Honest Advice About Becoming a Self-Taught Programmer

In this video I give my honest advice to anyone who is looking to become a self-taught programmer.

[@AndySterkowitz]

Did this advice help clarify anything for you?

[@onecarry1532]

I would have to say it did reassure me about a lot of thinking processes as a programmer, thanks man... Great Job!

[@jthemagicrobot3960]

What are the first steps? What is the minimum hardware requirement? Do you have video, book, or course recommendations? I'm currently watching some C++ videos on KZbin. I have done some C++, Java, C#, and html but only in school some years ago.

[@evgeniyshniderman3334]

As for me most difficult part in self study development - it is lack of communication. I studying Java and would like to talk about it with other people that self study. Not sure what can be proper channel? Any advice about that?

[@aerodylluk2543]

Honestly it kind of upset me. 'You don't deserve anything' is harsh when you put in so much work. But it's very true. The bit that was depressing is that how can I at 32 with a job manage to compete with kids who study full time. And I often sit and listen to coders talk and find the idea that I could hold a conversation with them quite laughable.

[@pidsme2576]

If i am having trouble, is there a group where can i ask and get knowledge? Like group chat, group.. Some tutorials are missing small minute details.

[@ricardofranco7419]

I just wanna come and say that after so much time, I made it! I finally made it! I started on Monday as a Software Engineer!

[@kylejackson7176]

Were you self taught? Im currently learning by myself, and also doing a 6 konth Programming course. Do i have any hope of finding a job once im done ?

[@kylejackson7176]

@@ricardofranco7419 Thanks for this, I will take your advice. Good luck and all the best to you as well

[@saaahiiilll]

@@kylejackson7176 bro im also learning python now and wants to become programmer.. mate we're in this together

[@killedbyshadows1500]

I may not know you but just know that I’m proud of you! All that hard working and grinding was worth it 💯💪🏼

[@rc_woshimao957]

congrats!

[@ricardofranco7419]

I have an update on my story. Last week I was offered a 6 figure senior software engineer position at a Fortune 500 company that I can’t name at the moment. Hard work pays off! For self taught engineers, this doesn’t come easy so you gotta keep working. If you work hard you will get there!

[@PatDaddy13]

Hell yeah!!!!

[@thecybersecurityexperience275]

Congrats!!!

[@swashy8933]

How long from the day you started until the day you got hired?

[@ricardofranco7419]

@@swashy8933 started programming?? I started learning to program back in 2004 but I didn’t take it seriously until like 2014-2016, then more seriously from 2018

[@atz6212]

So all in all how long did it take you?

[@northstarcode8675]

You're not paid for what you know, you're paid for what you get done

[@gottago1885]

Hey bro, I’ve been trying to build a tic tac toe game but is it bad I have to google to get the code? Should I have the syntax down before working on a project? I feel I can’t advance without googling for help? I get the work done when googling but is that the right thing to do?

[@thegenxgamerguy6562]

I started as a self-taught developer about 20 years ago. Now I'm lead software engineer and senior architect. I can only say: YES, 100% SPOT ON! Your advice is great, absolutely sound and it matches 100% my experience. Thank you, man!

[@davide4607]

I'm determined to learn programming, learn it quickly, and get a job quickly, and that's what I'm going to do. Everyone says it's not possible but others have done it and I will too.

[@MoshiurRahman-rt5pe]

Best wishes to you . #Nothing is impossible ... #go ahead

[@smoothbeak]

Hey Shaolin, what stage are you currently at in your learning journey? All the best

[@pt8292]

Took me 13 months to land my first job from the point where I started learning. It’s possible, but I had to make a lot of changes, biggest one was to stop hanging out with friends especially bad ones. Spent more time alone and with family instead. Only went out once a week to the movies aside from the library sessions. About 9 months in when you are confident I would say go interview. You’ll likely get crushed but you will learn what they ask and more of what you need to know. Then just go learn it and repeat the process. Good luck.

[@MrCmon113]

Who says that's not possible? I've never heard anyone say that that's not possible.

[@xElectricWorldx]

Build projects. Not the fastest but you will remember the basic and stuff you used. Like portfolio, fullstack register/sign-in and ecommerce. This should be good already and make sure all of the projects are deployed on public server.

[@bluescanfly1981]

Exactly, we're all self-thought - real learning happens outside of classrooms by just trying things out. It's like playing an instrument - someone can show you a scale, but you still gotta play it hundreds of times. At the end of the day, you gotta play the song not just the scale. Excellent stuff Andy

[@AndySterkowitz]

Well said!

[@bepd]

Thanks for keeping it real. There's too much predatory marketing out there.

[@liambrem223]

Yeah, just avoid clever programmer

[@years-ih3uh]

Liam Brem why ?

[@ellaiyarasankalidass5699]

Just came by to say my sincere thanks. I used to watch you when I had zero programming knowledge. Today, I did my first code push to the production on my first software engineer job. Your advice were crucial.

[@anthonycapo1998]

How do you like it? I want to be a developer too

[@jjbb2208]

Lesgo man so happy for ya.

[@dylanr3875]

As always, thanks for the great advice Andy! I have definitely experienced having too high of expectations. You really have to take the process a step at a time and focus on enjoying it, rather than the result.

[@viktorasvikce9839]

Hey, Andy. Been watching your videos at the start of my journey to learn code by my self. You truly helped me in a lot of ways. Even now, when i have a job I still often watch your videos. You are a great source of inspiration and knowledge for us hungry wanna be self tought programmers. Been working now for 2 weeks as a programmer, it took me 11 months to get this job and to say the least, I had to do my best to get this job. So folks who wanna be programmers, dedication and determination is the key, dont jump around in different programmimg langueges, choose what stack you wanna be and every day focus on that, the result will come sooner or later. Have a nice day! Great things dont come easy!

[@johnsykes4513]

"Great things don't come easy" i felt that

[@TampaThunder]

Best straight talk I've heard in a while. Thanks.

[@AndySterkowitz]

Cheers Jim! 😊

[@LandNfan]

I got there more or less by chance. My degree (1973) was Mass Communcation and by mid-1974 I was fed up with working in radio. I quit and went to work in the customer service department of a small manufacturing company. About six months later, to my complete surprise, they asked me to learn to be a programmer. It seems when they hired me, they had given me a number of aptitude tests. On the strength of those test results, they offered me the opportunity. They had an IBM System 3 Model 10, running mostly COBOL rather than the more usual RPG II in that platform. So, with a stack of IBM self-learning books, plus a lot of getting slapped around by the compiler, I learned COBOL, plus just enough RPG to be dangerous. A year later, we converted to a Honeywell Level-62. Two years after that, I went to work for Honeywell, supporting the Level-62 in both pre and post sales modes. Three more years, and a reorganization at Honeywell later, and I’m working for an account I had guided through a rocky conversion from Burroughs to Honeywell. I stayed with them until I retired in 2009. After 6 years, we moved from Honeywell to a Wang VS300, and 8 years after that, we decided to quit trying to write all the code for what was by then a $40 million/yr company in house and shifted to a purchased but heavily customized ERP software package for distributors using the Pick D3 database and SB+ 4GL running on IBM RS/6000 hardware. So for my last 14 years, I coded in a specialized version of BASIC. Who knew an ex-DJ could find happiness churning out mountains of computer code for 35 years?

[@fruscai]

I'm in transition from having been a professional musician for years and have been teaching myself to code and this was inspiring to read. So clearly, you really enjoyed the work you did?

[@LandNfan]

@@fruscai indeed I did. On my own time I even wrote a few pieces of PC software that made me few bucks as shareware. Believe it or not, I haven’t written a single line of code since I retired in late 2009.

[@getquackon5318]

To see the light at the end of the tunnel, there is no choice but to suffer. 😭😭😭

[@Janzer_]

nah, its only suffering if you don't enjoy the work you're putting in. and if that's the case, don't start this journey :)

[@getquackon5318]

@@Janzer_ I never said that I don't enjoy what I'm doing, but just because I enjoy something it doesn't mean that the journey will be easy. I'm a nurse at the moment and coding is almost a 360 degree change in the working field and I'm also going the self thought route. Just like the man said in the video, not everyone is going to get what they want, but we sure can try. It's all about pushing until you achieve your goals.

[@aer0449]

@@Janzer_ Completely Agreed broda

[@francois9771]

Thanks Andy, great advice. Have to agree with the part where you said you have to change your way of thinking. I'm literally rewiring my brain.

[@AndySterkowitz]

100%. It makes you think differently.

[@FISS007]

I can only agree with what you just said a 100% ! I my self had a hard time making the shift from Desktop software dev to web app dev (not websites, full blown web apps) even though i am already a programmer ! New ways of thinking and new ways of doing things always take time to get used to, it doesn't mean they are systematically hard though, but sure the outcome worths the long run !

[@TakeMeAWeigh]

Rarely do I like and comment on a video. I was just researching something I can learn myself when I discovered your video. Thanks for being so real. Excellent message

[@davidgagnon3781]

You can write the best novel that has ever been written and no one will publish it. You can become the best programmer in the world but no one will hire you. That's luck. However luck favors the person who doesn't give up. And if you love what you are doing, you won't give up.

[@prody666]

Luck means to keep going after every failure, until you succeed, indeed. Luck is doing what needs to be done until you get what you want.

[@stuffenjoyer2223]

Luck favors the rich and well connected. And since you’re probably not rich, you’ll need to rely on networking. Even the worst failsons can get a job if he knows a guy who knows a guy, so learn to speak publicly and market yourself.

[@pedromndias]

Very valuable advice. Thanks, Andy!

[@4kGambit]

Short. To the point. Love it. Thank you 💯

[@KGcodes]

Great tips! You have to keep learning and know that it’s a constant learning journey. Other thing is to do real projects along the way! You learn so much more in addition to tutorials and you can productize them and put them on your resume.

[@mntonja]

I am in the process of learning to code and watching your videos is really inspiring.

[@jorgeceles7942]

Really needed to hear this! Thank YOU!

[@smoothbeak]

Good advice here, I always realised that it would be a huge investment of time for me, but I knew I had the interest and passion. I have known other people who didn't seem to realise how much it would take and basically never put in the effort, and ultimately realised that it wasn't going to happen for them and did something else.

[@AmazingStoryDewd]

I think the problem is that people view learning to code though the lease of employability. However at the end of the day learning programming has to be about more than just getting a job. You actually have to have a passion for it.

[@TravisMedia]

Solid advice Andy!

[@shannongagnon9069]

I like your approach to the topic of programming. Just watching two of your videos has enlightened me a great deal. Thank You...

[@allenofatlanta]

This video was right on time. After viewing several of your past videos, I came to the " belief " that a company will not hire me. I am older, I'm 62 years old. No real technology background other than using MS Windows. I am assuming that I will develop a product, as a part of my self learning process, that will be marketable. From there, I would like to market myself as a consultant for companies.

[@davidgagnon3781]

Wow! I wish you all the luck in the world.

[@aaraviii]

Programming skills don't see any Age.

[@mrdemoncrusher3927]

This sounds exactly like me, I'm older as well, 46 and I'm in my 1st year of university studies aiming for the same thing. It's true and employers need to understand, age is NOT a barrier at all if one has the drive.

[@firnekburg4990]

I'm 29, too frightened to dive deeper into programming ;D My friends told me that I'm too old for this. Ageism is real problem and it sucks.

[@mikeloki2064]

Allen I'm in the same boat as you except that ten years ago I took a couple classes in C+ and Linux and spent a year as a tech in a data center. I understand the logic behind programming but not the language. Best of luck to you.

[@jselectronics8215]

@3:00, great point. No one cares how hard you tried.

[@Seeker2787]

Good stuff! Your guidance, advice and honesty have helped me to land my job in software development... Always appreciate your insight and inspiration!

[@AndySterkowitz]

Thanks Kevin! :-)

[@moc1759]

@Kevin Are you a self taught developer? And well done brother !!!

[@Seeker2787]

@@moc1759 I am... I spent time working with Andy in his mentorship program. He helped me set up a roadmap and build my portfolio. I was fortunate enough to have multiple job offers to choose between. Made the best choice for me and my family. Every day is a great combination between meetings, coding, and collaboration with other members of my team. Good stuff...

[@jonrodriguez716]

Great advice Andy! I started out in July but had those expectations. I'm looking forward to starting up again!

[@pedroleon4792]

Thanks for the real world advice, spot on. Anything is in fact possible but nothing is gonna get handed to us. At the end of the day , constantly developing and growing who we are is the actual success, the rest is what we make out of it. 👍

[@ryolacap]

Understand time and space complexity, its one of the more important concepts that very few tutorials touch, yet almost all job interviews will

[@rafiahmedsyed8683]

I like how brutally and lethaly honest you are instead of BS-ing everyone, I really appreciate that the fact that you are not sugarcoating it : )

[@codyr2318]

This is some of the best and most straightforward advice I've come across. I am not a CS graduate but I am currently embarking on a mission to become qualified for a software engineering role. Appreciate your thoughts!

[@Venlorz]

I am computer engineering graduate. I learned there mostly hardware and telecommunications. Yet My passion is making apps. Thus, I taught myself how to code and use the soft skills from engineering mindset. Landed my first job as developer after 5 months. Company was not as good as other companies because it is a retail company but enough for me to be a stepping stone as developer. It hits me in video the statement about "companies care about results and not how you much you've study or work on". Altho, i can endure that but at least would be nice if I get appreciation from colleagues or immediate head.

[@melanievega5190]

So much great content! Watching your videos while in quarantine. Hope you get more subs

[@developerhabits]

Looking back, I can recognize myself from your video. I didn't have any professional experience but had been freelancing for a couple of years, just building stuff. When I got hired, it was because I had actually built something tangible. The companies did also ask some theoretical questions and how long had I been freelancing, but in the end, it was my portfolio that got me hired. So yeah - put in the hours and learn by building.

[@angeloart1413]

love the videos andy keep up the good work

[@AndySterkowitz]

Thanks Angelo!

[@azmainkhan9998]

Thanks for the advice. It really helped me a lot.

[@geraldpheonix]

One thing I like about your channel and videos is that you say the truth about learning and the problem is that people are too anxious to speed up learning programming

[@geraldpheonix]

And another statement I agree is that companies are not really looking for the best but looking for people who are focused and ready to improve as a beginner

[@Shini1984]

It took me around a year of study and 5 months of applying for every position to get a job as a js developer. And I already had over 8 years of software development experience in other languages. And some luck. And a 2 month long course in js that simply confirmed all that I knew already. And lots of failed interviews. Currently I'm back to drawing board - studying CS fundamentals from scratch because I'm a self taught developer. I need at least 6 months to hope to land a junior position at Google or similar large company. 6 months of studying 8-12 hours a day. If you can only study 2 hours a day, you'll have to skip a lot of stuff, which may affect your chances. Or study for a couple of years.

[@Cruzan9]

"Learning how to think differently." That is very very true.

[@zedzedder1426]

I don't usually agree 100% with anything, but this time I do. People need to hear this.

[@radcow]

Great talk I already knew this however I'm glad this video exists

[@dilips6678]

Raw facts…thanks for putting thus out

[@ChadAvery]

Thanks Andy, this is honest words that challenge and encourage

[@younesselradi7069]

thanks for the content . keep up the good work

[@AndySterkowitz]

youness El radi thank you!

[@vineethbonkuri3157]

The world cares only about results 👏👏thank you for the new perspective about life

[@TazExprez]

Thanks a lot for this!

[@AndySterkowitz]

Glad to help :-)

[@letterfake8319]

I just got called to a job interview but got rejected because I had no degree in CS. I will try to be better until a degree is of no issue. Advice for this young man is much requested.

[@wiggy425]

Thank you for your honest advice

[@kiyokumabear]

A really great video, even if it isn't new information for me. The thing that resonated with me the hardest is the fact that the world doesn't care about the effort you put in--it cares about RESULTS. This is a giant pill that is extremely hard to swallow when you're working as a contractor. Yes, there's hourly jobs available in the industry, but working 1099 follows this same rule, regardless of the industry you're in. Awesome video. Keep up the good work!

[@Adam-gb9gf]

You can achieve anything that you put your mind to. Don’t let anyone tell you that you won’t be able to do something

[@JAYS040787]

Thanks for the info and advice

[@MastaSmack]

I only took one semester of a CS class in high school, downloaded Visual Studio on my personal desktop...and worked 2 and half years as a programmer...left for construction after I got fat...as the labor let me eat as much as I wanted and stay in shape...programming couldn't do that for me.

[@bonniehoke-scedrov4906]

This is my first time enjoying your KZbin channel. Great content! Looking forward to hearing more from you! Your video was so informative. Thank you so much!

[@SoloCalipesTheJourney]

Hello Andy! I am an eighteen-year-old college student (Architecture) who unfortunately withdrew from school due to the massive workload of being a call center agent at night due to being broke. This video really motivates me to definitely become a programmer. I wish you all the best in life, Andy! Thank you again.

[@PhreakPhantom]

Thanks brother. I needed the inspiration

[@AndySterkowitz]

Cheers Leo!

[@jacobhoffman7665]

Thank you so much this was super informative. It helped me temper my expectations and set more realistic goals.

[@Nick-hx1uz]

Applicable to learning any new skill really. Great vid

[@johnnguyen1644]

Thank you for this. I'm currently a civil engineer working in the construction industry but realize that the work life balance might not be for me. I recently made a decision to go back to school to become a software engineer; applying to schools now. Whats your work schedule like? and what do entry level software engineers usually make?

[@0104Alex]

Similar situation here, electrician of 7 years working 12+ hour days in London with heavy commuting which lead to an existential crisis, trying to take back control of my time

[@dean6046]

Thank you Andy! How is everything going? Do you work as a software developer full time still or you do the KZbin and mentoring thing full time? Also where do you live? Was wondering if we can lift and chill together and if you ever meet up with fans

[@mariatrishabello4671]

THANKS BRO YOU ARE MOTIVATING ME. I AM STARTING TO CODE AND HOPEFULLY I CAN DO IT :))))

[@DarianSampare]

On the flip side to being patient, alot of people think they’re never ready when they should just start applying to max out that luck factor! So true though, getting a job in 3-4 months is unrealistic the majority of the time

[@PabloSanchez-zf1lw]

Good advice, thanks. I don't have a technical background, but I've been learning, on and off, bits and pieces, for a few years now, and am now thinking of taking it serious and dedicating myself to learn and switch careers. Can you recommend some good beginner-intermediate level books for web development?

[@nikm2089]

When I made my first MS Excel macro I was hooked, now a couple of years later I'm writing Java programs and Python code. Just making any progress and seeing the results is enough to keep me motivated and happy to keep going. I'm not learning to make money, I'm learning because it legitimately makes me happy.

[@keylanoslokj1806]

Excel macro?

[@chrishoeffel]

Hey Andy do you have a recommendation on criteria to learn before you start applying for positions?

[@johnnyloveee]

I love this. Thanks.

[@JAm101Es]

I have a lot time because of this COVID-19, and I want an encouragement and dedication to be a software developer.

[@pratikchaudri6404]

One big point is first identify the reason for which you are learning the language for, to some extent it does reduce the mental load.

[@kwibukaelie4962]

thanks man for this advice

[@mypassportpicsux]

Solid advice. It is a long game especially if you’ve a full time job and can only squeeze in a couple hours after. You tell yourself you’ll go hard come the weekend but life happens. By life happening I mean weekend errands, quality time with friends, and Diablo 3. Gotta find that sweet spot for coding amid the chaos and the couch. ✌🏾

[@KevinTempelx]

Izzi If you’re prioritizing friends on the weekends and diablo 3 then I don’t think you’re taking it serious enough. I know that’s relative but if I had to guess I don’t think you have the luxury time to put this off like that. 👀

[@johncortenbach3574]

Great video. I agree listening to your point of view working in the programming field. I was wondering do you see Python as a demanding language at work ? And can you share a study method learning it. I appreciate time.

[@daydrmrofficial1966]

Taking my first steps with coding by myself with a beginner course, and going to college in a year to learn IT software development.

[@lerouxvermeulen4403]

Hi Andy. First of all I love your channel! Secondly, I am looking for some advice. I have a bachelor of arts degree, majored with psychology and sport psychology. I did not even start working in that field, after I finished it I knew it's not what I wanted to do. So I started this year with a Bsc Computer Science degree, but I am now 24 and wondering if studying for another 4 years is even worth it. Since I already have a degree (albeit an unrelated one), should I just study the skills on my own? I am currently doing "The Web Developer Bootcamp" on Udemy at the same time as my Computer science studies, and i'm loving it so far! Any advice would be much appreciated.

[@kennethnjogu4893]

thanks for the advice

[@Ham-pb7pb]

When you're teaching yourself programming one thing you become a professional at is searching for information.

[@EgrGem]

Was literally spinning my wheels about what's the best way to learn? And just overthinking in general. And boom you said it, the goal is to be hired by a company. Thanks, guess it was luck and the algorithm elves that lead me to your video!

[@acemusiq900]

Bro I can’t thank you enough I got out the tutorial trap and decided to perfect opencv so I’m testing my python skill with that

[@cheeseguy2357]

what do you mean by the tutorial trap, im thinking about self teaching and idk how to go about it

[@joecat4892]

i found webdev fundamentals fairly straight forward... but concepts like flexbox and grid took some extra going over. There's def a lot to remember though!

[@pearlslugs8251]

Bruh I've been here for a year. Getting an interview is a nightmare

[@ademineshat]

As allways like before watching :) By the way, 'luck' you absolutely right!

[@ruslanbedoev9264]

THank you very much!!!

[@Bob-zg2zf]

Andy - dah cool programming doodh 🤩

[@zobeklol7852]

I'm very agree about you talk in this video. You need more than a tutorial for be good in this industry. Its very hard and frustrating understand some things about this industry. But we have too much jobs in this industry. A lot of people need software solutions in this world and us, the new generation of developers can help them to solve his requirements.

[@andreboaventura7442]

Im currently unnemployed so i have all day to learn, started with the basics, algorithms and logic, now im learning on udemy object oriented programming on c#, well i entered on enums and classes now, its getting harder and confusing, when i watch the teorical videos i can keep up with the teacher and i understand what he is doing, but when it comes to do the exercises i find it extremely difficult, and i think thats because theres lack of exercises per module(chapter), how can i improve my learning? Should i finnish the course and them try to aplly everything i learn in projects or should i Google some exercises to train expecific chapters of the course?

[@danielyang2221]

True experience of self learnt programmers. I absolutely passed this way. I had more than 20 interviews, before each interview most companies ask you to do some test, on basis of the result of test they consider if continue with technical interview. I almost worked to deep night to finish the tests before interview. Even if you passed the test, but tech interview not, if a question you can't answer or not so familiar with, in most cases you would be rejected. I had pre interview more than 20 companies, 11 tech interviews, at last day of 2021 I land my first job, I am still learning. a lot of hard in front of me.

[@HighlandManga]

"At the end of the day, you deserve NOTHING" 🤣 why was this the brutal wake up call I needed today....

[@asekabtw]

Yeah, maybe thats the sign. I want to learn programming and work everywhere and whenever I want... idk... I will try my best

[@mephystto2181]

he's basically saying that u really need to work hard for this

[@mephystto2181]

@@jancifoxhound6380 np but the video is fun tho worth watching it

[@FernandoGarcia-iz3ni]

I'm starting to try to learn and see if I have what it takes to be a front end web developer at first. I am with the FCC curriculum and my idea is this 2021 to form solid bases in html and css, to carry out several projects and my portfolio. My query is for those who have studied in a self-taught way, who consider better or gave better results for you, take notes with pencil and paper or use something like evernote, notion, etc and do it directly on the pc?

[@mardigbidanian7119]

Programming is very competitive . Because a lot of people are coming in from everywhere like university , other technical fields , being self taught and bootcamps

[@caterinapowers6758]

This video was great and extremely helpful and honest thank you

[@AndySterkowitz]

Glad it was helpful!

[@fajarmaulanaramadan7438]

I know this will be a long journey after googling "how long to become developer" 😁 btw u got new subsciber

[@trevorarmstrong6641]

The message I got from this was COMPETENCY you can have an abundance of knowledge but lack the practical skills to execute the ideas that your superiors require of you. BECOME VALUABLE Your potential can only take you so far so have tangible skills that can be showcased at anytime to be successful your opportunity needs to meet preparation.

[@joshuacharley1431]

What recording tools are you using? Because I like the video quality and audio

[@justoneofthepeople7585]

Hi Andy. I am a self taught person. I start to learn python . But it seems like I am lost . Could you please put a plan to see our way in learning . I mean something methodical. Thank you so much for your support.

[@thebookofjae]

i have started after watching this video two days ago im 14 and hope to pave a career in this field

[@MylifeNguyen]

I have learned SQL in 2 years as Associate Degree but to get in the job, They always require a bachelor degree with some kind of another programming language. what language do you think I need to learn without the computer science degree? thank you