Most HONEST Advice for Self-Taught Programmers (Reality Check)

In this video I give my honest advice about what it's like to be a self-taught programmer.
🏆 * Mentorship Program *
Interested in joining my mentorship program and getting support to get your software development career started? If you consider yourself an action-taker, you're ready to invest in your career and you're committed to putting in the work then book your assessment call at andysterkowitz.link/call-00077

[@AndySterkowitz]

This video is a reality check about what it really takes to become a self-taught software developer. If you haven't seen my video on the KEY To Thinking Like a Programmer check it out at kzbin.info/www/bejne/rKPQfKqHYq-DiqM

[@yashaswikulshreshtha1588]

I am really glad that you brought up the reality when it comes to programming. I hate when people act everything is just deterministic while in reality, you're suffering from uncertainty. Especially beginners get the very wrong impression of tech jobs and programming. If someone doesn't even like programming a little bit I'd say it's extremely hard to make it through...

[@undefined1284]

2 minutes into the video and everything you've said so far is so on point. In fact I'm on the journey to become the programmer (self-taught) and 80-90% of the time I am lost, frustrated, overwhelmed and unfortunately doubt myself often... It's not easy as some people make it out to be.

[@guitarman813]

Programming is so over-hyped. Yes, it's fun. But it ain't sunshine and rainbows the whole time like some marketing and some of these adverts show you. It's hard work. You get paid highly in such jobs, for a reason! Only learn programming if you're willing to put in the time and effort. And accept that there are many bumps in the road and that the learning curve never stops.

[@AndySterkowitz]

Well said Ben!

[@VeretenoVids]

A friend of mine who has been a programmer for 20 years put it this way when I've asked why she's stuck with it "You come to work and are required to solve a 5000 piece jigsaw puzzle every day. Some days you are convinced that someone has stolen about 100 of your pieces because nothing fits together. Other days it's just fitting pieces together slowly and methodically. But, when that puzzle is finally done you feel like a superhero."

[@verdrehteseele8525]

@@VeretenoVids That feeling never gets old

[@RizaHariati]

I remember my mindset when I first coding : 6 months and I will get the job that makes me a millionaire. YAAY!! Two years later : still not a millionaire. Plenty bugs 😁😁😁😁😭😭😁😁😁

[@DderronB27]

I was bracing myself to hear some catastrophic information, but after finishing, I’m fortunate to say that I expected all of this. I’m a self-taught Audio Engineer, music producer, singer, etc. with over a decade of experience. All of the info in this mentioned is what I’ve experienced before. I would honestly say that people who are more accustomed to practicing their material WHILE learning at the same time will be able to persevere at a higher success rate. That frustration is SO WORTH IT when you achieve a new milestone. It’s like a game that you enjoy but is extremely hard. You may want to throw/break your controller at times but you eventually come back for another go in order to FINALLY beat that level. Thanks for your honesty in this vid.

[@memyselfandthem6747]

I completely agree with all that you stated, I'm a self taught programmer and now a university cyber security student and to tell the truth university in a nut shell supplying me with the certification but in my personal experiences your time is limited and you never get to really dive deep. Teaching yourself and really going down that rabbit hole and gaining hands on experience is so satisfying and rewarding. So glad I started out on my own with the help of people like yourself who are kind enough to share your knowledge. Thank you!!❤️🙏🏾

[@mohammedgad3593]

Hey Andy! I completely agree with you in the negative aspects of self taught programming that people tend to overlook. It's crucial for someone to know that these feelings are normal because whenever I feel overwhelmed or barely see progress, I would just give up and say "this is not for me". I am certain that this video will make self taught programmers to be more disciplined and consistent about their journey. All the best everyone!

[@LeighRobinsonBushcraft]

I'm 41 and learning to code. I can confirm it is a grind. I'm enjoying the challenge though. It's mentally stimulating and i'm having to develop good discipline in not getting distracted by Facebook, Instagram etc. Most days I feel like I am not smart enough to get the job done but I am slowly chipping away at the work so I know progress is being made. This video is really good. There's so many vids of 'I learned to code in 6 months, got my job at google and now I earn 6 figures'. That's not going to be the reality for most of us.

[@jm.101]

I’ve been learning for 2.5 years. It has been a massive struggle and it becomes hard to not be self critical. When I started I struggled to code Rock Paper Scissors. Later on I coded my own chess game and Facebook clone without tutorials. Then you apply to jobs and get rejected and all that accumulated confidence goes to shit. It’s important to remember the progress made.

[@BillalBenzazoua]

Haha wow now I'm trying to code rock paper scissors game ask user how many rounds do you want and in the end I show the result game over how many time user won and how many time computer won ... etc and also in the end I ask him if he wants to play again and it looks a little bit 😂 hard to me

[@MrDasfried]

Thank you for your videos. I am back again at it and this time I actually do make some progress but the crushing feelings of doubt, frustration and Co are definitely a thing and it helps tremendously to know that they are just a part of the journey :)

[@chriscruz429]

Thank you for all honesty, we need a lot more of this.

[@andreapv5289]

This is literally the best video I have seen. The unspoken truth of learning to code is the pain of the process. Thank you for being so realistic and not sugarcoating it like everybody else.

[@RenzoAG]

Totally agree with you. Nothing like dedication and hands on. You will never get better if you don’t practice. Mentors are hard to find. Been looking for one myself to guide me in my career path.

[@skimpylemon8034]

Thanks Andy, I come back to your channel every so often to remind myself of these things.

[@SoulScribbler]

This is a great video and I think more people should see it. I am fully self taught HTML, CSS, Python, Django, SQL, and currently learning Javascript. When I list that out, people think it's so impressive, but the truth is, with the exception of HTML/CSS (since I've been learning since around 2000), I have no confidence in myself and my coding. On the otherside, I was also a self taught digital marketer (with the exception of copywriting, which I did go to school for) and until I went back to school last year to a digital marketing bootcamp (shout out to UC Berkeley!) I had very little confidence in that, despite having years of experience. Before the bootcamp, I (barely) made a living, but that was mostly with writing and editing. After the bootcamp, the first job I applied for after I doubled my income and am killing it 8 months later. Did the bootcamp help me get the job? Maybe, but the truth is the bootcamp reaffirmed that I knew what I was doing. It proved to me that I had the skills and knowledge to do these things. That's what got me the job. Before the bootcamp, I felt I wasn't good at digital marketing, just as I felt I wasn't good at programming, despite producing in both of these areas. Now that I went all in on digital marketing, coding has become more of a hobby (with a business goal down the line) and I feel so much less stress than I did when I was applying for programming jobs. If I get stuck for a day, week, or month trying to learn something, it isn't as frusterating, and even a bit exciting. I got stuck with my python/django webapp because I didn't understand javascript, so now I'm learning javascript. If I was still pushing to get a job as a python dev, there's no way I'd feel the freedom to do that. Again, great video and I completely agree in retrospect, though it would have been very disheartening if I had heard this 2 years ago while trying to find a job haha!

[@karlfimm]

So very true! I'm a self-taught programmer, having started in 1973 (yes, nearly 5 decades ago), and I agree with all your points.

[@bitzplz]

I went through all of that, and it was hard but very much worth it at the end. It took me about 1 - 1.5 years (with months of breaks) from writing my first line of code to landing an internship. I used PluralSight to learn the basics and then built projects, which I put on my resume instead of irrelevant working experience. Now, almost 2 years later, I’ve gone from intern -> junior engineer -> mid level engineer and I’m starting to move from backend developer to fullstack. Just keep grinding, if you really want it you’ll get there with consistency.

[@paulhornbogen980]

Best blunt advice I have heard in this field.

[@nurolkel3750]

This is the first video people should watch before they start their coding journey. It took me a full year to understand things on my own and building projects. I landed my first dev job after a solid year of coding. And I still have a shit ton of things to learn. So many people on youtube and bootcamps say this can be done in 3-6 months. It’s possible! However, plan for a year if not more of full time studying.

[@sam.shock924]

whoa ANOTHER Andy Sterk video that hit the nail on the head?! this may be one that I listen to multiple times. great video :)

[@AndySterkowitz]

Thank you Sam! Glad I could help :-)

[@mikesenesie8430]

So, true. As I'm in the journey of a self taught programmer, I do find it extremely difficult to find solution to a simple problem. It's really painful to making some mistakes that would not have committed if I was having a mentor. But I'm really enjoying the the journey.

[@Frostyalmond]

These were great messages ! In short It's all about self improvement and learning....as you want to learn it all, even how to learn and help yourself ! Don't expect any help... Go all out as, their is no one to help you ! But be positively Aprecciative about any help intended towards you !

[@JonathanLeon]

Thanks for the video. Programming is really a struggle.

[@edwincharlery2880]

This type of vid was well needed. Too often the online community makes it seem like a bed of roses. Especially IG.

[@gregkail4348]

Thank You for the reality check.....

[@raf_a.e.l]

I thought I could get the bulk of JavaScript in 6 months and I’m 5 months in realizing that I am not the most absorbent sponge.. That was my reality check - recognizing my learning limits and respecting it instead of trying to cram it all.

[@JamieR]

It takes years to really master it. Don't worry :)

[@raf_a.e.l]

@@JamieR Thank you! Yeah, gotta give myself grace

[@JamieR]

@@raf_a.e.l yep, and you might not gel with one language at first. I coded java for a year in school... JS for another year and asp .net C# for 2. Only the third year did I truly get deeply into C#. It felt so natural to use, while JS was still hard for me to use properly. Visual studio lets you set breakpoints so you can run through your code line by line to see what actually happens

[@KomodoSound]

it took me 2 years from the moment I started coding for personal projects to the moment I got my first professional work as a developer. I started coding because I wanted to start an online business, that business was not realistic and never took off but in the end I used the coding skills I learned along the way. that was 10 years ago.

[@redeagle9312]

Thanks Andy!

[@AndySterkowitz]

Any time!

[@MathFunandGames]

Thank you for the videos. They are very helpful.

[@AndySterkowitz]

Glad you like them!

[@davidmiller1376]

It’s possible to do it. I’d never written any code before Sept 2020, I taught myself during lockdown. In January 2022 I started as full-stack developer for a Medical-Tech company, whilst I’m building a side huddle on the weekends.

[@wscrivner]

That's awesome - congrats! Would you mind sharing what your path was from no coding experience to full-stack developer? That's an impressive feat to have success like that in such a short timeframe!

[@SoulScribbler]

Congrats on that!

[@Fullrusher]

Ive learned I have little to no discipline and I'm not even as smart as I'd hope I'd be by learning to code , it's something I really wanna do , cause it's obvious I wanna do it I've come back to it so many times and this time I'ma try again until I absolutely fail or succeed.. starting and staying focus is my two biggest issues

[@juanmacias5922]

Idk if you've ever heard of atomic habits, but I think one thing that's been proven with programming is that if you invest time you will get better, just start a new project, and make sure you daily at least work on it 5 mins, some days you'll only do 5, some days you'll get in the zone, what matters is your consistency! You will do it, if you do it.

[@seddeknadhem5638]

@@juanmacias5922 i was about to suggest the same book. Also, quit social media and any distractions like that. Dopamine levels must go down.

[@christianplummer4199]

You can’t fail unless you quit. Don’t quit.

[@ektabazala9247]

Exact same situation happes to me. I hope we will do better.

[@jayman8001]

I realized that I have the same exact problem. Taking the necessary steps to put distractions to the side such as having an empty desk, setting a pomodoro, only consuming KZbin curated feed and locking up my phone.

[@omageprosper9673]

i felt this victory after spending 10 days trying to Implement protected route on my personal project

[@noelborge1484]

like that hexagonal mosaic chain on the background ... appeals to what you do ... data flow coding😄

[@kenosabi]

Make yourself a schedule. Stick to it. Nothing breaks your schedule. Going through a lesson once or even memorizing syntax is only a very small component of mastery. If your struggling your probably missing crucial foundation. Go back to the basics and practice them until they are reflexive. There are too many people that jump ahead asap and put all sorts of ridiculous expectations on themselves because they constantly see videos titled "learn to code in 3 months" .... but realistically this is going to take at minimum a year. Most likely more. Regardless of anything your online course or boot canp tells you. These people are in the business of selling you a product. Not all courses are built the same and there's a good chance your following at least one youtube coding channel that sells half ass courses for astronomical prices. Be wary. People love taking advantage of you in this stage because you "don't know what you don't know". Being able to follow along isn't the same as understanding. Understanding is when you can replicate what you followed without looking at the tutorial. Can't do it? Then you don't actually get it. Turn off YT and quit lying to yourself. Another video isn't going to make it all suddenly click. Your procrastinating. There are resources online where you can get literally any coding book you want for free. Just do some digging. I won't say them by name here because YT tends to strike comments that do. If your going to do this then you better get used to finding your own solutions and accept that the learning will never ever stop. Because technology never ever stops. Good luck.

[@humoyunakramjonov5598]

Hey, Andy I do appreciate every single video you have uploaded. All of them somehow helps me understand something more in terms of programming. Thank you very much. God Bless you. I tried to subscribe to your mentorship program, however, I didnt receive a response in my email. Could you have a look at that.

[@mexarrinha]

True, it helps when you are doing game development because you get feedback. Just learning c# without that is rough

[@AD-wg8ik]

Actually what they don’t tell you is it doesn’t matter how good you are, you’re not going to get past a recruiter without knowing somebody and networking.

[@coolbrotherf127]

In my opinion, all programmers are pretty much self-taught. When I went through to get my CS degree the professors would lay out plans and give us feedback for some things, but there were a whole ton of other things I was left to learn completely on my own. I learned a lot of programming languages on my own time and made many projects that had nothing to do with what I was learning in classes. I feel like bootcamps and degree programs aren't "learn this skill easily" paths, but are super helpful for building a good foundation for continuing to learn the skills later on. The Computer Science degrees though are super helpful if anyone wants to get a job in a STEM field as those require a lot more advanced mathematics knowledge that most people aren't going to learn on their own. Anyone who willingly taught themselves all of calculus, linear algebra, and differential equations is a more dedicated person than I.

[@JamieR]

True. The difference is that at school you have a lot easier access to feedback from teachers and students. So if you're stuck it is quicker to get feedback. At home you need to do it via stackoverflow or befriend someone who can help. While solo you can really dig deep, spend time on the things which actually are necessary in work life and buckle down. CS/degrees usually teach too broad and too little work related. So there's definitely ups and downs with both.

[@Zeuts85]

100% agree. That said, university definitely is helpful for guiding the self-learning down the right channels. I've certainly found that what I learned while earning my CS degree contributes an outsized amount to my understanding of various programming problems I run across in work and personal projects. The high-level understanding can be very helpful to certain personality types. If you're more of a big-picture, systems-oriented thinker, broad concepts do a lot of work for gluing together the details.

[@JamieR]

@@Zeuts85 Yeah. It helps develop critical thinking, problem solving and creative skills for sure. Not to mention working with other people. You just don't get that the same way while working solo. So it does require engaging with other people, groups or workshops etc to get that same level of feedback.

[@bigblessed4732]

Thank you🙏

[@HrissW]

200% Agree.

[@ivospironello6451]

Being self-taught requires a lot of planification. It takes me a year to realize that it's most important build a system of study which work to you than learning to code. Our brain is like your pet, if you don’t simplify and specify what is a job done when to end that job you won't get anything done. I highly recommend to everyone to invest on your personal growth and try to have the life the most organized and routinely as possible be a slave of your system. My biggest problem which I can't solve is the feedback, not just for doing things bad and don't realize you could also caught into an detrimental over perfectionism which keeps you extremely stuck

[@Carlos.Santiago]

What do you think about Lauch School and their mastery based approach to learning to code as apposed to the bootcamp style?

[@juanmacias5922]

One thing that has helped me when I'm stuck has been rubber duck debugging, even today I did it accidentally, I was going to ask for help in a LinkedIn group, and as I tried to explain myself as deeply as possible, my own gears started spinning, and I had come up with my own solution lol

[@I_Lemaire]

Thank you, Andy. I'm still out here...

[@dumieleo3288]

Coding is like going to the gym, you need discipline, its hard but with time and consistency it gets easier,

[@hajimeippo804]

I'm learning to code cause it is my only option and the only thing that I can be consistent

[@cooperflats9725]

Ive started my path 2 years ago for cs degree. Talked with a few programmers. Here is what they told me. Most new programmers think they are going to help develop cutting edge programming with cutting edge change the world ideas. Reality is, companies need good solid coders. Your not going to change the word, your not going to make some ground breaking program. They want and need people who can sit at a computer and hack out some code for 8-10 hours. Little thanks besides.."is it done yet?". The "glory" of the work, is looking at something you created and seeing that it is good. No ones going to pat you on the back. Buy a dog. I know it sounds harsh but that was what I was told to expect if I wanted to be a programmer. I decided I liked the idea of creating something from an idea with programming. So I am on my journey.

[@BusinessWolf1]

how's it going

[@ishaat_plays]

Being choosen to be a Programer Requires Lots of Mental Power, Discipline and Lonely Times , It's Stoic

[@abdullahdurrani7382]

Inadequacy is an extremely difficult feeling to experience, overcome and accept. Especially if your whole life has been built around trying to avoid it.

[@eduardocod8924]

What About when it comes to find a job is also way harder ?

[@suvobrotopal2024]

Very True

[@partygrouppl]

Best part is when don't even know how to ask for feedback or help.... but digging deeper in mud, searching for partial answers, sandboxing solutions... all of a sudden its done and working....untill next task. for me this is perpetual progress in coding. not knowing, understanding or having direction is fine.

[@felizchimmy2093]

I have to constantly ask myself if I am making the right decision learning programming, I mean it's so hard to stay discipline consistent and focus that I feel like I am on the wrong direction of my life. But everytime I wanna quit I find myself going back cos right now it is my only Visa out of Poverty

[@ZarethPlays_Old]

I can see how this applies for most people, but the way I learn and can teach myself, this hasn't been a problem for me in the 30 years I've been programming. My biggest obstacle has been convincing employers that I can do what I do. I have zero mentors and zero connections. Terminology and jargon is also a barrier. I learned (myself) how to do a "binary search" before I even knew that was a term. Most tech people love their jargon and act like you can't do anything if you don't know the lingo. Despite having built an entire VR racing game (Downshift VR) by myself from the ground up that is performant, no bugs, and no crashes (I can run this game 8+ hours non stop) with custom built AI and all sorts of other pieces, employers ignore and ghost me.

[@JuneJuneyJunJune]

Did you showcase the VR game to the potential employers? If u have built a project like that by yourself then that’ll definitely get you through the door

[@ZarethPlays_Old]

@@JuneJuneyJunJune sure have. Front and center on my resume, along with other projects I've made, like an arbitrary precision math library for C#. But again, largely ghosted, no feedback or responses about my works. I'm not even sure people take the time to even look at anything. Some of the things I'm doing are far more complex than many of the junior positions I'm applying for, or even some of the senior positions. Like you said, shipping out a whole game in VR should get me through the door, and yet... Well, it is what it is. Thanks for taking the time to reply.

[@dylanthomas3140]

The no feedback is tough. Struggle through projects and the code is prolly doo doo. Not knowing what to learn next

[@TKUltra971]

@0:40 such an excellent joke there. A uncle use to make fun of those infomercials and laugh at how a man could be riding a bike and spending time with his wife by the fireplace when "erectile dysfunction" is mentioned. Always research for yourself folks lol.

[@yedum321]

I've just started. I started with html couple of days ago and no entering css. I am enjoying it so far.

[@BusinessWolf1]

how's it going

[@rpf23543]

Andy this is probably the best video you have done. Thanks for that! But why you stress out the term „self taught“ so much? WHO cares if one is self taught or taught by aliens? 😀 If I take one of your „guided help offers“ I’m also no longer self taught, right? To me it does not matter. The effort, which has to be spent to become good, is anyway big.

[@MG-Musty]

This video is for me broh! 😂 😂

[@LostSoulAscension]

How bout the few people I see on yt saying theyre self taught but ended up doing a bootcamp?

[@passportbro904]

This is how I'm learning to code right now, I just completed a coding for kids course (im 40 years old) this gave me the basics of concepts. Now I just hired a tutor to go through concepts with me deeply over the next month, then I will learn a language or two, then I will do an online bootcamp, then im getting a job. Full stop no long story. Give me 6 months and ill edit this comment

[@TheGamerBoy-dq7om]

I thought I was the only one

[@Chloeeee892]

Tried smashing the subscribe button and broke my mouse... you owe me a mouse🤣 No not really🙄lol

[@AndySterkowitz]

Lol

[@cwasonfauna]

Great video! Near the end you kind of drone on and I lost interest. Just some unsolicited advice, but since your content was preplanned and bulleted, 'd suggest captioning your different sections to break up the recording into more digestible parts.

[@shiriajin]

What is your advice for someone who keeps forgetting everything? I’m 41 yo and I feel that I’m really late for this journey. I’m really worried that I won’t be able to make this career switch.

[@sasukesarutobi3862]

Personally, I'd say a lot of it is about mindset and learning as a skill. It's great if you can reel off specifications until the cows come home, but when it comes to keeping up with changes or even having the humility to double-check your knowledge, learning ability is a huge benefit. So carry on learning and experimenting with what works for you, but remember that there's a lot of situations where the ability to find and process information is more useful than recall ability.

[@shiriajin]

@@sasukesarutobi3862 thanks for your reply to my comment. I have been experiencing this forgetfulness a lot recently with other aspects of my life as well but mostly with I’m learning. I have not given up yet, I’m still trying.

[@memyselfandthem6747]

You have to find a way of learning that suits you, personally I'm a visual learner and it took me a while to realise, repeat steps until they click, keep at it and don't give up. Self-learning allowed me to go to university to study cyber security and I'm now diving into AI. I'm not at all clever and I'm 44. ❤️🙏🏾

[@wscrivner]

Not knowing your situation and just guessing: 1) You're not practicing often enough. You might have to do a little bit every day in order for things to stick with you. It's easy to forget something you learned two or three days ago if you haven't practiced or applied it since then. 2) You're not working on projects. If you're only doing book learning and tutorials you're not getting the mental exercise of thinking through problems on your own. Start with simple projects and work your way to tougher and more complex projects as you go. If you need project ideas there are tons of sites and videos that have suggestions on beginner/intermediate/advanced project ideas.

[@SoulScribbler]

The other replies are great, but I wanted to add that there's a joke that says programming is 10% typing code from your head and 90% googling the answer. While the percentages are not that extreme, the three most important aspects of programming are actually knowing the basics, knowing how to find a solution to a problem you come up against, and knowing how to understand that solution. In terms of forgetting, I have that problem as well. I've learned how I learned, which has changed my life in general, but especially with coding. My process is this: I watch a tutorial (literally see the person typing it out plus the results), then I do it myself. If I can't repeat it myself without questioning anything, I watch it again, and type it out again. I repeat until I am confident. When I first tried to learn Ruby many years ago, I went through a whole course online, spent weeks on the basics, and realized I hadn't learned anything I didn't already know from previous knowledge. I thought I just couldn't do it, it wasn't my type of thing. Flash forward years later (maybe 10 years later) and I sat down to try again with Python. I learned how to code python at an intermediate level in 3 weeks (I was learning 7 days a week, 6-8 hours a day in those 3 weeks) and two years later I still know how to do it. My advice is keep it up, keep trying, watch tutorials 10 times, code the same thing 15 times, or read the same chapter 20 times, and eventually you'll get it. But, most importantly, don't give up, and always have confidence in what you know. If you mess up a line that you think you knew, look it up, shake your head, and do it again.

[@VeretenoVids]

Nope, don't hate you. Appreciate frank advice. (Psst, it's pronounced you-de-me, I assume it's a play on "you to me", but I've never verified.)

[@maxick]

haha, every IT job is like that. "IT" Information Technology - so we have to find solutions to all kind of problems, if you don't like face problems, DON"T jump into IT, you will hate your job and FAIL big time. 😂

[@gytisgytis5547]

No feedback I think one of the strongest cons for sure.

[@yuusufahmed1514]

Hey, I'm Yuusuf and 20 years old. I’m interested in becoming a self-taught web developer, and I would like to meet serious people who want to connect so we could make a study group and make a plan together. If you are interested, let me know.

[@Carlos101010101]

Beer is good for you.

[@TheAlderFalder]

Nah, beer is good TO you. But certainly not FOR you. ;)

[@Carlos101010101]

@@TheAlderFalder I smell heresy!

[@johnsoto7112]

Honest advice for self taught programmers… we’re ALL self taught….

[@manuelgonzales6483]

FIRST 😃❤😃

[@farhaanpatel5302]

first