

This is awesome... Thanks man!!!!

[@jamescross]

Glad you liked it!

[@kassandrafurtado3234]

Thank you so much for this

[@deejayrubio6915]

subs! I've been walking around looking into how to become a self taught full stack web dev but I agree with you with niching down to front end first then slowly go up to full stack.. so I'm watching more of your content!! :)

[@jamescross]

Glad it was helpful!

[@CamiloOchoa7]

man, thanks somuch for this info, i'm just beggining this jurney, you have inspired me to think and believe that I can do it too......be blessed!!

[@jamescross]

Best of luck!

[@thejoshpaul_]

This is so helpful, thank you

[@jamescross]

you’re welcome!

[@richardsonanyanwu716]

awesome content thank you so much for sharing

[@jamescross]

Glad you enjoyed it

[@SoftwareJournal]

I definitely agree! You should definitely try to being a specialist rather than being a generalist. Great video 👍

[@pamplo7976]

Thanks for the video!

[@jamescross]

You're welcome!

[@AbdulJabbar-vf2dc]

Wow, the strategy is really really helpful. Awesome 1

[@jamescross]

Thanks Abdul!

[@jbarx5435]

very helpful video. helps me reaffirm I am on the right path when an experienced developer has a similar path suggested. Good information.

[@jamescross]

awesomeness!

[@magixbeats2214]

Thanks! Keep these vids coming, please.

[@jamescross]

More to come!

[@gaursuneel]

I got what I was looking for🔥 you are 👍

[@jamescross]

i'm happy to help!

[@Kohiku]

I'm a Psychology Major doing my Masters with 1 year left to finish. When I was 21 I graduated with a Diploma in IT and never continued for my degree in CS because I was scared of calculus. Now at age 26 a part of me regrets having giving up on computer science & programming. Your videos have re-inspired me to get back into programming, most notably game development and software engineering. Just hope I'm still cut out for it at this age.

[@jamescross]

You still have most of your life ahead of you. Totally not too late.

[@samatar1025]

Im 36 and want to pursue software enginnering. It is not too late. Just put in the work.

[@AdventureJonesing]

@@samatar1025 xoog badhanaayaay

[@mohamedmahdi1885]

@@AdventureJonesing ciyaarta jooji waryaa kk

[@rodolfo3268]

I started Psycology at 18 because I earned a 100% discount at a good university (here in Brazil education is a little different, there's public unis and also good oportunity for discounts at particular unis, there's no "student loan debt") and didn't know what to pick, so I went with something I found cool. Stopped during covid because I couldn't stand the thought of the practice. Now I'm 22 and started focusing on programming. I hope I can quit my waiter job as soon as possible. Wasted enough time already.

[@katrina5176]

you have helped me decide hopefully i will be just as successful

[@skjoldgames]

More people should check out the technical team at Apple retail. They have internal programs to pull talent from retail to corporate and it gets you in at Apple from the get go.

[@bayyooo]

oh wow i was surprised when I saw your subscribers, u deserve more, your videos have helped me sm!! Thank u :)

[@jamescross]

thanks for the feedback! do you have any specific questions you would like answered?

[@Gigachad-mc5qz]

I'm subbing. Amazing channel

[@jamescross]

thanks

[@designlabdream]

Thanks and goooood vedeo. All the best!!!!!

[@jamescross]

Thank you! You too!

[@tomwise9668]

This is up my alley

[@azzy1351]

Thank you man, well explained and gave a clear idea how to begin . Thinking of learning coding gave me a hug headache where to begin and what to begin and now I know how slowly I have to move taking each phases with clear understanding

[@jamescross]

Great to hear!

[@gaursuneel]

thankyou so much ❤️

[@jamescross]

You're welcome 😊

[@baskate8281]

Awesome content dude

[@jamescross]

thanks Abu!

[@thebeastandthewest5191]

amazing video thanks , Iam begging with front end learning cycle today , wish me luck 🤞

[@jamescross]

Best of luck!

[@xypzs5123]

2:20 is the hardest nerd diss I have ever heard. Its so true tho. Harsh truth. Damn well done

[@persiancarpet5234]

Heyy, CS graduate here 👋 this is a great video! Btw I started working at a small company as a backend developer and the first few weeks they only had me do frontend stuff, I guess to build the trust or something. I only realized that now! :D now I'm basically full stack, as you predicted in one of your latest videos, good stuff 👍

[@jamescross]

thanks for sharing your experience!

[@persiancarpet5234]

@@jamescross :)

[@someonecurious7600]

you are a real inspiration. i have decided to make a career change and i am almost 29 i was not sure if i should even begin but i was never happy with the job i had before. i hope i can be consistent and make a corporate career like you..

[@jamescross]

Best wishes on the journey!

[@Mad1Caster]

Hahaha as I just finished watching another video and asked a question that this one answered yeah I'm ringing that bell just incase you decide to do a html css tutorial 😉

[@jamescross]

You're the best!

[@jw200]

You deserve more views and subscribers.

[@jamescross]

thanks. definitely been slow growing but if even a handful of people find it useful then it was worth the effort.

[@Absquatulationist]

Only a matter of time

[@warriorclassmedia]

Awesome

[@darkslider802]

Thumbs up!

[@jamescross]

thanks

[@ZeryusXD]

My path to learning front end was basics in web development using html, css, javascript, jquery, php, mysql. Then going deep dive into typescript and angular since angular is more in demand in my area

[@jamescross]

It's great you have a plan. Important to follow trends in your area.

[@mitotv6376]

Nice

[@tracywilson3696]

I am starting to work through the Odin Project. Is the virtual machine installation needed?

[@thebloomtalks597]

1. HTML 2. CSS 3. Javascript 4. ReactJS 5. Project, Project and Project....

[@Rockardo_]

Currently in a trade myself and I find myself miserable all the time, coding I feel is my only way out of my destructive and awful cycle.

[@marvhan888]

hello James, i have been lounging around the internet watching any videos that can give me big pictures, this is huge spy report giving super deep insights about getting started in Coding and possibly saves me months of learning the important stuffs. One of the best if not the best video. Thank u so much

[@jamescross]

You are very welcome

[@RidwanAhmedMithu]

Can you kindly create a diagram of the learning path? Your videos are amazing but watching the video every time for the next step is a bit difficult.

[@Allah_Snackbar]

I'm turning 32 in a month and I've decided to learn to code. This video was really helpful to me. Thank you very much. I know I'm gonna go through hard times but I'm not giving up.

[@jamescross]

Glad it helped!

[@AlbertoGonzalez-hi1og]

Hey man..have you started alrdy? I am also looking to start and I am looking for a partner to help me stay on task

[@midknight3350]

34 here

[@ikhlasoyelami8383]

I'm a fullstack web developer with 2 years of experience, i bet it with you that you would be surprised about how much you would have achieved in a week with dedication

[@midknight3350]

@@ikhlasoyelami8383 I noticed that. Just takes consistency in your training. Something I'm learning to do. I don't need to spend a crap ton of time learning. Little bites at a time. Working through these Head First series of books. Already got through HTML/CSS and currently on JavaScript.

[@longwoodcurrencytrading]

After having a 33 year career as a senior software engineer designing complex web based enterprise Java applications I can tell you for a fact that "just in time learning" is the only way you can go. There are just so many different languages and frameworks that if you tried to learn them all you'd fail at having the absolute over riding skill: understanding of business process which is what the client wants; not what you know. I don't have a CS degree and never took formal programming courses until way later in my career when I needed it, like learning the old PowerBuilder framework. I do have a B.S. in Physics and I was a real estate investor for 40 years and so I understand how to ask questions. I also understood how all the programming pieces needed to fit together, as you discuss in the video. That's more important in an interview than knowing the API for 20 different frameworks. The key is being able to decompose the problem to solve, and then figure out what you need to know to solve it. Yup. This is the way to do it. I've taught how to program to quite a few folks, and this is the way to go about it.

[@jamescross]

Great advice. Thanks for sharing your thoughts!

[@longwoodcurrencytrading]

@@jamescross You've got some good content that you've produced on software land. It's a great field, and as you said in one of your videos if you're just trying to break into it, you've got to do several really good personal projects that you can show. I had to do this when I wanted to switch to enterprise level development and had never worked with view to controller jsp stuff. For my interview projects I just hard coded the jsp conversion communication because I didn't know anything about which framework I'd have to interview for. Personally, I hate the frameworks because it's too easy for someone without a lot of experience to bleed-through the view layer right into the model layer. And frameworks are complex to learn, you might not get the next job because not only don't you have that particular different framework that the company has, but because you relied on a framework you have no clue as to how to pull raw name/value pairs off of the http object or what to do with it after you get it. Anytime someone would ask how I would learn their framework, I'd just say that I understood the core nuts and bolts of how it all went together and I'd learned 2 or 3 other frameworks quickly because of that. I was still able to interview well and get jobs into my 50s when almost all the folks my age that I had worked with over the years couldn't and were working the counter at Radio Shack or doing landscaping. After my last job - a contract - at around 66 years old, I wanted to focus on selling off my small real estate portfolio and getting more into the FOREX market trading currencies, thus the link to my trading channel if you click my picture for my KZbin trading channel (kzbin.info/door/GX2c5DvJXOoMmKjohG9pQg). I only bring that up because I use many of the software engineering principles of analysis and design when mentoring new traders. It's all the same stuff: it's all about organizing your thoughts into discrete pieces, solving those pieces, and then hooking them together.

[@jamescross]

@Longwood I take a similar approach. I like to focus on being comfortable working across frameworks and learning new frameworks quickly. That is one of the things that helped me get my current job.

[@longwoodcurrencytrading]

@@jamescross I've always felt that if you could do full stack business applications development you could handle just about any job demanding focus, broad view analysis, and decomposing complex issues into simple components. Those skills transfer into so many areas other than programming. In the first company I worked for they had a bizops team and a systems and tools programming team. I saw right away that systems and tools skills just wouldn't provide that breadth of view, and so I specialized only in business solutions development. It was a lot of fun, and the reason I did it for so long: I enjoyed the work even though I could have retired years before I did.

[@_millyrock17]

Well I hit the subscribe and like button anyway

[@WasatchWendigo]

Why don't they have GIT anymore on the Odin Project?

[@FreshGuava161]

That’s a very good strategy right here. What do you think about specializing about one area of mobile dev like IOS or android?

[@jamescross]

those are other great areas to specialize in. you can always move around if you get bored. from what I've seen usually the team building ios apps is different from the one doing android so yes. they obviously coordinate efforts but they are different programming languages.

[@Zubbee]

Oh and just to be clear, you recommend going through "The Odin Project" first and then onto Free Code Camp? or you mean either of the two?

[@jamescross]

They are both good resources. Not necessarily everything you will need.

[@Zubbee]

@@jamescross So I'll go through both then with a Target to learn JavaScript and it's liberties and frameworks. I actually like JavaScript. Thanks a lot again.

[@SweatySockGaming]

How to submit your resume to a hiring manager as you said?

[@jamescross]

easiest if you know someone at the company and they can find out for you and get your resume to that person. it’s how i got my last two jobs. interviewed before filling out an application. otherwise you have to be creative. call the company and say you have some questions. ask who could best answer the questions. stuff like that.

[@DevlogBill]

Quick question? I am learning React hooks. But I've also been learning a bit of classes since before React I kind of enjoyed classes. I went a month straight trying to create a game using OOP but without the graphics just css. Anyways how import is classes for React?are companies still using classes over hooks? Thank you.

[@jamescross]

You see a mixture of both so it's helpful to understand both.

[@DevlogBill]

@@jamescross I had a feeling about that, thank you for confirming.

[@SennacheribBaal]

So now that we have Grid and Flexbox, is Floats and Positioning really worth learning?

[@jamescross]

It's good to know about floats because you will encounter them in other peoples code sometimes, but Flexbox and Grid are the way to go. I don't remember the last time I personally used float. It was awhile ago.

[@SennacheribBaal]

@@jamescross Excellent, thank you. 😊

[@Lutz64]

@devsmak I would give up my CS degree to become a hyperbaric welder.

[@jamescross]

are you thinking of making the switch?

[@badsanta7356]

Where can I find those medium - hard projects to build

[@jamescross]

Find is probably the wrong word. That suggests you want to just copy what someone else has done. You want to build a solution to a problem, preferably something commercial in nature. That has to come from you, your research and your ideas. I would start thinking about problems related to your hobbies or interests.

[@IvanGtv]

Hello, I’m on the website and am not seeing exactly what is on your screen. Do you know if they have moved courses around? Thank you!

[@jamescross]

Off the top of my head I don't remember which one changed but either freecodecamp or odin project did recently update their course. Though different, the topics are similar enough that you should be able to figure out what to focus on and what to hold off on.

[@IvanGtv]

@@jamescross sorry. It was the Odin project.

[@synen]

I have a question, hopefully you get to read it, how about a roadmap for someone wanting to be backend and not frontend?

[@jamescross]

will add it to my list

[@synen]

@@jamescross Thank you

[@TheArtsByPaul]

what about Swift and XCode for Software development for mobile apps?

[@jamescross]

If you want to build ios apps, that's the way to go.

[@glabbybooo2905]

Hi. This video was exactly what i needed! Thanks! I am a front-end developer. Graduated last year and am looking for internships. Can you kindly help me out

[@jamescross]

If you've already graduated and are still looking for internships, I would focus on building applications for yourself to build out a portfolio and start looking for jobs instead of internships.

[@glabbybooo2905]

@@jamescross Thanks a lot for replying so soon. I will definitely follow your advice and build projects now. I come from a place which is sort of a disputed territory between two countries. So information and guidance is hard to come by. It's only after graduating that i found out about React and other JS frameworks. There's no one to guide ke really. If you'd be willing, is there any way i can stay in touch with you permanently. Having a guide will immensely help me to cut out all the noise and confusion. Thanks again.

[@jamescross]

@@glabbybooo2905 I enjoy helping people and making these videos allows me to help more people than just one on one coaching. I'm happy to answer questions in the comments on these videos as that can also help others who read it later. Unfortunately, I work full time and have a family that needs my attention so I don't physically have the time to do one on one coaching. I've had a lot of people ask me this same thing. If you have any ideas for future videos, I'm happy to listen.

[@glabbybooo2905]

@@jamescross Thank you for being super responsive! I really appreciate it. My skillset is pretty limited. I know php, html/css, js. Now I'm trying to learn nextJS. Can you tell me which projects i should build and if there are any companies where I'll have a good chance of getting in with my minimal experience. My end goal is to work at Google after gaining substantial experience so a career roadmap would be really really helpful. Thanks again and may God bless you and your family ☮️ P.S: if you ever decide to release an online course, I'll be the first to sign up ✌️😊

[@angelg6090]

which areas would you say aren’t overly saturated by computer science degrees? and which of their weak areas are on the rise? 🥰

[@jamescross]

the main area where there is more diversity is going to be web development. i don't know that i would consider it as weak areas. they get a solid foundation of computer science which helps get past certain types of interviews.

[@jeanniepaculba2998]

❤❤❤❤❤

[@fredrrari]

This video was a year ago and React was very popular. I wonder was popular right now in September 2022...

[@jamescross]

react is still strong with lots of demand.

[@andylammens7853]

underwater construction is called commercial diver. thats what they told me when i did it :p

[@jamescross]

yup. my brother is a commercial diver too. we did a lot of that but also a lot of other non-diving marine construction work too. just trying to keep it simple for folks unfamiliar with the industry. i practically grew up on barges. did you work more inland or out on the rigs?

[@andylammens7853]

@@jamescross Only worked for 3 days as freelancer after i did my formation. cost my 3k€ to get in that one:) was already a freelancer as a welder at that time. first day was at a water purification facility , just changing some water turbines litle ones. second was at inspection on a worksite, where a crane couldn't dig in there was reinforced concrete. third was in a aqueduc of a bridge changing a filter, its was just a big square with some steel welded on it :) that was my experience ^^. nice to tryed it out :)

[@jamescross]

@@andylammens7853 Cool. I grew up around it but stuck to recreation scuba as far as diving went. Just seemed to take a huge toll on divers health who stuck with it long term. Didn't want that to be me.

[@spencermorrison8517]

Does everything in this video still apply in 2023 and moving into 2024

[@happyhoildays2010]

I did a tech test and told me that I should look into becoming a front end developer is it still good to do that in 2022

[@jamescross]

It's a great career. Funny enough, I took one of those career interest tests years ago and it recommended software engineering. I ignored that at the time but eventually ended up here. Wish I had listened earlier.

[@happyhoildays2010]

@@jamescross lmao ok appreciate this yeah I’m new to this I know nothing about coding and languages I’m starting from scratch

[@TwitchRadio]

Want to hear a weird story about me... Maybe you can tell me what way I should go.. It's long but I'll give you the super short version.... So I'm in college going for a bachelor degree in software systems engineering.. Just doing it to use va benefits I paid into... Now I see the protenl of earning but my classes have very little to do with the coding.. Just a little bit ( HTML /CSS and mysql using GUI method)... But it wasn't enough to say that I'm good at it... But the good thing I think is most of my classes are project management based and software engineering requirements gathering... Stuff like that.... So what position would you say I should be potentially looking at cuz I don't have enough knowledge to be a Dev or a full stack, but I can tell you how to run a whole project and slap everything together and probably manage the whole team... Of course with the proper tools... really want to find a job either at Google or Microsoft... Would love something in front end honestly, or modile stuff... But long story short.... Who is this degree for.. I'm assuming someone who manages a team or something... honestly I don't know what to say... are you sure I can't cut it as a scrum master lol

[@TwitchRadio]

O and have net + exposure... Wasn't that great with it tho... Any✌️

[@jamescross]

A lot of CS grads feel the same way, but you have a degree which helps. In the end we all end up self taught so focus on learning the skills for the position that interests you. You could go project management / scrum master / product management or software development. What path do you want? People leader or individual contributor?

[@TwitchRadio]

@@jamescross well that makes me feel a bit better about the subject matter I'm studying.. Have a graduation date of (01/2023).. And like I said before the money is very enticing, and may have to come out of retirement to work for another 10 years.. Anyways, I'll definitely be looking into these types of opportunities, but wanted to ask if you had any videos that would be helpful to me in planing a path... I'm one of thoes guys who like to make sure he is able to meet his goals before fully committing to it.. Because like you said, we are all self thought in the end, and would need to brush up on areas where I may need work in before applying for a job after my graduate. Anyways, thanks for your time and videos... Been watching them when I get time in between all my studies and taking care of the. Family.. Maybe I'll look into scrum masters and what it takes.. That sounds like a good fit for me or maybe Development in general... Lol

[@Mob12ceex2]

For those thinking the "developer" represents the IT world, things are not that easy, working as a developer is the bottom layer of the CS field. First of all, CS does NOT prepare you to become a developer, you are an engineer with a large set of knowledge about how everything works, from microchips to LANs, after that, you are supposed to apply this knowledge by means of research/creation of new technology. For those interested in having a 9-15 job doing the same thing over and over, is a good choice. But for those innovative and creative, this is not the case. I am 24, the past 6 years I learned how to code in various languages, but that was It, you know how to code now what? I took a shot at taking a CS bachelor and oh boy , self taught coding is like learning by yourself to drive a car and hopping you will one day, drive next to F1 drivers

[@learningstuff5679]

Ok so this video was a little confusing.. In summary, take courses - but cherry-pick the curriculum and don't complete it in full - to make best use of your time so long as you understand the core concepts? Focus on projects you care about and use these in your portfolio? It's better to cold call companies than compete with job listings with applicants who are likely more skilled and certified. Start with The Odin Project, then move onto Free Code Academy? I have already taken courses on KZbin for HTML, CSS and now beginning Javascript.... is it worth my time going back now to get certifications for what I've already learned?

[@jamescross]

This is largely a guide for folks just starting out. As a guide it's not the only path. You already have some time learning things, so it may or may not be worth it for you. Get a "certification" won't matter much since who knows how much you figured out on your own vs just copied. Don't do things just to get certs, focus on what helps you get better so you are capable of doing the job and you will be better off. If you feel ready to move forward, it's probably worth trusting yourself.

[@thebeastandthewest5191]

does they give some completion certificate ??

[@jamescross]

honestly, completion certificates for online courses like this are pretty worthless because there is no way to know how much work you did or did not do. i would look closely at someones projects to see what they can do rather than rely on certs.

[@thebeastandthewest5191]

@@jamescross Ya I now , but unfortunately some companies require tech certificate to give a chance for interview, especially if your background knowledge is in other field like business or marketing for example which is a totally different subject.

[@livic5602]

We are just watching this video and discovering your content in 2024. So I know some of the things in this video may not apply still since computer programming is always changing. Do you offer some kind of mentorship or consultation calls?

[@no1knowsmeyet]

What about creating a portfolio? And what would be your advice for this. Thanks.

[@jamescross]

It's important. I talk about it in some other videos. Basically, try to build stuff to showcase that shows some complexity and uniqueness. Not just clones of tutorials.

[@no1knowsmeyet]

@@jamescross Ok thanks for your reply.

[@NathanBoyWilliams]

I dropped out in gr8 can I stil do it

[@jamescross]

only you can answer that

[@mr.random8447]

Self taught developer here and can’t even get an interview at a single company. Getting rejected left and right.

[@jamescross]

that's rough. kind of tough macro economy at the moment so i wouldn't take it personal.

[@sharde26]

Do you think this is still valid in 2023?

[@stevendipaolo4022]

Seems TOP has reorganized their curriculum. Any updates on your flow with that program or still mostly the same? Also, do you think if you don’t have a natural talent fir design that working as a front end developer you will not be competitive? I aspire to be creative with design, graphics and user interface, but as much as I have attempted in the past I don’t think I have that natural talent and makes me question if front end is worthwhile.

[@jamescross]

I haven't looked at their latest organization. But the topics to focus on should still be useful. Design skills helps, but I know plenty of front-end devs who struggle to come up with their own designs but do well when presented designs from a designer.

[@stevendipaolo4022]

@@jamescross Thanks for the feedback!

[@abdelkarimbaya3255]

Do you think think a front end developer need to learn UI/UX

[@jamescross]

it helps you contribute more to the planning of applications and features. a lot of it you will pick up as you build stuff and interact with designers.

[@kevinskater13]

My eyes can't seem to focus on you in the video. Not sure if it's a framerate issue or what is going on, but I hope it's been fixed since!

[@rverm1000]

The recession is here dev jobs have dried up.

[@fernandosalazar730]

too bad i did sub and like

[@giovanni545]

Revelation 14:12 New International Version 12 This calls for patient endurance on the part of the people of God who keep his commands and remain faithful to Jesus.

[@amaina67]

Starting this journey tonight. I'm open to anyone keen to collaborate (?) and is motivated to work on this. Reply if you'd like to link up online.

[@freezy4897]

how’s is it going so far? I just started a week ago.

[@bennnnnnnvu]

I’m starting with a Udemy boot camp course. This all feels so daunting and impossible but I will stick to it. Would you like to be my accountability partner ?