Hello, I’m looking to switch career fields and am considering diving into the deep world of coding. I currently work in a warehouse but do have a CS degree that I am doing nothing with. Although that is more catered around 3D modeling which is another highly competitive industry. And after the tragic amount of layoffs in gaming industry last year. I’m worried it might be a foolish endeavor having a family to support. I am extremely new to coding and since a kind it always held a certain allure to it yet also very intimidating. I am willing to learn. I understand that this is a long term goal and much knowledge to acquire but would love to hear of any stories of those in their thirties that switched paths and it worked out for them, heck maybe even some fails as well.
Thank you
I just started FCC on Monday, and I really enjoy it. I turn 25 this year, I work retail, I’m ready for something better. Have you found career success through it? Is completing FCC certificates enough to land a decent job? Do you recommend working with multiple code learning programs? How long did it take from starting FCC to getting a job? Edit: My goal is to become an iOS Developer, but interested in freelancing websites in the meantime.
In the same situation as you, work in retail, want to develop apps but learning web development in the mean time. I’ve been doing FCC for about a month now, I’m only 20. From what I’ve heard the certification doesn’t really mean sh*t. It’s having the skills so you can develop a portfolio. Because that’s what people will look at. Web development is a never ending learning curve. You just have to equip yourself with skills that people want and show them you know how to use them. Also there’s a huge difference between being able to develop a website, and being able to write clean code for it.
Hope this answers at least some of your questions, like I said I just started as well so that’s just what I’ve heard
I actually signed up to start learning after seeing a success story of a lady on Twitter tweet about starting her new job as an apprentice junior software engineer for a fintech company after doing the courses on FCC and a few on Udemy. She said she had holes in her CV and a completely unrelated degree in social sciences. Not just her though I’ve seen others talking about dedicating a couple months to learning coding and landing jobs so I’d say it’s worth giving it a go.
Videos
I recently started taking FCC courses, spending ~3-4 hours a day. I first took JavaScript algorithms and data structures, and now I’m taking responsive web design.
I’m looking for success stories of US-based people with FCC. I’ve seen some people in Europe and Australia who could find jobs by just taking FCC courses. However, the US job market is more competitive I believe and potentially more difficult to get into. I wonder if/when I can find a descent job after taking (which?) FCC courses.
It’s absolutely possible. I did it and have helped others do the same. I think the US may be the best place to be. It’s not just a matter of FCC (you will need other resources too), it’s about your whole web presence and your portfolio. You’re selling confidence, not certificates. Meet other developers (in person if possible) and ask questions, compare code.
I can’t say that I’m a success story, but there are plenty of self-taught devs out there. Though almost everyone who manages to find a job within 3-6 months of starting had some sort of advantage (like they are best friends with a senior dev at the company, for example). More realistically, it’ll be 1yr+ of learning stuff, building things, contributing to projects, and applying.
The main problem you’ll run into is that every company wants someone with at least 1-2 years of professional experience, even for Junior/Entry-Level jobs. Recruiters and HR departments aren’t usually looking at your projects, portfolio, or GitHub. Your resume will automatically go in the trash if you don’t have X years of professional experience.
That’s kind of just the way it works, unfortunately, and you’ll have to learn to deal with that. It’s a hard thing to overcome.
I've been looking on YouTube about people who used fcc and we're successful with getting a job but not sure how true they are. I wanted to know any success stories you guys have by only learning from fcc and getting a job after.Also how valuable are the certifications on there? Or is github a better website that companies look at to see how good you are?
I'm a few sections into fcc and am throwing all I can to learn the most I can this next year since I live in the Silicon Valley and feel I would have a great opportunity.
by only learning from fcc and getting a job after
This is likely never the case.
FCC is good and provides direction but it's not a sufficient resource on its own. You'll need to get more information from other places (books, courses, etc) but you can rely on FCC to tell you what you should be learning.
I have posted my success story on FCC forum. For anonymity I am not going to post which one but I state my resources there. I think FCC alone is not enough
Hi guys,
TL;DR - I've got my first job in IT as a IT PM/Scrum Master thanks to knowledge I've got from FreeCodeCamp.
Longer story:
Last year around the time pandemic started (March 2020) I wanted to learn more about software development, as I was working in HR and significant part of my duties was recruiting software developers. I figured I need to touch some code on my own and after looking at the options I have, I figured going "free" was the best and I found FreeCodeCamp. I was delighted how well explained it was, how exercises looked like and I enjoyed doing projects. Community was also helpful. I switched to working remotely, because offices shut down, so I had ~2h/day free to spend on something productive (and that with few months old kid at home!).
I went through the path finishing everything up to Node.js focused parts, where I became overburdened with work and home duties. I created a few projects outside of the ones prescribed by FreeCodeCamp (CRUDs mostly), but I mainly sticked to the learning path.
I generally took a sincere interest in IT, reading books about Agile/software development process, some algorithmics, forums on local IT scene and its problems, and so on. I also had countless interviews with technical people, so I got to know the language of technology really well.
This month I went for the interview process for a hybrid role (IT PM/Scrum Master) and after two stages of interviews I got it. I will be responsible for teams and their software development process in a software house.
Thank you Quincy and FreeCodeCamp!! I'm glad I stumbled upon FCC back then, as it was crucial in achieving this and you can count on me continuing my financial support :)
Congratulations !! I’m about to start on June 1st 2 hrs a day as well, just need to wrap up important matters before the next month. Also what kind of books did you read and what kind of sites did you look up to learn IT? Thanks and again congrats for the progress and new job 👆
That’s awesome! I just transitioned from HR to HRIS :) - not nearly as exciting as your transition.
Hey everyone, I'm an accountant but have been playing with ecommerce sites and coding on CodeAcademy (supplementing w FCC now) for a year. Looking to switch careers and hoping to hear some success stories to validate that it's possible.
It's a big leap so wondering about people's experiences using this path to change careers or start a career without comp sci degree.
Cheers
FCC is having to remove the requirement to do nonprofit work to get their Full Stack cert because every single person who reached that level got a job before completing the nonprofit work. Yeah, it can be done.
I will say, look more to FCC than CodeCademy. CodeCademy teaches you a language, FCC teaches you how to be a programmer.
Personally I'm a self-taught DevOps Engineer. I'm already making 6 figures, but using FCC to add software dev to my skillset.
100% can be done. I used FCC almost exclusively and landed a frontend job within 3 months of finishing the frontend coursework. I had never intended to learn full stack but have been digging in a bit lately just for funsies.
I have a background in chemistry, but never any formal comp sci.
I have a way to go before finishing the certifications on FreeCodeCamp, and I figure it can't hurt as an intro to coding skills. And it's free. I'm not sure yet exactly what direction I'd be going in after finishing the modules. I started it to get some basics on web development and to check out what data analytics was about, so I could decide what I might want to go deeper into.
I know that FreeCodeCamp is pretty basic (at least at the modules I'm at) and it isn't a replacement for a CS degree. Probably it isn't even a replacement for a bootcamp. But, has anyone found success with finding employment using the skills and portfolio they acquired through FreeCodeCamp? Is it taken seriously by employers, as long as you can present to them that you did learn the skills and can work with them to a certain level? Is there something that you would suggest I do after to become more "hireable" once I decide which specialization I want to focus on? I don't want to do a degree (both for time and finance purposes and I have a BA in an unrelated field) but I'd be open to some other type of courses or certifications that would boost my skills in the future and make my CV seem more "professional"?
Hello experienced programmers, is freecodecamp actually worth something if I want to switch profession?
Currently I work fulltime in construction, but I’m learning html, css and JavaScript (after that React, firebase, node.js, react query, tailwind css & vercel.
To get a full stack skillset. I like coding, and I want to pursue a career as freelancer / entrepreneur (my own projects)
I was wondering, is freecodecamp + portfolio worth something ? Or is a degree more important?
Right how I’ve been stuck on one specific sector of beginners JavaScript on the Odin project, I’m considering supplementing it with FCC, but I see so many negative reviews that’s I’m hesitant to give it a shot. What’s your honest opinion of FCC?
Honest opinion is dont be afraid to give a resource a shot just because it didnt work for someone else. There are so many resources out there, and not everyone learns or likes to learn in the same way....one persons best of all time can be anothers worst experience.
That being said, Im a huge supporter of FCC, cause it was the first thing I came across that actually helped me learn and put me on the track that helped me get to where I am now. The reason I love it, is the same reason some people dont. FCC doesnt hold your hand and do everything for you. Its not like following a tutorial or just plugging in whatever code it tells you to. It gives you a goal problem to solve, and is layed out in a way you have to do read docs and do research so when you complete a task, you actually understand what it is youre doing.
Also, the community is engaging and super welcoming and helpful...I made a goal when I started to give back, because I got so much help along the way. And I felt amazing the first time I was able to help someone else out. Teaching is also a great way to learn, because I would often look things up to get a better understanding while trying to help someone else out with a problem.
Im now coming up on 3 years in the industry, and literally.....everyone who asks about my path gets an earful about FCC, cause it really made a huge impact and means so much to me. And doesnt bother me at all if someone else totally hates it. Thats why there are so many different resources, and also why FCC encourages people to get their hands on other resources too...no one source is going to make everything you need to learn click in place.
So yeah, thats my opinion....give it a try, either you will like it, or you wont. But just cause someone else loves something doesnt mean its your only hope and feel discouraged if youre struggling, and just cause someone else hates it doesnt mean you should feel awkward for thriving. But you wont know unless you try....and I kinda feel like its worth it to at least try.
I think their Youtube videos are some of the best and really nice for just getting some of the fundamental knowledge and such
Hey everyone,
Sorry if this is a stupid question. I was just wondering is anyone on here has received a job or job offer through this program? I started yesterday(I’m currently coding colored markers) and just wanted to see what the outcome was for some people that have completed everything.
Hello, I am a aspiring front end software engineer, I was just wondering if there are any current self taught front end software engineers that are willing to give me any tips and would share the roadmap that got them to where they are now. (I am currently following the html,css,javascript route). Also, is there anything in particular I should focus on or go out of my way to do. Any help would be greatly appreciated.
I did freecodecamp, then built a few frontends before getting hired. Focused on functional programming and testing my react app, as these give you developer superpowers.
Once I got on the professional frontend track, I stopped doing side projects in react. I spent a lot of time trying different languages and paradigms to bring those tools back to JS, as well as listening to technical podcasts. This has helped me become a stronger dev, and I got promoted to principal this year!
Yes, there are successful software engineers here. https://roadmap.sh/frontend
What's up everyone! First time poster to this sub. I decided this week that it's time to make a change and focus on skills to achieve a better, long lasting career path. I'm 29 and I'm tired of working construction and have always had a deep respect and admiration for tech and pcs. After doing lots of research i found myself on freecodecamp.org today, i literally spent 8 hours on there non stop and i was have an absolute blast going through there curriculum. It starts you out with HTML, CSS and id imagine Java will be following behind it. This is definitely a path i wanna continue down because it feels fresh, fun and rewarding.
My only concerns are.. What kind of jobs can i actually be looking to achieve once i become more comfortable with coding? I plan to dedicate at least 6 months to a year of almost all my free time to learning as much as i can. I've been window shopping for jobs (just to get ideas) and im afraid no one will take a greenhorn who's basically going the self taught route. People want 3+ years experience and proficiency in at least 2-4 languages by the looks of it.
Should i aim for web development? Jr full stack roles? Ui or ux roles? Software developers? I wanna expand my knowledge as much as i can! Obviously this is a ways away yet but i wanna know if/what specific languages I should focus the most on.
Hi there, My name is hooria ishtiaq and i'm a 13 year old girl from karach, pakistan. I started learning from freecodecamp in april 2018 and just completed the whole curriculum (in december 2018) on the average of 2 hour of code daily.
here is the FCC full stack certification: Freecodecamp profile
For those of you who are just starting out their journey to web development and programming in general, Here are a few things I’d like to say
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freeCodeCamp teaches you programming via hand-on practical approach. Complement it by reading good articles or official documentations or a book if you want in depth knowledge about certain frameworks or technology.
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I would say i had so much fun while studying from freecodecamp, for instance, you get to work on so many cool small projects. if you're just starting out have fun along the way, like this you won't get tired of it.
If you are new, i wish you best of luck!
Woow....i wish i had made this much headway at that age. I am 21 now...✌🏾😂
Hey, Ive just started FCC and have no coding background whatsoever. Aside from repetition, how do you get stuff to stick in? I find myself easily forgetting some bits that I just did a few challenges ago.
EDIT: Thanks to all who gave their answers. I'll keep at it and do projects, hopefully things stick!
Edit: Without an accompanying degree* I really should learn to proof-read.
Just to preface I already know how to program, been coding for about 15 years now. But im an entirely self taught high school drop out with no degree, so now that im finally starting to get over imposter syndrome and applying for programming jobs im finding it INCREDIBLY difficult because my resume is just cybersecurity stuff and other non strictly SE work.
I can absolutely see the value of the code camps for actually learning to code, and even in my case there's going to be gaps in my knowledge from self teaching so ill even learn something myself. But the main motivator for me is to get a "piece of paper" (in this case an email ig haha), something I can throw on my resume that's better to an employer than "Trust me bro, those private repos on my github that you cant see are bussin"
So what has been peoples experience with the job hunt post codecamp course, and I don't just wanna hear from the people who got the job, because lets be honest, if I spend long enough applying for jobs im eventually gonna get an interview and I know I can nail the interview its really getting past the resume gate that stops us, so I wanna hear from people who are getting interviews too, and those that aren't. Not trying to build a survivorship bias model here.
I can't speak for not having a degree - I have one in electrical engineering. What I can speak for is the hiring side.
I did resume review and interviews when my company hired a front end developer about a year back. You know you just about that "30 seconds to review a resume" thing? Totally true.
Here are some general impressions from that experience:
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Don't put detailed line items for unrelated fields on your resume. I seriously had one person out their carpentry job on the list and another tout their work at a restaurant. They came off as non-serious.
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If you're going to share a GitHub portfolio, clean it up first. Get rid of the BS repos that you forked once.
For projects you did yourself, have a detailed readme file that explains what it is, what it does, why you made it, etc. Be clear if some of it is boilerplate code or if it's all you.
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Don't fill your portfolio with "school projects". Anything you can find a dozen tutorials online for is completely useless as a portfolio piece. They really have a district "smell" to them.
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Instead, you want projects that show integration of multiple disciplines. For example, something that uses a react front end, some sort of third party API, and a database on the back end. Something that shows that you can build a project that isn't just boilerplate, and combines multiple complex technologies. As I said before, document it clearly.
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When you are listing prior jobs, don't tell me what you built. Don't tell me about the technology stack, either. You can certainly mention it, but it's not the focus. Tell about the problem that you solved, how it saved money, saved time, or made the business better.
The idea is that you're showing that you know how to solve real world problems and that you've had experience with the complexities of two world development, not just solving artificial, constrained problems.
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Finally, in an interview, if you don't know what something is, just say so. Don't try to bullshit a bullshitter. Ask questions and see if you can fill in the gaps. The field is huge and ever changing, so no one expects you to know everything.
For myself, as a self-taught dev, I prefer them. We ultimately went with a young guy who had self-taught over a period of about 3 years. He technically had more professional experience than myself, and has turned out to be a huge asset.
Development is one of the few places where a self-type developer may come out ahead of a school time developer. Schools tend to lag behind on the latest technologies, where they are teaching java, or python, or C. They might teach React, but it'll be the class based way. Bottom line, the fact that you have been on the front lines doing real world development rather than theoretical development on fake projects gives you a huge leg up.
I’m also completely self taught. I found that creating a portfolio website definitely helped me get my foot in the door. I’ve been professionally developing for 4.5 years now. I also fluffed my resume to get my first dev job.
Hey guys,
After landing a job as a software developer within 4 months of my coding journey a lot of people asked me for advice and a breakdown of exactly how I did it.
My primary learning resource was FreeCodeCamp!
I made a video on the exact steps I took (including how I landed a job) for all the other self-taught devs out there looking to make the jump into working as a developer.
Video link: https://youtu.be/WR1ydijTx5E
Let me know if you have any questions!
At which point in the curriculum did you find a job? Was it after the JavaScript section? The Frontend development section? Else?
So, has anyone gotten a job based solely on FreeCodeCamp? What was the position? Is it remote? How did you get it? What is your job description and how long have you been there and if you left, why?
Just trying to see what others experience is while I sleep through the css portion. I was a Software Engineering major and really enjoyed doing the web-stuff. It's been several years since then. I'm trying to go front-end dev now and curious how others faired. I need the refresher; however, I do get bored lol but want to go all out and make the best of it with the newer-ish things too. Anyway
thanks.
FCC was a great starting point for me especially building some of my initial portfolio but it wasn’t until after additional self learning, projects, and courses for me to get my first job.
It took me a while to figure out but communication, working in a team, and understand other’s people code and ideas are a huge part of it along with building your own personal projects.
I did after Udacity, some FCC, and some Odin Project. It took me multiple sources, repetition and a lot of time.
My first developer job was a small and paltry salaried position of about $40k, which reflected my abilities quite well. So, I'd study hard and stick to it so you can spend less time at the lower salary levels.