How I learned to Code in 6 MONTHS & Got a Job Offer (Self-Taught)

Check out the roadmap 🔥 www.smoljames.com/roadmap
In April 2021 I quit my job and pursued a career as a Software Engineer; in November, I landed a Remote Full Stack Developer Role (6 months). It's been the best transition I've ever made in my life, and the intention of this video is to share the details of my journey to help anyone & everyone who wants to achieve the same.
It wasn't easy and I encountered many challenges on the way, so learn from my experience and check out some of the links/resources below to help you on your way ⚡️
#programming #javascript #coding
🔗 Resources
Learn To Code Roadmap - www.smoljames.com/roadmap
Kevin Powell Portfolio - • Build and deploy a por...
⭐️ All my links!
www.smoljames.com
💛 Support the channel (100% goes to channel needs)
www.store.smoljames.com
📚 Chapters
00:00 Intro
01:50 The Beginning
02:40 First Programming Language
03:54 Learning Webdev
04:56 First Website/Portfolio
06:25 Credibility
07:28 React/React Native
09:49 1st Project - Mobile App
09:58 2nd Project - E-com Store
13:22 3rd Project - Full Stack Saas
14:38 Professional Image
15:54 Learning Python
16:43 Critical Lesson #1
20:20 Critical Lesson #2
23:34 Tutorial Hell
25:19 Imposter Syndrome
27:35 Tips & Tricks
32:28 Best Way to Memorize Code
🔖 Topics Covered
- Learn to code
- Self taught journey
- Land a tech job in 6 months
- Web Developer Roadmap

[@feranmioyelowo7543]

I first watched your portfolio video sometime last year. Then, I started following your channel and eventually came across this video. Now, I have come back to thank you for sharing all your knowledge with us on KZbin. Thanks to you, I have landed my first job and I am so excited. Thank you for everything!

[@Smoljames]

Big congrats to you my broski :P Super glad that you found the content helpful and props to you for putting in the effort and time 🔥A well deserved success no doubt!

[@jonbonzobonham]

Hey, congrats. Do you mind sharing your background and how long did it take for you to land your first job? Did you study cs etc. I am 35 right now. I am only familiar with html, css, js. Looking for motivation haha

[@ArticulateArena]

Coding seems like it was made by aw tests for aw tests. I need to learn this but it looks boring af. Why do I have to do all this bs just to make a simple app. I'm going to dedicate my life to inventing a way to program without wasting half your life.

[@raminbabazade8285]

"Stupid levels of self-confidence, that`s what makes the world go around" I love the fact how simple yet powerful this is.

[@taralalram]

People know how the pieces move in Chess, that's not the same as knowing how to play. You'll need a lot more experience, not just certifications, but we'll done nonetheless to get into it, he's just on the start of the journey.

[@SlavaEremenko]

Stupid levels of self-confidence is actually what brings incapable people into positions they don’t deserve

[@InnocentiusLacrimosa]

​@@SlavaEremenkomany people rise to the challenge when they get to those positions. That is the old mentality of "up or out, grow or go".

[@Smoljames]

It definitely helps and absolutely has it's time and place for sure!

[@raminbabazade8285]

@@Smoljames James you won't actually beleive this but after this video, I had an interview for a job offer. I went there and asked them for a pay that was "unusually" high for the position. Guess what at first they declined my offer but today they answered and would like to work with me. So I can't thank you enough and also can't stress enough how true this statement is!

[@rufdymond]

As an old timer who was in the software business for over 30 years (I still code for fun, at 61 years old) it warms my heart to see so many people in the comments who are beginning their journey into software development/engineering.

[@Smoljames]

I obviously don't have a work tenure such as yourself but I totally agree! It's amazing to see all the enthusiasm and interest in learning to code :)

[@sorin0533]

please mentor me sir

[@taralalram]

At 54, I've been working at C level IT positions for many tears, but I still love programming in assembly code on 6502 and Z80a chip emulators. I get you 😜

[@SynAya100]

Hy Also I am a person who wish to learn to code, what do you advice me to start with c++ either Java?

[@v.tharun2485]

I wanted to learn coding too. So can you help me with some tips too sir?

[@andrewfaller7994]

Just started studying and training coding and programming part time while working my 9-5 yesterday. I’m done with dead end jobs man. Thanks for the inspiration!

[@MrRagnarxx]

I'm in the same boat, been going for a few months now. Not easy to keep at it, but it's super fun when you actually do! I wish you good luck with your journey my man.

[@Smoljames]

Welcome to the club my friend and good luck on you're coding journey! If you have any questions along the way, the Discord channel is always open :)

[@Alleykatsks]

Same man. My current job floats around 50-60k and while that's decent for where I am, I've always wanted way more. It helps that I love computers and everything about them so time to stop screwing around and get to it. I had to chose between becoming a gunsmith or learning code. Both paths are very important to me so I plan to combine the two in such a way that could help actual gunsmiths solve issues with builds or whatever. We will see.

[@Ldragosasuke]

Dude same, stuck at a job for a year only making 30K a year, and I need an out

[@Kingrichardthe42nd]

How’s it going?

[@gauranganisthadas7879]

I am almost 38yo with a background in tattooing, life brought me to Colombia (I am from Chile) and i realized tattooing is way to cheap here. Needed to change career path and now i am studying front end development because i wanna land a remote job... this video has inspired me. Love the content... I hope this can inspire others too

[@Smoljames]

glad you found the video helpful and thanks for the comment :)

[@gauranganisthadas7879]

@@Smoljames You're welcome... I seriously never thought this could be a thing. I have started with Free Code Camp right before I found your video, then I felt confident to keep in pursuit of this path. I wish you all the best! You have great content! Self taught is never really self taught, there is always someone delivering the knowledge that the craft requires... you did a great job! I hope I can land a great job opportunity. Also, if you would like to talk more about the platforms you recommend for landing a good job (other than LinkedIn) that would be great! I have found quite a few, but they are targeting people living in the so called developing countries. SO basically people gonna get hired because they are CHEAP. Not because of their skills

[@Myko349]

@@gauranganisthadas7879 hey man I am studying as well maybe a bit ahead but we could connect if you dont mind and just keep helping each other out till we make this dream a reality am 23 tho from Uganda

[@theyoungindians9027]

Hare Krishna.

[@danielvasilev9269]

remote job for USA company while living outside USA ? Im living in EU and salary there as junior is nothing close to USA .

[@MrJerczu]

Well done I've been a software engineer for 15 years I strongly believe that anyone can learn the trade as long as they're willing to learn and work hard.

[@Smoljames]

Love that mindset! Very inclusive and I appreciate it.

[@nikola3058]

My dude took a 5 hour python course and added it to the list of his skills. You either have 150iq or you're hella confident. Kudos to you, I would never have the audacity

[@Smoljames]

Haha I hear what you're saying but I found that by having a reasonable understanding of JavaScript, it was basically just learning another similar and not too complicated syntax

[@FR3SHM4NG0]

Let me tell you something my friend. It says skills. To what extent? We don't know. It also depends on the role he's applying for, junior, regular, or senior. Go ahead and put it on your resume as skill. Don't feel that you're lacking. Even if you get the job interview, if you don't match their standards, you won't even get hired. Don't sit here and wait until you think you're ready. Just apply and see what happens while continuing to improve your skills

[@KingOfTheJuice666]

@@FR3SHM4NG0my 12 year old nephew got through a 5 hour python course online, even made a calculator and multiple-choice quiz in the IDE. I wouldn’t exactly say that qualifies him for a job…

[@briantep458]

bro if you have been doing this for 10 years like me, you can literally pick up languges in 3 hours, it also depends on the language and stack. Languages like PHP and Python can literally be learned and used in the same day

[@KingOfTheJuice666]

@@briantep458 “bro if the situation was totally different and instead of a five hour youtube course the person actually had 10 years of practical experience then it’s different” wow no shit, if the whole situation was changed then it changed wow

[@coyotestalker364]

This was possibly the most use full road map i have watched, it definitely gave me the inspiration to keep going.

[@TheSoulCrisis]

Great mindset and confidence man……winning combination right there. No way you’ll lose with that pushing you forward!

[@marbertpinque1512]

I appreciate the length and sincerity of this video. More power!

[@lenardgnzaga7931]

Congratulations on this my friend, I'm happy that you managed to do this, I was very motivated by this video when I watched it, thank you very much 👏, I really need to learn these things.

[@CrissTuch]

This must be the best video concerning this kind of journey I have ever watched. I learned so much, much appreciated bro.

[@andrewchang3520]

Not a big commenter on KZbin but I feel it's warrented! I'm still early in my path of self teaching and even now I'm having some doubts but you're the first video I've watched where someone talks about some things that seem so obvious but you just don't think about. Realizing that even though I don't even know how to be a full stack developer, when I do learn I'm still only going to be a resume unless I reach out really helps me to think about what I need to do moving forward. Thanks for taking the time to share, hearing about someone else's past makes me sure I have a future!

[@Smoljames]

Thanks for the comment my friend :) glad you found some use out of my video!

[@ameer6168]

I began learning programming in January of last year and landed my first job as a frontend developer in July. Now, it has been over a year, and I'm working as a full-stack developer at the same company. Hard work is essential, but luck also plays a significant role. You can enhance your luck by continuously improving your skills. If you don't secure a job within the first 12 months, don't be discouraged. Getting a job during your first year of learning is indeed challenging.

[@Smoljames]

Congrats on your success and thanks for sharing your story!

[@nazimsakhri1558]

Can i get ur roadmap

[@lequeen5195]

If you could share your roadmap, that would be great.

[@MostlyPeacefulNinja]

Create your own luck. We are all born with some luck

[@fkldfeefejfwlj]

I hope you get fired and end up on the streets

[@itachiuchiha1734]

What a nice breakdown, I really appreciate it

[@victormirandag.8026]

Thanks man, this means alot I’m also stuck at a horrible job and leaning towards CS/CE in the future as well

[@valeriacerpasalas2330]

Hi from Peru. A fantastic journey, I can relate to many things you talked about, in my case I switched from Architecture to Software engineering. I remember approving my college thesis dissertation and the next day starting learning coding. All my professors thought I was crazy to leave the career/grad school opportunities from one day to another, but I wanted to learn to code a couple of years ago before graduating and like challenges lol. The journey is not easy definitely but the rewards, especially in terms of emotions and personal growth are unique. Never would change this. Totally agree with the importance of working on projects and the portfolio. My advice to everyone is to send that email to the CEO, ask if you have questions, contact companies, or startups, and look for that opportunity. And also this industry is so inclusive, so attitude and how you approach this journey matters a lot. Everyone has their own times and pathways and each pathway is unique and sometimes not linear. There is no age to start coding. And, I am so glad to meet someone who also transitions to tech. Many successes in your channel.

[@Smoljames]

Great comment and thanks for sharing :)

[@monja02]

Dude, you are a life saver! Thank you so much for this. I was in the tutorial hell, and for two weeks now I'm following your roadmap and been really putting myself into it. Thank you so much

[@Smoljames]

Glad you've found the video & roadmap useful! If you have any questions be sure to checkout the discord channel too :)

[@Scott_Stern]

Contribute to open source as much as you can. Only way to fill in your knowledge gaps and get experience without experience.

[@Mark71697]

Thank you, I will try this advice out.

[@user-nw9dh5kp9w]

Thank you for sharing this definitely resonated

[@jasminefardella3351]

Loved this so much! So clear cut, well structured and very well presented!

[@Smoljames]

Thanks for the comment and i'm glad you enjoyed the video :)

[@Alfredo5883]

Haven't view any of your videos yet other than this one but have already felt the confidence. You are such a powerful gifted speaker. Earned a new sub. Tropical greetings from the Pacific

[@Smoljames]

Thanks for your kind words and the sub :)

[@ambreign2486]

keep it lil brother. you are doing great

[@mwetiwkrealum2082]

Thankyou for the video 😊 it was really helpful and informative 😊😊

[@Iturner72]

This is fantastic advice, and very inspiring! Thank you Smoljames :)

[@Smoljames]

Glad you enjoyed it and thanks for the comment :)

[@thebladonator]

Loved this video. Your story is impressive and I feel a bit inspired. It's so good to hear a no-nonsense take on landing a new job. I've been looking for 6 months now and this video gave me some cracking ideas. Thanks!

[@Smoljames]

Glad you enjoyed the video! Be sure to checkout the job application section of the webdev roadmap for a super consolidated guide on how I found my job :) and thanks for the comment!

[@Abacoot]

Truly thank you for this. Been trying to understand javascript syntax for years, often skipping a lot of steps like going straight to node and npm (dont laugh) so definitely gonna try the roadmap to see if I can ingrain the javascript basics so i can finally make web apps

[@hoangcaotu5258]

Thank you very much for your experience

[@esahoosa]

I've been coding and learning on and off for the past 4 months and this is by far the BEST video I've seen that gives not only a realistic point of view on how to become a developer, but also giving incredible direction. Thanks James.

[@Smoljames]

Cheers for the kind words :) Glad you enjoyed the video!

[@nakulyadav9287]

Hey man. I'm in the same boat as you. Finished a full stack web development course in March but then quit. I regret Quitting and I feel like, I need to get back into web development because I genuinely enjoyed it. I'm starting to revise the whole course again. Send me luck!

[@Juju_7]

How you doing now?

[@GrantH2606]

This video might be the reason I manage to turn my life around. Thanks for this, hopefully I'm in a better spot 6+ months from now.

[@atterodominantus5381]

15+ months bro...

[@Smoljames]

No better time to start than today! Wishing you the best on your journey :) If you have any questions along the way, be sure to join the discord for more support!

[@peculiarediomo-abasi6304]

Makes the 2 of us.

[@ItsZareh]

update?

[@GrantH2606]

@@ItsZareh Haha totally forget I made that comment! I started working through free online coding courses a few months ago, namely CS50 and just now finishing up on The Odin Project. It's definitely taking me longer than 6 months to reach that end goal, but I feel like I've come a really long way and gained a lot of knowledge I absolutely did not have when I made that comment.

[@pinklauriesue9292]

Thank you so much... Very inspirational. I appreciate the time you have taken to share each and every step of your journey. The level of detail and complete honesty about your journey with all the ups and downs made this video the best I have ever seen. I appreciate your time, effort, and generosity. I now have a focused and doable plan of action. I can't wait to get started. I am confident that with the insight you shared, I will reach my goal of obtaining employment as a software developer. I am so excited! I am headed to your website and KZbin channel right now... I can't thank you enough...

[@Smoljames]

Thanks for the comment my friend and I hope you find the website useful :) let us know how you go!

[@233Paul]

I've been very interested in coding for the longest time, and this video is a no B.S. to starting. Love the video.

[@bomatheagent]

Starting my coding journey and I really appreciate how you broke everything down clearly. Thank you

[@Smoljames]

Glad you enjoyed the video!

[@user-ui8fy7ne3m]

Really needed this roadmap . Gave me motivation to work harder. This is fantastic advice, and very inspiring! Thank you Smoljames :).

[@Smoljames]

Thanks for the kind words! I'm glad you found the video useful :)

[@Ryokans]

Thanks for sharing bro

[@tobyadeyy]

appreciate this video, it helped a lot. Thanks man🙏🏾

[@Smoljames]

Thanks for the comment :) glad it helped

[@isuprabhath]

This is the best one I have seen so far. Clear and open minded. A must see video for all who are trying to become a developer. Great bruh! keep up the good work. Good luck ♥️🎉

[@Smoljames]

Haha thank you for the kind words and I'm glad you enjoyed the video!

[@Mcoder2023]

Thank you for sharing valuable experiences

[@Smoljames]

My pleasure!

[@nicholasamurgis9074]

This is one of the best videos I’ve seen on the subject. Great work! Thanks for making it

[@Smoljames]

Love to hear it 🔥

[@JohnSmith-jz9ph]

This is great 🎉. Been doing computer security but full stack development is that one piece thats super important and hard to find the resources for. Thank you!

[@Smoljames]

Glad you're enjoying my resources!

[@outlawpl]

Wow. I really like your video. I'm on my web developer journey for a while now and my learning is actually corresponding to yours (freecode camp etc.). I've already seen a lot of similar videos but yours stands out. I subscribed and I'll definitely give a shot to your other content. Thanks a lot and keep up the good work 👍🏻💪🏻😃

[@Smoljames]

Cheers for the kind words - means a lot :) gotta love Freecodecamp haha!

[@yehoshuajuddleston]

You're the man, currently following your roadmap website. Much love and thank you for this information! Excited for the journey.

[@Smoljames]

Thanks for the comment and I'm glad you're enjoying the resources!

[@ijtunior]

Wow, that’s a great video, thanks for sharing your journey, it will definitely work out to help the juniors and those who are starting the journey. The knowledge word map was perfect and I saw myself on it, well done 👏🏼

[@Smoljames]

Thanks for the comment my broski :)

[@user-fp1ui2jk1x]

Really needed this roadmap . Gave me motivation to work harder

[@Smoljames]

Glad you're enjoying the roadmap!

[@Dominic_Carioca]

​@@SmoljamesThanks!

[@anewdivinegovernment5873]

thanks you so much for your insights. this is one of my guides since i am 0 knowledge

[@Dream4514]

+1

[@Smoljames]

Glad it was helpful :)

[@Littlestephy29]

This video has so much good life advice in general!! Thank you for making this video.

[@Smoljames]

You're so welcome!

[@fakeitillyoumakeit]

Thanks for sharing your experiences. I loved your positive energy, its what the world really needs.

[@Smoljames]

Haha glad you enjoyed the video and the good vibes :)

[@SakawatHossainChowdhury]

You really talked about the true facts and key points that really does matter to get the interview call or to land a job. I came long a long way in this field...almost close to land the first job but I had to take a break for my CS degree and I'm starting all over again, Kudos for the video...needed it. And for the homies keep going guys we'll be there Inshallah.

[@Smoljames]

No time like the present to get back into it :) I'm sure everything will come rushing back to you! And thanks for the comment and sharing your support with the community!

[@TheyCallMeFelix]

Hey man I must want to say thank you for posting these videos they really help allot of people keep at it man! cheers from chicago

[@Smoljames]

Thanks for the comment my friend:) glad you're finding the videos useful - loooaaddss more stuff to come

[@TheyCallMeFelix]

@@Smoljames good to hear you helped be bigtime with the nextjs google auth video!

[@Smoljames]

@@TheyCallMeFelix awesome :) going to be making an equivalent video for SvelteKit & Qwik soon too

[@TheyCallMeFelix]

@@Smoljames do you have a twitter?

[@Smoljames]

@@TheyCallMeFelix sure do - twitter.com/_Smoljames

[@vero811]

I sense that you are an absolutely nice person with a good heart. Thanks a lot!

[@Smoljames]

I try my best :) Thanks for the comment!

[@giles1358]

fantastic video thanks. also, most fabulous wall hanging/throw/sheet behind you.

[@Smoljames]

Thanks for the comment! Glad you like the piece - I love it too!

[@PowerShellNoob]

Excellent job my friend! One of the biggest things for fast growth is consistency and it’s fascinating how inconsistent most humans are. The Rule of 100 says that if you practice for 18 minutes a day for a year, you will be better than 95% of the world in a particular discipline. This means that your consistent coder with passion will be better than most coders in the same field due to the constant effort to grow.

[@Smoljames]

Yea I think that this was hugely important for me - doing it every single day without stop I feel removed 99% of the relearning that I would have to do if I we're regularly taking breaks.

[@claydice1315]

I’ve recently hit a wall in life. Bored with my career. 32 years old, Family man, looking for something new. I’ve always loved technology, I’ve never had a job in technology and quite frankly my knowledge is close to zero, but I’ve recently got into the idea of becoming a software engineer/developer. I honestly don’t even know what all I need to know to get started in this career path but I am so motivated and willing to learn. I’ve started at learning to code, honestly that’s the only part of this career that I even know about so I figured I’d start there. Your video just helped give me that extra push I needed to full send this career path. Thank you sir.

[@Smoljames]

Glad to hear you've found my video useful! Best of luck as you learn to code my friend, and if you ever need any help, you can reach me on LinkedIn or in my Discord channel :)

[@lapsigundruk]

great video... really laid it all the steps you took, I appreciate that! congrats on all the success from hardwork😊

[@Smoljames]

Thanks my friend :) Glad you found the video helpful!

[@andykumar4103]

This is priceless advice. You are brilliant person. I am 44 now and I started learning python programming language. Thanks for the motivation.

[@Smoljames]

Thanks for the comment :) Glad you enjoyed the video!

[@johnboscoobichukwu9508]

How far along are you now? I started this month. I want to become good enough by march, Let's see how that goes.

[@shimadabr]

I envy people that can study stuff and progress so nicely. I usually get bothered by not knowing how stuff is working the way they do and enter rabbit holes constantly haha. I started with Python in 2019 and felt the need to understand more deeply how computers work. In 2020 i got into college and started learning C, didn't stop digging deeper since and i still feel insecure when using CSS and dealing with the mess that is web dev (in part due to lack of practice, since i split my study time with "useless" stuff too).

[@Smoljames]

That's a totally fair experience to have! Nothing wrong at all with wanting to learn more :) But equally getting your hands dirty and acknowledging that you can't be great without first being terrible can be a very liberating feeling and help with overcoming the initial insecurity!

[@dougshipley5547]

The points you make in your message are viable in a number of jobs. I especially liked how you addressed "Tutorial Hell"; learning to make things your own. Equally, I had to agree with the way you used sincere thanks and personal grace to communicate with other. Like you said, "It's what the world needs right now."

[@SolucionesNH]

Just beacuse you give me important info I was missing for my learning path. I will hit like, comment, share and subscribe. even if I'm still poor. will help with what I can. Good luck and continue sharing strategies on how to learn to be a developer.

[@jaystewart4414]

I appreciate this. I've been learning coding off and on. I am a situational learner, I just haven't got code memorized. I need to practice more and I'd love to take an honest shot at a job like this or make it into a career. I've certainly had my struggles. I'm glad you made something like this to help me along my Journey. As I've learned the journey is what counts. It's the same way with some games I play when I get the time. Even if the ending to the story in said game is garbage, usually the journey for me is fantastic regardless. Very few games do I get no satisfaction.

[@Smoljames]

I'm glad you enjoyed the video :) The journey is definitely important!

[@Hamcap57]

That's a very legit information here. I'm already in my 4 moths of self-learning and feel like I needed this video in the beginning. Also, I would say that your learning speed is impressive. Personally, I'm planning to land a job on maybe 9th month. Maybe I spent too much time on HTML, CSS..

[@Smoljames]

I'm glad you found the video useful my friend! good luck on your journey and feel free to msg in my discord if you ever have any questions!

[@benjaminjacome]

When I started I didn't think I would take so much time learning CSS but here I am. However it's better to have the basics well established so we can prevent some headaches in the near future

[@Chad-tr6wq]

Hello how much time do u think i should spend on html and css?

[@callous21]

Update?

[@callous21]

Update?

[@BBourbon]

Thank you so much for your detailed explanation ❤

[@Smoljames]

Glad you found it useful :)

[@rawdaaljawhary4174]

This has been very helpful. Thank you!

[@Smoljames]

More than welcome!

[@catherinek3745]

Thank you for giving me the inspiration I needed. I'm 37 and hate my corporate job. I've been wanting to make the shift to tech for over a year now and applied to a local college for their IT Programming course.....chances are I won't get in because of the huge amount of applicants, but I refuse to give up. You provided some great recommendations and directions for my next steps. I cannot wait to dive in.

[@AsifSaifuddinAuvipy]

You better switch to business analysts path first

[@SlavaEremenko]

IT Programming? That sounds wrong

[@hashh2019]

@@AsifSaifuddinAuvipyis that feasible with no IT knowledge?

[@Smoljames]

More than welcome my friend! No harm in giving it your best shot :) If you need any help along the way feel free to join our Discord channel where you can ask any questions you may have!

[@McNateDoggYT]

I needed this! I’ve been an independent contractor for a few years and I’ve really been wanting to make the switch to coding. I love running my own business but I don’t love every aspect of it. I find coding intriguing and fun and I can’t wait to make a living off it. Thank you I will try to keep you updated on my journey!

[@gamershy3704]

How’s the journey going? I’m interested in making a big change in my life as well and see coding as a lucrative and intriguing career opportunity

[@McNateDoggYT]

@@gamershy3704 honestly not well. Still making money as a contractor. Lost interest in coding. To think of doing it everyday just had to walk away. The benefits of a job like that are awesome but not worth the mundane no fun staring at a computer all day that coding is. Sorry if that wasn’t what you were looking for I wish you the best of luck with whatever path you choose to go down

[@rafaelsantos9086]

Love the black portal desk mat ❤ thanks for the guidance.

[@Smoljames]

Happy to be of service :)

[@DeltaXML_Ltd]

Amazing work! Good luck on your path

[@Smoljames]

Thanks for the comment :)

[@amj.composer]

Wow, you're amazing. Thank you for sharing. I was a math major in college and I just graduated. I also got a minor in data science. I have worked on many projects but I'm PISSED that I didn't know how important a portfolio is. I wish I was building a portfolio and not "completing homework". Thanks for your advice.

[@Smoljames]

Yea portfolio's are super important for establishing credibility with prospective employers :) Glad you found the video helpful though and thanks for the comment!

[@Spychu1993]

You did it right mate. I started studying 2022 January but I work 70h a week physically and sometimes I slack with coding for weeks. You motivated me to step up my game. Right now I am in the middle of creating my 1st project with vanilla JS. I am aiming to land my 1st job next year. Its great to see that some can land a job after 6 months tho

[@Smoljames]

That's the spirit! Nice job diving into some projects - it's a great way to get the ball really starting to roll! Super impressive dedication considering your work circumstances!

[@Spychu1993]

@@Smoljames thank you :)!

[@jtr-code]

@Spychu1993 Hey man, can I ask how it is going with the project?

[@Spychu1993]

@@jtr-code I've totally abandoned it for 2 months since I couldn't resolve some issues with logic. For past 4 weeks I have a great mentor and I am almost done. Funny thing, when I wrote it by myself I had about 500 lines of code written. With the help of mentor I've cut it to 50 lines LOL and it works the same.

[@patricktang3377]

Great work. Very inspiring. Thanks.

[@Smoljames]

Glad you enjoyed it!

[@saman_pradhan]

I am a 2022 mathematics graduate. I decided to join a full time coding bootcamp in Nov 2022, this month I got my first Internship as full stack developer. Hoping to get a full time offer in next 1-2 months.

[@Smoljames]

Best of luck :)

[@tallurirahul5077]

Can you share which coding campaign did you join??? I can't find a reliable one...

[@PremonitionsWoW]

How is the internship program so far? I just finished the MITxPRO Full Stack Development certificate but honestly feel like I've learned nothing (and it cost $9k)... I was thinking of completing another certificate (freecodebootcamp) and making some real-use portfolio projects before attempting to join the market.

[@saman_pradhan]

@@PremonitionsWoW The Bootcamp I did is in India and it is placement guarantee program. It is actually very expensive according to Indian standards, around 4.5k$. The course is good. The internship I got is actually on my own by applying online.

[@saman_pradhan]

@@tallurirahul5077 I don't want to promote them, as I do not recommend them to anyone. The course is hard and very expensive. But if you want to know, I can say chatgpt says it is one of the best coding bootcamps in India. You can search.

[@XxDukexRoyalxX]

Just wanted to come back and say thanks for this vid. Although I didnt follow all the steps, it really motivated me to refine my work and apply for internships. 100 apps later, I landed an intership where they only selected 2 out of 2k applicants. The structure that you provided helped a lot and once I was in the door I felt very confident. Currently 2 months in and im loving it, thank you again!

[@Smoljames]

Hey dude I'm super happy for you! Glad I could help in any way possible and I hope you enjoy your new role :)

[@ratjuicer]

Thanks for sharing, any updates?

[@spankyjeffro5320]

Paid internship or basic slavery? Please tell me you didn't accept $0 pay.

[@XxDukexRoyalxX]

Lol of course not, I probably wouldnt have done it if it was unpaid. I ended up also getting the opportunity to negotiate my salary because of the skills I displayed in my personal projects. Great experience and company!@@spankyjeffro5320

[@flux2956]

Oh the amazing internship. Your employer must be happy. You're literally doing junior work with little to no pay.

[@TylerClark-Tech]

You have inspired me to work my way out of my bad job. I will follow your video and get to work, thank you making the video.

[@Smoljames]

More than welcome my friend :) Glad you enjoyed the video!

[@NoirMorter]

I want to add to your point on tutorial hell and your advice to avoid it. One thing I decided on when I built my first program solo which is a picture viewing app in C# from a Microsoft tutorial with very basic functions. I wanted to see how I could use it to view every picture in the folder and sub-folders, have the name displayed, the resolution and so on. It was thrilling to learn like that, I played around until I figured out how to do something or looked up one way to do it when I couldn't. As an example! Finding the picture resolution was easy for me though at first I used the wrong type to do it but with trial and error I got it working playing with the code. One aspect that I had a hard time with and still need more practice on was automatically adding the pictures to a list. That took me looking up a tutorial and then playing with it over time in a separate "trash program" toying with it to learn.

[@mariamizedginidze]

"You have to be dumb enough to have unreasonable amounts of self-confidence" - I loved that 🥰

[@Smoljames]

Haha it's the real secret to success :)

[@mariamizedginidze]

@@Smoljames It's the best video I've seen on this topic. I believe, It's all about how far we let ourselves to stretch; we need to go blindfolded it terms of how far we think we can go and do our best. Thank You! ❤

[@joshuarobertson1243]

Love this video. Packed with top tier info 😁. Did you do any leet coding to prepare for coding interviews or was talking about your projects enough?

[@Smoljames]

Maybe about 5hours of leet coding total but hardly any really!

[@jpfxacademy]

This was everything I needed, thanks.

[@Smoljames]

Glad you found it useful and thanks for the comment :)

[@emiliotorres9949]

Goat! Thank you so much for the info and the website!

[@Smoljames]

Happy to be of service :)

[@The1steven2]

This November will be my 1 year anniversary as a Senior Software Engineer. I used to be a computer technician pursuing a Network Administrator role. What helped me was that i was scripting in powershell and python. A bit of sql as well. An opportunity opened up and reached out to someone who was in the team already as you mentioned. Imposter syndrome is real! But don’t give up everyone.

[@Smoljames]

Thanks for sharing your story! Imposter syndrome is absolutely real but as you say - just don't give up :)

[@brandongregori995]

I would add that having great people skills and being quick on your feet in interviews will take you very far. 6 months can theoretically be achievable if you practice smartly and work very hard at it, but if your people skills are not great or you buckle under pressure and can't do basic operations on a whiteboard during an interview, then you have no chance at all. Doesn't matter if you are actually a coding genius at that point. Also, I tell people to expect to work at it for at least a year before they are hirable. The reality is that the average person isn't going to have the time, drive, or stress-management to do this in under a year. If your plan is to quit your job and live on your savings for 6 months while you shift careers, then I would say to seriously consider a new plan. Work a part time job to extend that and count on at least 9-12 months of serious learning before even starting the job hunt.

[@Smoljames]

A very good comment with some excellent points! I agree that my experience was not that standard and I think allowing for some time contingency is very important. And I absolutely agree in the value that good interpersonal skills can contribute to the process!

[@spankyjeffro5320]

People skills are for people-facing jobs, not coding. Pressure is only a problem if people aren't doing their job properly. If either of those is a problem in a job, never apply for the job.

[@brandongregori995]

@@spankyjeffro5320 1) People skills are important in any job where you work with people, including on a development team. 2) I said pressure in the interview. I agree that regular jobs shouldn't put that much pressure on you, but unfortunately quizzing people during interviews is still very common, regardless of what the actual job is like.

[@panagopulos9690]

very true I am currently on 7 month of coding and definetly no chance of having a decent job in Development. I get so demotivated by all the people and courses saying they did everything in 4 months when in reality from what I read from other people they struggle even after 7-9 months to get a job...

[@mohdjibly6184]

This is so awesome James.....really love it...thanks for sharing :)

[@Smoljames]

Glad you enjoyed the video :)

[@1213chaves]

I can't say how motivating and reassuring this video was. There are so many useless "Day in the Life" type videos that come up when searching for an introduction into the world of software development/engineering. My journey starts today. I'll reply to this comment when I land my first job. Cheers man.

[@Mayaaa-desuu]

tag me when you land a job

[@Smoljames]

Super glad you found the video helpful! Look forward to the follow up message and I highly recommend that you check out the Discord channel as it might be of use throughout your journey!

[@muresanandrei7565]

If someone says he learned to code in 6 months he is lying his ass off.

[@paulywalnutz5855]

Lol facts in 6 months all you will learn is how much there is to actually learn

[@Becky1498]

Great content !

[@derekchu3685]

Appreciate all the tips!

[@Smoljames]

Happy to be of service :)

[@prglifestyle]

I just wanted to comment that I’ve been in such a big slump for the longest time with coding and you’ve brought that light back in me to start pursuing my coding journey again!

[@Smoljames]

Happens to the best of us :) I'm glad I could help you get stuck back in!

[@MistarWick1318]

Thanks for sharing your journey ! Im also starting from 0 got into the cs50 2 days ago. The goal is also to eventually land a remote job soonishhh 💚🎉

[@Smoljames]

Best of luck! Just gotta keep trying until you inevitably succeed :)

[@linwan-yu4419]

Thank you James! I find all your suggestions in this video are very helpful to me. I am also trying landing a Software Engineer job. Hopefully with your guidance, I will success in the near future, too! We will see~ (finger crossed!)

[@Smoljames]

Thanks for the comment and I wish you the best on your journey! Look forward to hearing how you go :)

[@user-bd3kv3vy5y]

thank you for sharing important information!

[@Smoljames]

I'm glad you found it useful! and thanks for the commend :)

[@503476]

This is great, thanks for sharing! Assuming it wasnt about the money, i would love to know why you felt the first job offer you received wasn't right and why the last one you did was. Thanks

[@Smoljames]

glad you enjoyed - honestly it was the type of job; first one was closer to consulting which I really don't enjoy, and the second was a Saas company with a product (I feel that it just makes for a much nicer environment) :)

[@luxlux5909]

I am 23 i have never admired anyone except scientist kalam from india and now i admire you. This video is a gem 😄 loved each and every minute of your video you filled me with positivity and hope. Now I am gonna print your photo and stick it in my wall for motivation. I dont know how many months it will take for me but i am gonna be consistent. I am truly thankful 🙏

[@Smoljames]

Love this energy! Thank you so much for your comment and i'm glad you enjoyed the video! Look forward to hearing how you progress :)

[@TuhameThomas]

Thanks for the great motivation journey and it had made me to be motivated now lm your new follower and a beginner in computer science

[@Smoljames]

Welcome to the club my friend :P

[@Albeit_Jordan]

This is great advice for seeking employment in general let alone for software engineering. Thank you for making this vid, much appreciated.

[@Smoljames]

Glad you found it helpful! Also thanks for the comment :)

[@jakezepeda1267]

I've been programming desktop and web applications as a side role for almost 5 years. I would love to move into a programming career because it is a dead end here, but cant' even get an interview anywhere. I can't exactly use the things I've made in a portfolio because the code technically belongs to the company, the programs are built for internal systems, and I'm pretty sure people don't have PLCs and Vector hardware laying around. Feels like I've spent all this time to end up still at square 1.

[@Smoljames]

Yea that's a tough feeling to have my friend but with your skills and expertise i'm sure it wouldn't take long to whip up your own portfolio and projects that demonstrate your skills!

[@JulesOille]

One of the most important things you said in this video is your studying of 3 to 4 hours per day; that is pivotal because it indicates the level of dedication you need to have to achieve this goal

[@Smoljames]

Consistency is definitely super important :)

[@harrisonwalker3566]

learning to code is something I’ve wanted to do for years but never got round to because finding a place to start felt so overwhelming. this video was the kick up the arse I needed to get started. cheers!

[@Smoljames]

Glad I could be of service! If you have any questions along the way, be sure to ask in the Discord channel :)

[@PluviaAeterna]

Great advice!

[@theLowestPointInMyLife]

I've been coding for 7 years now, C++, Rust, Python, Go, JS, TS, Nim, frontend, backend, machine learning, databases, the lot. I'd be very valuable to a company, but I don't even have a CV or any qualifications, and I've never applied for a job. I don't really want to work for someone else, I'm building my own thing, have been all along before I even realised it.

[@callous21]

What are you building?

[@ameer6168]

​@@callous21great wall pf china 2

[@adeyemisamuel2254]

Hi Tom, is there any way to reach you. May be website etc

[@Nanito354]

How did you pull all that off in 6 months thats amazing. Seems like alot of information to absorb.

[@Smoljames]

I had a number of external circumstances that put a lot of pressure on me to succeed so that definitely had me hustling. I also think I was fortunate in discovering what I felt was an effective learning path. This makes the content absorption much more natural!

[@HTRM]

Thnakyou so much senior, i am from india, currently 21 studying as well doing job,, was first skeptical that i do not have a proper background in tech and efforts will be futile even if i learn to code, but eventually still started ,, and i love it,, i hope someday i will be able to talk with you personally to thankyou for the inspiring,, and have a great year❤

[@shelbyjackson6903]

See the problem for me is self confidence. Like, what if after months I still just don't understand it. It all looks so overwhelming it makes me scared to start.

[@Smoljames]

That's a totally natural way to feel! But one thing I can guarantee is that there will always be a resource that enables you to keep moving forwards. 1% improvement every day is all you need!

[@shelbyjackson6903]

@@Smoljames That's true... Like with all things I'll never know if I never try... Guess I'm going to freecodecamp lol