Learn Web Development And ACTUALLY Get A Job | Ultimate Guide

[@jamescross]

BTW, here are some good free places to learn web development: kzbin.info/www/bejne/Z2WQqXWCnb9nd6c and for transparency, how much programming channels make on youtube kzbin.info/www/bejne/mWmxh2yOlsqihas if you are interested in starting one.

[@MediterraneaMaris]

hey how can I reach u privately and wanna ask u sth about my problem coding?

[@jamescross]

@Nebil I prefer to keep discussions here so more people can benefit from answers.

[@rahilshaikh7899]

And please add time stamp too...

[@MediterraneaMaris]

@@jamescross ok then here is my question. How can I make a video in one box and subtitles in another next to it in html. Like one big box inside of it one box will be showing with my play pause and stop button and while its playing subtitles will be coming at the other box which is going to be another small box in the big box.

[@ElTopDev]

@@MediterraneaMaris JUST DO IT! -Nike

[@igor-rp5mw]

For me it took 9 month to learn, like 6 days a week , 3-6 hours a day. 2 month of interviews and now i am >3 month into my dream job as senior dev ops engineer. Before I was truck driver with flat bed, and before that I was cell phone tower climber/installer.

[@053_eshan9]

Sir, which material or source you used to learn. I am in 3rd sem of my CS degree but I am a total noob and I want to persue web development (I know you have to start from Html, JS, CSS) but I don't know how deep will be enough to land a job or be job ready. I really want to learn but I don't have the guidance where to start and which platform is best for learning. Sir, could you please guide me

[@gilly2026]

Can you tell us which courses/websites/languages you learned from?

[@iuliandordea]

@Igor You are amazing going through so many careers and learning a completely different new skills set each time. You're the living proof that it can be done. 👍

[@gabrielwelch6483]

I’m a truck driver now trying to learn what to study and which direction to go!

[@Strength_In_Wisdom]

Please shine some light down

[@batmansmommy6980]

I’m 50 year old single mother of two, a litigation paralegal and tech nerd. 🤓 I’ve worn a lot of hats, run a law firm, family restaurant, and many other things, but my journalism and business degrees are worthless pieces of paper. I’m learning to code, and hoping to get my kids involved, too. I know my age is going to cause issues, but I love learning, and solving problems, so I’m ready and going for it! Thanks for sharing your story!

[@jamescross]

That's cool. How are you getting your kids involved?

[@whatever8243]

I’m 51. A nanny to my grand babies and my husband retires in 6 years. I have always been the stay at home wife and mom other than the occasion part time job for Christmas help. I want a coding job I can do from home so we can travel in an RV for at least 5 years as we have done nothing. I just started learning JavaScript and praying I can learn with in 12 months so I can land my first job. My son in law is a senior designer for Amazon. He’s been coding since he was 12. All self taught. Makes 350k a year. My goal is 100k a year I am praying for favor as I know I’m old but it’s my time to live. My kids are raised and my grand babies start school in a couple years. I’m ready to live a little for myself. Let me know how it’s going. I’d love to be friends. Maybe we can help each other.

[@aprendeabcpr]

I'm with you 💯

[@aprendeabcpr]

I'm 43 year old mother of 2 little babies and looking for a bootcamp and start software engineer , let me know where you are going to start!!

[@whatever8243]

@@aprendeabcpr do you have discord? I’m starting with html. I live in North Carolina

[@abakedpotato1486]

Stepping away from tutorials is the best thing I've done. I work on my projects and if I can't solve it I just Google and it sticks in my head. Also reading documentation and textbooks is a major help.

[@adipurnomo5683]

You said tutorial hell ? Why sir

[@c4me540]

That's what I'm doing too. This way the principles stick to your fingers

[@bobbyeweka2541]

Can u please help me with books I can buy am a newbie in the world of coding

[@waiien2921]

where do you find projects??

[@groovelife415]

I'm a senior software engineer with a little over 20+ years experience as a professional developer. I have given thousands of technical and cultural interviews over the years. The three biggest misconceptions/mistakes I see from entry-level applicants: 1. They grossly over-estimate what is expected for an entry-level developer to know. We aren't looking for perfection, we're looking for a basic understanding of the job you're applying for, and an expressed desire to learn. So many applicants graduated 6+ months earlier and haven't touched programming since, and can't even explain a for loop. It's shocking. That's almost always a no go. Keep learning. 2. No bullshitters. You cannot bullshit in this field. The technical questions are black and white, A or B. There is no gray area, and we already know the answers. If you start trying to lie and make things up, you will not get the job. 3. Professionalism. You can be a rock-star technically, but there is more to being a professional developer than sitting there hammering out code all day. You need to be able to communicate clearly with business and other teams that may not have a technical background. You need to be able to prioritize and multitask. You will always be juggling multiple things. Colleagues and management will definitely help you, but you have to bring something to the table too. WORK ON YOUR SOFT SKILLS! I volunteer each semester to give mock interviews at the university here. Soft skills are almost always among the weakest of a new graduate's skillset.

[@jamescross]

excellent advice. totally agree.

[@chibututunnamani5806]

Thank you for this guide. I totally fall into the first category. I always feel like there is more to be learnt. I hope to do better.

[@lordrchase]

Muchas gracias por tus consejos. Dicen que tengo potencial para prepararme en programación, y el primer consejo que das es el que necesitaba justamente, pues me preocupo por cometer errores o no ser capáz de lograr una carrera en programación. Saludos desde Costa Rica mae 🇨🇷

[@johnyewtube2286]

I have seen too many "junior" positions that require 1 to 3 years of professional (sometimes even internships do not count) to apply. I have been coding and reading books for almost 2 years but many times this nonprofessional experience does not count. Am I supposed to create a freelance company to kind of fake the experience?

[@TheInchii]

@@johnyewtube2286 look for company that would take you for free and in exchange you will get a bit of experience. Let's say extra work for weekends or for afternoon's/evenings. I know it's suck to work for free, but it doesn't has to be full time job, and I think even 2-3 months experience like this would boost your chances

[@drknoba]

6 months of self taught programming now im on my 8th year full time as a software engineer. Best decision of my life.

[@BadWeatherfreak]

Where did you learn?

[@sloppyprogrammer4373]

@@BadWeatherfreak I followed same path, I took some classes in CS dropped out. Got some small freelance job offers by a friend. Learned a lot of things and what I liked to do (I could already program a little bit due to CS and doing a lot in my freetime). Applied after 1 year of helping him out, now on my 9th year as software engineer.

[@drknoba]

I learned by creating a Pinterest type application in Ruby On Rails and I used the code in that application to get my first junior position. I also got a mentor that showed me what I need to learn to be job ready and helped unblock me when I got stuck. If I was to start again I would focus on having really nice tests done in the framework that's most common in your programming language. Focus on developing a restful api. An app with 5-10 models will be sufficient enough to show that you have the foundation for your employer to teach upon. They key skills to show is that you know the basics and can test your application.

[@davidstar2362]

I need help I asked chat GPT to built me a super app it made the frame work I need to insert code here insert code here. I need the code fill in for my super app. many many many people are going to want to use it it is a chrome extension. HELP!!

[@skellula9923]

im trying to take this path bro, should i know more than 1 cpu language?

[@justinrivera6749]

Been learning for about 18 months. I also work in construction (55+ hrs/week) and have been averaging 15hrs/week coding. Been a long 2 years lol. About 3 months ago I really started getting to the point where I'm building more advanced apps (react router, supabase, redux, custom hookes, etc.). Hoping to be ready to start applying by middle of next year!

[@sohailansari2673]

Keep it up mate!

[@leoashcraft3]

3 months of learning, 9 months of applying, 5 months into my first dev job.

[@jamescross]

That's awesome! Congrats!

[@leoashcraft3]

@@jamescross Thanks for your vids, they're motivational and encouraging.

[@AD-wg8ik]

3 months is crazy.

[@leoashcraft3]

@@AD-wg8ik I was so fed up with being average and not being able to do more with my family... I locked myself in a room every night, literally lost a couple of friends from going slightly crazy. I wasn't playing around anymore. I mean it was 3 months but of course during those 9 months of applying, I continued to learn but at the end of 3 months I felt confident I could land a job. I'm only making 25% more than I was making at my previous job but it's the fact I no longer feel stagnant and I'm working towards my goal.

[@meaganpalmaira7271]

Congrats Leo! I am currently on the same path, I had about 3 months of consistent learning and now 2 months of applying. Any advice for applying and interviewing? I seem to not get pass the first or second round. It is not motivating at all getting all these rejections. Congrats again!

[@Kevin-uh4km]

I have spent many years trying to get a job as a firefighter. I currently work as a paramedic in California making $18/h working 56 hour work weeks. I'm on 24-72 hours running back to back 911 calls with 0 sleep everyday. I constantly think to myself if I could only be home learning and creating projects more, I could create so much more and prove to my co-workers they are not stuck in this industry. I am currently learning JavaScript, CSS, HTML and will be moving on to C#. I have never been this motivated to learn.

[@jamescross]

Best wishes on the journey. My brother is a firefighter and I've encouraged him to consider the switch, but so far he's been hesitant.

[@raminbaghirov9998]

I hope you will get somewhere, brother. My story is very similar to yours. Hope we will break this vicious cycle one day.

[@Bigcuhalex]

That’s so ironic I thought of being a fire foghter but I realize I value my sleep I really wanna take advantage of learning to code since I’m still living with my parents

[@SworderGamer]

Dude any update on your coding journey. Did you find a job?

[@jefferymuter4659]

Been learning for 7-8 months. So much grinding. Just did my first interview. Was great to see what it was actually like. To really feel the pressure was pretty cool.

[@jamescross]

Coolness! Hopefully you land something soon!

[@Cristitatavostru]

Any updates? Did they hire you? :)

[@diodelvino3048]

any luck?

[@jorik170]

any update? what are you doing now?

[@DanClapp]

My story: I currently work as a full time delivery driver for Amazon. I actually enjoy the job for the most part, but it just doesn't pay well enough. I've started this journey before, but I got burnt out and just gave up entirely once I started my Amazon job. I'm picking up where I left off. I'm 1/3 of the way through Colt Steele's course, still going through the freeCodeCamp and Odin Project, and tackling some of Wes Bos's projects. I've used some of the money that I've made from Amazon to buy a proper desk setup which actually helps quite a bit lol, and I'm trying my hardest to stay disciplined and keep moving forward. I estimate for it take me over a year to become anywhere near job-ready because I'm a slow learner :/

[@cjc813]

Been listening to this for 55 minutes and you haven't tried to sell me a single thing. I trust you know how refreshing that is to someone looking to change his life and who doesn't have money to waste on a coaching program or a boot camp or whatever. Thank you. Thank you for understanding, and giving your time freely. If I have a way to pay you back one day, I'll remember you. Edit: do you have a Patreon or even want/need something like that?

[@jamescross]

Thanks is enough. I don't have a patreon or course. Appreciate the feedback. Glad you liked it.

[@stevendoud8649]

I'm in the same boat. Been working construction my whole adult life , but looking to change my career. Thank you for the content . You can always teach a old dog new tricks.

[@jamescross]

thanks for the feedback and best wishes with the career change Steven!

[@peterhuang1431]

construction seems like you can stay fit and dont need to go gym much tho. pros and cons? I always thought construction earns decent money too

[@jamescross]

I was pretty fit until I injured my back.

[@JoshIbbotson-]

1 and a half years learning whilst working full time, about 3 months of applying, and 4 months in my first job as a full stack developer!

[@jamescross]

awesome! congrats!

[@ram42]

Can you tell me a bit more about ur journey ? What did you struggle with, advices, resources, what you learned, etc.

[@germanpinon7627]

Where did you learn?

[@dirk-piehl28]

As someone with a both a computer science degree, a work psychology degree and 20 years software development experience, this content is a gold! Implement implement! I like the advice about ditching tutorials, just build something simple stuff that does a simple thing then iterate and iterate. You need quantity of apps instead of quality of apps at the start.

[@kotakaishiboi]

I have been teaching myself to code for about 6 months I always come back to this video every month to see what more I understand. It’s helpful for someone who feels like they’re not getting anywhere. At least for me it helps.

[@kolt_fourty5]

I love your videos. I know I’m late to this video but I came across your channel, liked your content so I started at the end and am working my way to recent. I worked construction for 5and a half years framing houses, apartments, pole barns and more. Worked as a farm hand for a few years then went into tree climbing for the last 2 years. Until September 27th 2023 when I was out of work due to an injury. (Not good when having 3 kids) Spent 4 months dealing with the doctors. And this last month learning html right now. Hope this works out I’ve never had this much fun learning something new. Can’t wait to turn it into a career

[@mahmoudelhanafy89]

i want to change my life and others for the better so i started learning how to code 3 months ago, basically i have been a physical therapist for more than 12 years and am still that person but, i listen to my old passion about computers and different technologies. i asked myself why i should work in a career that doesn't convince me of my abilities. for 12 years i saw my progress in life as i am walking by chackles. By learning how to code i feel more confident, more useful, more productive, so i am very happy with these videos James. thanks

[@k0secha]

It’s not always just about grit. It’s about learning how to learn based on how your brain works. I have ADHD and I struggled for months trying to keep up with vid tutorials and lectures but once I started learning by using spaced repetition and pair programming on practice projects I totally excelled bc with another person I was able to start engaged. It’s also about developing habits to take care of your brain and create stability so you can practice consistently and progress. Before becoming a dev I was chronically unemployed and battling addiction for 15 years. Learning how my brain works was a life changer. Awesome vids man. ❤

[@jamescross]

Great perspective

[@stewheart]

I recommend transferring any notes to a google doc for permanent reference. It's really useful to have a refresher written in your own words. Learning about design can also be really important for presenting your projects - if it looks good people will think of it differently and see you in a new light.

[@JoakimEnvall]

Thanks I really enjoy your video. I want to be a web developer myself and open up my own website.

[@jamescross]

Thank you so much Joakim! Best wishes on your software development journey!

[@nightlifeking]

Took me 10 years to learn on my own. I started before KZbin University. But I still learned.

[@ClintZold]

Just starting on this path. I used to code when I was young, hack the highschool network etc... haha Went on to start my own tile business but at 34 my body is already starting to feel it. Hard to take a cut in pay, so I've continued doing it... Then I discovered you could get hired as a self taught dev and the pay is generally comparable. So excited. I love the grind - both mental and physical - but my body will be happy to rest. Thanks for the vid.

[@TheDbradley1]

I have been a handyman & landscaper for the past 14 years. I am 40 years old and I am looking at making a career change due to the physical nature of my work. I am sick and tired of my line of work as it has given me a few injuries over the years. Is it still possible for me to study this course and consider a career change? I have always been interested in Information Technology specifically cybersecurity and networking. Have you already started the transition over to working in IT ? What are you currently studying? I don't know where to start yet. I was thinking of going to community college but I feel I am too old now.

[@Broxerlol]

I'm a full stack developer but that really means mostly backend development and then utilizing front-end frameworks (Angular and Bootstrap/Tailwind) but not going super in-depth. We're really backend devs doing basic frontend work. It requires clients/stakeholders that understand things are exponentially more expensive if they have to be pixel perfect or want things the frameworks don't natively support. I completely agree with most of what you said. Getting my first job was the hardest part. After like 6 months at my first job, recruiters were blowing me up and that's continued since. A lot of what I hear about are crap jobs tho. Low pay or not open to hybrid work. Easy to turn down. I job hopped a couple times in the first 2 years as the salary increases were pretty nuts. Worked my first job for 8 months. Got a 30% salary bump at the next job. Worked there for about a year and got a 50% bump at the next job. That put me pretty close to the top of what a dev of my experience could earn and I also got a great team and a very flexible schedule. Working from home whenever I want is super nice.

[@jamescross]

Thanks for sharing your thoughts

[@053_eshan9]

Bro, can you please help me. I am in year 2 of my CS degree and I want to persue web development. But I just am not sure where to or what to study first (I Know, you have to start from Html, Css, JS) but I don't how much time and how much deep knowledge I must have to become a job ready dev. And Yes, i searched youtube for tutorials but I'm not sure which one to choose for learning. PLease bro, could you give ma a little guidance on this issue.

[@MilMike]

for me the opposite, I am a full stack too but in my current job I mostly work on frontend and a little bit backend

[@naquidia]

HI, Quick question. I am considering doing a full stack development bootcamp. It's $4,200 up front for 6 months. They say we will have a complete e-portfolio and build a e-commerce site. Is a bootcamp worth it? Or would it be better to learn as self taught. My goal is to get a job within 1 year.

[@tnguyen9266]

U will be fine. U will have a cs degree. A lot of these guys are self taught so u have an advantage. They have to prove that they are not bull shiter. U don't have that problem.

[@henrythomas7112]

Thanks for the new video! I’m looking forward to seeing what other content you post! Always good to learn as much as you can!

[@Kopalchuck]

I’m a former Police officer and truck driver. I lost my truck driving job due to a heart issue at 28. Now I’m learning pythons with hopes of someday doing cybersecurity and also doing personal development projects.

[@streetscienceofficial8675]

Wow You seem Warrior in the world of Cyber

[@xmaserbex7392]

you could use some coenzyme q10 for heart issue

[@GustavoUngarato]

How is it going, mate?

[@F34RI355]

Watched the whole thing and I believe this is a quality video to rewatch and really soak the advice. Your video is the most comprehensive and pragmatic approach I've seen for amateurs to understand the web development industry and how to navigate it.

[@herlysarmiento9863]

James. You are one of the most articulated front-end developers I have come across... Also a fellow Utah county front-end dev here ... thanks for sharing your journey experience, very motivational, informative, and 100% real. Funny thing I started in a React BootCamp but I just finished at a job that for a year had me working in Angular apps, which I had to learn from nada. Apreciate the tips! Adobe is not an easy place to get in, so congrats! Keep up the great work here on KZbin and see you around in a meet up sometime.

[@jamescross]

Thanks Herly. Being familiar with multiple frameworks will be valuable so it's great you got some varied experience. I usually go to utah.js conf each year so if you end going to that, be sure to say hi.

[@alialhashimi7480]

Thanks!

[@jamescross]

You're welcome and thank you! Appreciate it.

[@sullyeran666]

as a transitioning professional and coding prospect, i truly appreciate how this gentleman actually gets to the point and delivers the pertinent information to what is useful to learn and why. ive seen other "how i transitioned to developing" videos and they seem to be more focused on charisma and theatrics than the objective here. thank you for the insight.

[@vedhneeli2168]

Started my journey a little over 2 weeks ago now. Currently about to go into my final year of radiation therapy studies, however, the past 3 years or so have taught that I am not cut out for this line of work. Degree itself is relatively chill but doing my internships throughout the course made me realise that there are people who are a lot more suited than I. I am loving the odin project, doesnt make me burn out and makes everything fun.

[@renragged]

That's awesome you got a job at Adobe. Each time I drive by their building in Salt Lake City I think it would be dope to work there.

[@erindykes6365]

Thank you so much for this insight!! I've been overwhelmed with the idea of rejection, what types of questions will be posed, what information to focus on etc. I just graduated with my associates but don't feel prepared at all so this is highly encouraging and motivating to push through and continue with self teaching. Thank you again!!

[@jamescross]

Glad it was helpful!

[@dianamoore4822]

I work in Oncology Clinical Trials. Cancer trials are extremely hard to get on so the majority of my 40 hour work week I do nothing, because I don't have many patients. I have so much extra time on my hands between work and my home life. I'm single and my son is grown that I need some stimulation. I decided I wanted to learn how to code, because why not lol . Obviously I have no experience coming from healthcare, but I am willing to put in the work. I am just starting and hoping to learn as much as I can over the course of next 3-6 months.

[@mangoeater5624]

I hope you made it!!

[@Soosheon]

I went to a bootcamp 2 years ago, but never did anything with it. I'm back into it after a year of pizza delivery and year of help desk. I remember my foundational stuff thankfully! I appreciate this info

[@jamescross]

it's great you already have that foundation. best wishes!

[@BVK_LMZ]

shoulda bought aaron pauls course instead of the boot camp

[@brutaltlr]

I greatly appreciate your time for all of us! I am new to coding and I am currently in a boot camp for a Full Stack Developer. A lot of this still a foreign language to me, but I am getting it. Ultimately, I'm chiming in to say "THANK YOU!!!" for sharing this experience on here... for me personally... it helps me focus and most importantly helps me rethink my time on things (I feel pressure to hurry things.). Again, thank you!

[@blitzritter7867]

I got my first job but I'm making things I've never done before, it's hard but I'm going to give it my best

[@alanthomasgramont]

Warning, a lot of front end jobs now test algorithms. You'll get an array if complex data and need to sort and filter it precisely. I just had this interview and I'm a 25yr vet don't front end for the last decade. But I did backend processing for a long time so it wasn't difficult for me. But just be warned, its not always simply show front end skills. In the midwest here, Angular and React are king, so know that and you'll have a much better chance of getting a job. Rarely do companies do basic html pages anymore. Also styling add-ons like Material, Bootstrap, etc create themes, which are far better than css variables.

[@anakinvader9120]

Thanks for this advice!

[@josephp1263]

I love how devsmak is giving concrete ways to become successful in this field. What got me hooked is that he stated that hard work is needed. Probably the best advise is to know what you want and you need to do it relentlessly.

[@jamescross]

thanks for the feedback Joseph!

[@ajax1472]

i had spent many years without doing anything due to my circumstances, but now i want to start learning web development specifically front end, i will spend 3-5 hour's a day for 1 year and see how it works, i am not very smart but hopefully i will get it done! I will come to this comment for updates(:

[@isyreyes]

Hey James, I'm currently in a bootcamp, pretty heavy tbh, 8-5, monday through saturday, learning Ruby, Js, React, WSL usage, GitHub and other basic stuff. I'm loving it so far. I tried to learn by myself before, but now that I have a guide things are sticking and I see actual progress. Watching your videos has been really helpful to keep me motivated when I feel overwhelmed, thank you for sharing your knowledge with all of us. 6 more months to go and I'll start my applications. I hope to get coding experience and eventually move into the videogame industry with some stronger foundations and more akills in other languages. I'll let you know how it goes, cheers from Mexico!

[@jamescross]

that's awesome! best wishes!

[@sikhumbuzodonwald6952]

Is the boot camp online, can u please share some projects y working on if possible

[@sweatyearth7458]

This is very inspiring. I am in my third month of learning front end work, and I am hitting that slump that is making me question everything... I am seriously going to try my best from here on out. Thank you for this video.

[@TheKlopovClan]

I'm currently a stay at home mom and always found computers and technical stuff fascinating but never thought to give it a try, figured I could never be able to do it because of ADHD, but then one day I decided to watch a video on it and it seemed so simple so I was like why not just study this as much as I can and see how far I get because I do retain information well if I just study and apply it. I've been learning a little and I love it! Some days are hard though because I have an 8 month old baby and a 3 year old.

[@tobbiesspace5747]

I’m 100% in your shoes, seeing this lifted my spirit. I’m afraid to start cos of my ADHD and I also have a toddler. Can we be friends?

[@Microphunktv-jb3kj]

@@tobbiesspace5747 front-end development is very granulized and component-based.. wich is actually more suitable for people with adhd than for people who not have it... im more conmfortable at reading a code file with 1000 lines code.. rather than templates and components splits into many files and granulized...

[@Microphunktv-jb3kj]

If im not mistaken, women learn stuff theoretically way better than men.. men learn with hands and by doing, and making mistakes. women can probably just read docs, learn the syntax and just write less errors men learn from compilation errors lol and try not to make the same mistake twice.. : - ) after all coding was considered a womanly job back in the grace hopper days.. like a secretary/clerk job there's not many women in tech in terms of % .. but ive noticed that usually when female coders give presentations in conferences etc... they have done something complicated and good, wich benefits everyone

[@Eleventyeleventh]

I have a set of 6 month old twins!! We can do this. You’ve somewhat inspired me to start❤️

[@1DJNjoY]

YOU GOT THIS! :)

[@bz101]

such genuine content. especially the mid last part was so valuable. deserves more subs

[@stackash]

@devsmak I succesfully land a role as front end react dev. Report on duty dec2022. I shift my career from 7 years exp in construction to software. My self taught journey start since 2020. Your channel help me in my journey especially when we have same prev background. I wanna thank you and let u know that your video change people lives.

[@jamescross]

Congrats on the job! That is super awesome! Thanks for sharing Pixel Bulb!

[@kaycampbell364]

What languages did you learn, did you attend a Bootcamp

[@ad3rinto]

This is awesome 👍. Well done

[@053_eshan9]

Where you started and what source you used to learn?

[@sequoiakanies2202]

I appreciate how you explained the front end race to the bottom because it shows part of the reason why full stack web development is so profitable. That extra level of intricacy makes all the difference when designing a very complex system that cannot be re-created via WordPress or Wix for example

[@Warthog71]

It was around 25:00 that i realized how good this channel is. Easy to follow! Subscribed.

[@jamescross]

Thanks for the feedback!

[@TerribleTom113]

I'm in that boat right now. I got out of the military with no marketable skills to speak of (and got screwed by the VA.) My eife and I both work full time + in dead-end jobs to scrape by paycheck to paycheck in our little 2 bedroom apartment in the not so great part of town. My bank account is at 0 a week before payday most months, and my car got repoed because I couldn't make the payments, so we share 1 20 year old car that's falling part between us. I don't need to be a billionare buy super yachts and privaye jets. I just need basic stability and security so I can actually be a person again, instead of a dead broke cog in a pointless machine with no prospects for the future. This is why, yesterday, I decided to become a programmer. I appreciate your story showing that it's possible in my situation and all the info you provide. If I don't, I'm going to stay a broke, stressed and unfulfilled pest control technician for the rest of my life.

[@jamescross]

best wishes on your journey!

[@mangoeater5624]

You can do it!

[@maazrizwan5966]

There was a lot of useful and genuine advice in this video. You seem 100 percent genuine which is what stands out as compared to many of these KZbin coding personalities.

[@jamescross]

thanks for the kind words

[@H3_remix]

Went to college once, failed out. Went back 3 years later for CS degree and graduated with a 3.8. Don’t love the job I landed but love the courage it gave to start my journey of game development. I now know my passion is developing games. Which I thought I was “too dumb” to do four years ago. After I took my first semester and had HTML/CSS and Python I was hooked on coding, but that quickly became boring until I transferred those skills to game development. (My assignments were things like cleaning data, managing API, setting up servers, deploying VM, python and HTML basics. That just got stale for me - as for work it’s just numbers and excel sheets with some python/pandas for data cleaning.

[@victorizquierdo5320]

It took me eight months, since my first line of code in freecodecamp until get my offer letter in my first job at Mexico City. I sign it in january from this year as a front end dev. Right now I am learning topics of data science to apply in my phD related to drug discovery research. So it's a good life. Cheers!

[@jamescross]

that's cool. congrats on the job!

[@luisalexis9828]

Hey Victor, im starting in the front end dev path and i’m also from Mexico. i’m as well starting with freecodecamp and code academy. How hard was to land the job?

[@victorizquierdo5320]

@@luisalexis9828 God has been good with me. Only took me december from last year, I had a lot of interviews that month and gotcha three offer letters. I said to human resources that I am C2 proficient english speaker and that I have the willing to grow as a de dev for my phD and that kind of stuffs. Wish you success in this travel you are onboarding. Have incredible benefits and a good time if you hurry. Cheers!

[@luisalexis9828]

@@victorizquierdo5320 Thank you so much! I’m enjoying so far what i have learned. Wish you the best in your career bro 🤝

[@kaycampbell364]

Did you complete the freecodecamp course

[@theoneprince777]

I just started my change of career I’m a structural steel certified welder but Coding is awesome it changes all the time and that’s what I love about it thank you for being a motivator I believe there’s something more in the future for web developments 😊

[@valenciawalker6498]

Currently in a bootcamp for Software Engineering.Thank you for talking about this just started a software engineering bootcamp. I couldn’t get a job either with my undergrad degrees in health admin . Currently still in grad school for MS Psychology taking a ten week SE program with Coding temple. We are learning about blackened now I prefer the front end html and css .

[@RexalityGaming]

Bro, I'm litterally the same EXACT story as you said in beginning of this vid. You have no idea how much this just brought me hope and motivation. I'm 25, and all i've ever worked in my entire life is construction labor, and or warehouse/factory work. I only have G.E.D as far as my education and so I'm very very limited as far as being able to get opportunities to gain some experience in tech related jobs due to not having any professional experience I'm able to list on my resume. Technology has always been a passionate hobby of mine for as long as I can remember. Being a little kid, of course I would play some video games and what not, but also I found joy in the actual concept of computers and just what technology is to the core of what it is. My older brother and I would build PC's together when I was little and things like this always brought me much joy. I just wish I would've made the decision to integrate my passion for computer science into a career path earlier on, as well as maybe doing a bit better in school so I could've had a better education to open more doors for career paths. I made the decision to do this career change roughly 6 months ago, and trying to do this all self-taught. It can definitely be extremely challenging. I'm just trying to do the best I can so I can get any opportunity that is offered to me quite honestly. I'm a humble, realistic person who isn't afraid to work hard and get their hands dirty. I'd be more than content with accepting a job offer that starts me off at a low level position with not so great pay, SO LONG there is opportunity for growth. My dream roles are all computer science roles such as SWE, programming, cyber security, machine learning, web dev, etc. I've struggled because I always hesitate on deciding if I'm taking the correct path as far as my learning goes. I don't have anyone helping me and it's been rough. So this video is a great help and I truly appreciate it. I've been becoming quite discouraged as of very lately to be honest, so this video was just what I needed as a pick-me-up and a reminder to show me that I can do this. Hearing someone that was just like me, a construction worker wanting a better life, a better career for better pay, and they actually made it. That's what I needed right now to keep me going! Thanks james!

[@jamescross]

Thanks for sharing your story Rex! And thanks for the feedback! Best wishes.

[@__jmarcelo__]

I’m currently working as a pool guy and IT SUCKS!! I’ve been learning web dev on and off for about three years now. I’d say I know a good amount of stuff on the topic, but I’ve never had the confidence to actually apply for any jobs because I always think they would judge me because I don’t have a degree or bootcamp to show (I actually went to college for comp sci but never finished the degree). Because of that, I always give up on learning and spend months doing nothing to improve my life. However, now I finally took the step to join a bootcamp (it starts in a couple months), and I have never been more excited to learn coding again. I know people don’t NEED a bootcamp to get a development job but I just feel more comfortable having something that shows I’ve at least spent some time studying and that I studied the right stuff to be able to work as a developer. I actually watched your video during one of the times I tried to get back into learning to code and it got me motivated, but like always, I never actually applied for any jobs and ended up giving up. But, like I said, I’ll be doing a bootcamp in a couple months and watching videos like this really help me, so thank you 😁

[@jamescross]

It's great to see you're motivated again. You've got this!

[@akzmedia92]

I am in my 5th month of learning to code! As I go through the course, I always have questions in the back of my mind, such as how will I get a job and what will the interview be like. Sometimes I feel like I don't even know what I'm doing, and there are moments when I want to give up. However, my current job is motivating me to continue, and I'm excited to pursue a career as a software developer.😊

[@jamescross]

best wishes!

[@dudefrom]

Can you recommend best free course for self learning? Am looking for free resources to learn from.

[@morganshamburg1477]

Currently, I am nearly done with my AS in Computer Science in college right now. I have been thinking about what I want to do after I graduate and learning how to be a front-end wed developer is my goal right now! Thank you so very much for this video as it gives me so much inspiration and push me to keep learning!

[@Plasma_King]

hey, is your degree a 2 yr associates or bachelors?

[@segovia1495]

3 month bootcamp a lot of studying and practice. Applied for a 3 month internship, learned a lot fast on the job now I’m a jr full stack developer for a company that is going to become a unicorn in 2023! Total 6 months. It’s possible network work on your soft skills and just have fun doing it.

[@jamescross]

that's awesome!

[@chrisw8049]

The trickiest thing for me is choosing the right boot camp that will boost you to competency the fastest. How did you go about choosing a bootcamp?

[@Cyber-Bison]

Just starting my journey! On my second month now. Focusing on Javascript right now! I've been working at PepsiCo for the last 5 years, and also did music engineering on the side. Realized I no longer wanted to pursue a career in music. Thanks for your content, it's been very useful !

[@jamescross]

thanks for sharing your story and best wishes on the new journey!

[@Sejal602]

Can u please give a brief roadmap after learning JavaScript, because I am also on my way of learning js☺️

[@Cyber-Bison]

@@Sejal602 Depends what you want to do. If you want to do FrontEnd I would say React since this one of the more popular ones right now or another reactive framework.

[@Sejal602]

@@Cyber-Bison ok.. actually I was so confused about the sequence of learning as some videos says to learn basics of git and github just after learning j.s Some says learn typescript after js Same says learn tailwind, bootstrap And etc.. So I am confused about the roadmap , that that can land me into a nice job..😇😇

[@Sejal602]

@@Cyber-Bison can u please give me a step by step guidance

[@catherinesmart5000]

I’m literally just starting. Hoping to learn over the course of the next year or two because I’m not a fast learner and I have a lot going on. But I’m motivated. Thank you for this!

[@stevendoud8649]

Same here good luck on your adventure!

[@jamescross]

best wishes on your journey!

[@BVK_LMZ]

so Smart

[@luisf7105]

Stay focused. I'm the same way, I need to sit with the material a bit longer than most, before it clicks. Don't give up, no matter what, you'll get there!👊🏽

[@CJ_Figy]

Where are you right now? I'm currently doing CS50.

[@chawguzman]

Hello been construction worker for 10 years metal fabricator and mechanical fabricator for 6 years and commercial electrician in Northern California. Started my coding journey a week ago and couldn’t be more excited as I’ve always been very tech savvy pretty efficient in a few Adobe programs

[@jamescross]

Very cool!

[@oliverstott6570]

Love this video, great advice, brilliant editing and this advice is useful for experienced devs too. I'm a web developer of 4-5 years in the UK, focussed on WordPress, PHP, JS and I'm learning react, but I would love to see a video that's focussed on intermediate or mid level devs who have already got their foot in the door, and how they can stay ahead of the curve. One thing I've found is that moving from startup culture to enterprise level companies is a huge leap especially with waterfall / agile based companies. In startups you have far more freedom I find where as in larger companies there are clear cut standards which is both good and infuriating especially if you want to implement new tech as there's usually a huge process rolling it out and training people. What advice would you give for experienced devs who have fallen behind on self improvement and dedicating time to personal projects to master their craft? Keep the content coming!

[@stanislavpogorsky7499]

Hello, James! I rarely comment on videos, but couldn't resist this time. I watched a lot of videos in this genre and wasn't sure that I'll watch yours (because I watched too many already and this one is 1.5 hours long), but just couldn't click away. Very informative, honest and greatly composed thoughts. Appreciate it a lot! You actually reinforced my confidence that I have the right mindset on my way to getting hired for the first job in IT - for that, I'm grateful. But also your point about 'don't rush to become full stack developer" truly resonated with me, since I actually tried to do just that. Now I think that I'll position myself as a Frontend Dev (at least for now) and will talk about my knowledge about some Backend tech as "bonus skills" rather than core ones. Thank you!

[@jamescross]

Thanks for the feedback and best wishes!

[@thomasedison9047]

D m Vinethics will help you

[@thomasedison9047]

ON Instagram

[@BartMolkenboer]

Great video, subscribed! In my case I started developing just html, css and jQuery 13 years ago. I always preferred building everything from scratch including the PHP backend and SAAS like projects, and recently started using NextJS with React and I am sold big time to the new NextJS framework. NextJS is amazing together with ChatGPT now a days life hasn't been better like this in a long time!

[@jamescross]

nextjs is cool

[@lizzyb1626]

I am really motivated by everybody's stories here. I am leaving behind 20-odd years of baking and retail work.

[@janinecarreon4532]

Thanks for making and sharing this content. This gives clarity and detailed info on my vague roadmap. I have been learning front end dev for three months, still on to learning HTML, CSS and the fundamentals of computer science from CS50. Your videos are encouraging. Thank you 😊

[@jamescross]

Glad it was helpful!

[@053_eshan9]

Ia CS50 enough to learn Web development. Is it worth it? Or is there any better course available for it?

[@BasicMike]

I totally agree with your experience. I started work-life as a commercial photographer, quit and jumped into trucking (needed more money), quit, and attended computer tech school where I was taught JCL, COBOL, ALC, RPG (mainframe stuff, a really long time ago). My first job was at a company that built industrial radios and communications equipment. I had to learn CP/M, FORTRAN and Z80 assembly language to work on the project. On my first day they dropped off a desktop computer, and a few books on my desk and told me I had four weeks to learn how to use it. In short, what you learn, may not be the knowledge to help you earn. Now that I’m retired, I’m hoping to freelance as a front-end dev and copywriter. My research over the last month shows that the two dovetail. Some folks aren’t just looking for dazzling content, they want you to add the style and animation too. I guess I could do that with Figma prototypes, but I would love to simply package the HTML, CSS, and JS into a zip file as a deliverable.

[@jamescross]

thanks for sharing your experience!

[@dicksonkariuki9495]

O

[@dicksonkariuki9495]

Ol

[@cxa011500]

Very good overview. I learned HTML, CSS and Javascript years ago, but I couldn't figure out how to turn it into a career. I wish I had seen a video like this back then.

[@nickmurdaugh9856]

10 years in the infantry. 2 years in armed security. I've been programming for about 9 months. I've learned a lot, and I'm pretty great at solving problems. But the job hunt is grueling. It's also difficult trying to balance familiarizing myself with the variety of technologies in use with mastering a couple things. Ha, I constantly feel like I'm being jerked around.

[@DMPDEV]

Dude! Hi, I'm from Argentina, I lived in Ogden, UT for 8 years. Now I’m kinda lost, but thanks to this video I felt guided again, thanks for all the info you shared. I’m aiming for front end, I did a full stack boot camp, and front end is what got my attention, I enjoy seeing the results. At least for now, I feel the learning curve is shorter this way. And yeah, I hate my current job at a factory, anxiety hits hard sometimes since I’ve been wanting to change for a while now. Deep breaths and keep at it

[@Scrotux]

Super informative video. Thank you for sharing all your knowledge. The part that has me the most anxious is the networking and projects. You’re very outgoing and creative, I feel like I’m not and that’ll severely hinder me. I’m willing to work on it but still a nagging thought in the back of my mind

[@gabrieldavila1866]

I've been in the fitness industry for the past 6 years. I love it, but can't do it forever as a coach. I've been learning for the past 10 months, going to work on my resume and portfolio soon. My hope is to work in tech health/fitness, I think the bridge between them can still use a lot of work.

[@jamescross]

that's a great idea to leverage your existing experience

[@Justin-sp7kz]

It took me about 5 months total - I took the free 100 days of SwiftUI course from Paul hudson, finished it in just over 3 months. I began working on my own native iOS applications and applying to jobs, 2 months and 180 applications later I got my first interview. Got the second interview, and then offered a position at about $55/hour in the Pittsburgh, PA area. I was lucky, but even then it wasn't easy. Single dad, I'd wake up at 4:30am to code and learn until 7:30 when I had to get ready for work and get my kid ready for pre-school. After dropping her off, I'd get to work by 8:30am and work until 4:30pm, pick her up by 5:30pm thanks to traffic, make it to the gym by 6. Leave the gym, get home by 7:15 and make dinner, eat, play until 8:30pm when my kid and I both would have the same bed time. Repeated this for the full 5 months, swapping out learning from the course to making my own apps and applied for jobs during the down time of my day job.

[@jamescross]

Congrats! Thanks for sharing your story.

[@a.c.ramirez7762]

Hey James! This is really a great talk! Even as a frontend developer with 5+ years professional experience, I find this content very helpful and inspiring - not only for junior devs, but for all levels and transitioning as well. The web development field is constantly evolving, and besides the necessity of staying up to date with market trends, we also need to stand out as real people with creative and soft skills. You rocked it at the end with the "Breaking Resume Rules" chapter! Much appreciation:)

[@jamescross]

Glad you enjoyed it!

[@ItsMe-oi9dy]

Man, when you talk about code problems and such in interviews, it's what really gets me. I can't remember that stuff on the spot. As an ADHD programmer, my memory is bad. I have great logic skills and I can read and understand and plan, but the idea of writing something unaided on the spot? Nah. It takes me 5 seconds to refresh my memory with google though. My weakness is definitely raw knowledge and my strength is in problem solving, which includes finding answers to things I can't pull out from memory. I completed a Diploma in Web dev, I've been self learning for 6 months extra, I don't think I'll ever feel ready.

[@jamescross]

I know several engineers with ADHD so hang in there. Best wishes.

[@ssniiper2853]

My story is kind of similar to yours, I graduated from Civil Engineer, I was hopping to work with my dad in his construction company but he lost the company a year before I graduate, during quarentine I was trying to find some jobs but most of them were for a very low salary and my thought was that any other person without a degree could do the same job so talking with a friend he told me about programming and last year I started learning to code now I know Java, made an JavaFx app, and currently learning Javascript to build a portfolio I'm exited to work in this industry because I'm very passionate to code sometimes I lost my sense of time while coding, i start coding in the morning and suddenly it's night time, sorry if my English is bad I'm a native Spanish speaker but love your story and tips

[@DavidFelipeSolisH]

I'm also a Civil Engineer in pretty much the same situation than yours! Hahaha, I wish you the best (also a Spanich speaker here, from Colombia).

[@Sashaplaysmusic87]

I’ve been a trucker for 10 years and really excited to get into coding. Also got back into music recently and want to be able to work from home. Taking my first baby step.

[@jamescross]

Best of luck!

[@briana.9395]

Good on you that you were able to transition from construction to web development, self taught at that. I've had a recruiter try to belittle me because after getting laid off from my job, I picked up some general labour work in the meantime. I worked in the mechanical engineering technology field for 10 years. It takes courage fall back temporarily on your profession if it means your survival, and even embark on a career change at that point if it means better outcomes. And it takes a considerable amount of discipline to be able to sit down and teach yourself a new skill such as coding. The problem with companies is that at the forefront there are too many gate-keeping douchbags who forget that they are dealing with people. These smug recruiters will not make me feel bad about my circumstances one bit! They couldn't do what I'm doing. If they were in my position they'd probably give up and cry.

[@5FT6MAN]

yes yes the gate keeping is real. Alas, we move. Good luck!

[@destrolock4329]

As someone who went the system admin route, html, css and js are the only things i really like to use and experiment with. Java was an absolute nightmare to go through at school and will never be visited again. The mentioned 3 are used in selfmade websites since i have the knowledge about how to host them, this now leads me into thinking about expanding my horizon and portfolio with database integration as the sql syntax is actually likeable. Right now just as a hobby and contrast to managing systems at work.

[@Plague_Rat778]

Ill be 24 in just about 3 months. Ive tried going to college about 4 times now and it just never works for me. I feel stuck and like im not doing anythign with my life, so I decided to go the self-taught route of coding. I hope to eventually land a (hooefully) well paying job, so that i can care for my family, hopefully give back to my grandparents

[@dreamless_music]

Your video was a lifesaver! 🙌 I was stuck, and your walkthrough was the perfect solution. Thanks a ton!

[@jamescross]

Glad it helped!

[@danehague1]

From my experience of being a full stack dev I worked 80% backend and 20% frontend. The frontend would usually be simple using boostrap etc.

[@AIGirl779]

Thank you so much for all the information you have shared if this sort of content was shared by someone else he/she could link a hundred companies link and sponsor their useless courses to make money but you did it without covering or including a third party to your success or others. great job! I'm software developer with 12 yr of experience and agree with all you shaed

[@jamescross]

thank you!

[@rskugo]

I am currently starting on Odin Projectl like you mentioned in the other video. Been watching your vids since early last year, and finally gain the confidence to give it a try without feeling I am all over the place. Your insight has been amazing and really appreicate you my dude.

[@jamescross]

Very cool!

[@gabrielwelch6483]

Did you finish Odin project? I’m looking at starting that one

[@annekoster2379]

You're a good PEP talker, Love it. Tanks for that. I'm starting DEV @ 50Y

[@LawrenceChung]

I tried going into programming for around 3montjs and I realised it wasn't something I am into. Then went onto trading and am still doing it now after 2 years. Its so brilliant to see you building up a community that is self driven and ambitious to make a change in their lives. :) keep up the great work

[@Donquixotedoflamingo0107]

Really? How did you start and how can i?

[@noahchristian5814]

Coding makes trading easier

[@nedlee1644]

Thank you for this guide. I appreciate your humility and grounded perspective on getting into the tech field. It’s so refreshing compared to all the hustle-culture/ get rich quick style videos.I’ve been really excited about learning programming, and this guide is hugely helpful! A react guide would be greatly appreciated too!

[@jamescross]

Glad it was helpful!

[@MartyMcFly__25]

Been a chef for 8 years. Im 28 now and tired of the industry and the hours on my feet and never seeing my family. With shit pay and benefits. I actually coded in high school and was really good just dropped it and never went back. Wish someone would’ve pointed me in the right direction. I’m seriously looking into this career change.

[@connieblackmon3932]

I have seen the terms front end developer 1000 times and had no idea I had those exact skills. I know how to work an HTML and CSS I'm not as great in Java but I'm learning but it is so exciting to me to see a beautiful webpage come to life. Thank you for this video.

[@Vanderjigs12]

Thank you for this awesome candid video! I also have a history degree, it builds solid skills to get into development or tech, like critical thinking, concise comunication of complex topics, and research, but "worthless" in terms of a direct job with an undergrade unless you get a little creative ;) I am a technical SEO specialist right now, did sales development for an ai company, but now I am full commiting to becoming a web dev. Really enjoy the videos, gives me motivation!

[@jamescross]

Very cool!

[@AriWeismanchester]

Coming from no real career at 28 to coding. Got a job in IT in the meantime. Started JS and am picking it up pretty quick but shifting into CSS and HTML.

[@jamescross]

That's cool. what's your IT job? Do you have software engineers at your company that you can ask questions and maybe get them to let you contribute a little to start getting experience?

[@AriWeismanchester]

@@jamescross I start the IT job in December. In the interview I was open about my plans to work towards a dev job and they told me I'd have access to developers and encouraged me to reach out. It's for DXC Technologies so a massive company, whether or not they help me I'll be self teaching.

[@jamescross]

that's awesome! congrats! sounds like a great chance to break in.

[@jonathanamoros6148]

I know this is an older video, but it's definitely what I needed to hear. I recently decided where I want to switch my career to after I've been a network admin and help desk guy for 15 years and have grown so tired of it. Im week 2 into self learning Python and loving it. I'm also going to pick up JS and HTML. Do you see any use in Python as a front end designer?

[@jamescross]

Thanks. A ton of tools and libraries for AI stuff use python, so imo in 2024 it is a great language to learn. Best wishes.

[@Sheenovastee]

Really glad I found this video. I just started Udemy's Zero to Mastery: Web Development, and I have to say, i already love what I'm learning. I didn't expect to enjoy it as much as I do but it's really become a joy to learn. I'm trying to dedicate at least 3 hours a day learning but I'm going to up it to at least 4 hours now after watching your video. I'm currently an Arabic interpreter, which is cool but it's not challenging and there isn't much room to increase your pay. Wish me luck!!

[@jamescross]

best wishes!

[@Exdindia22]

I am an architect and now I am looking forward to see that transition which went through. I just completed my masters in Estonia. fingers crossed. Thanks for this.

[@jamescross]

Best of luck!

[@agritech802]

Great video, I've been working in tech on and off for over 30 years, self taught also, backend is my passion, i love creating solutions to problems, automating tasks, analysing data and improving security and efficiencies. I've probably been under valuing myself, I've spent tens of thousands of hours developing my skills but since i set up my own B2C business, I'm making a fraction of what you hear discussed in the industry, maybe i should just look for a job

[@en2336]

Love this long-form video format. I'm a noob and was expecting a tutorial, but got something so much better!! Great work organizing and articulating your wisdom and experience. Will definitely be a video I come back to again and again. Subscribed!

[@jamescross]

Awesome, thank you!

[@aSpacetimeAdventurer]

Dude, Ive literally was doing the fire watch at a construction job site freshout of college, no STEM work. Ive beent trying to develop on and off since 2020. This is know the 1st year that Im actually making gains. Frankly the bootcamps seem too fast, dense, intense. So Im taking in slow and steady. I found the lecture Art of Code by Dylan Beattieto to be really an interesting perspective to show that it is a true craft and like a craft can be both a way to make a living or a way to express art or who knows what else fix the traffic or something.

[@bjfrmdalow927]

I recently got out the army last year I took a course for wordpress development and ended up landing a software developer apprenticeship with less than 6 months of coding knowledge I have the basics of Javascript but I need more practice by next year i plan to be extremely more proficient than i am now

[@karimheras9462]

Med school Grad. Havent secured residency so degree pretty much not that useful. So Ive been looking for other oppertunties and tech seems to be it. Enjoying the journey. Thanks for all the informational videos.

[@jamescross]

Best of luck!

[@rsgetc.7826]

Hey James, Im not a developer, but I enjoyed your video. I’m on the business silo, and I found some things you shared that would transferable and helpful!