Follow these tips to becoming a coder.
The first thing you want to do is take up coding for fun. Programming in any regard is something that you sort-of have to love (or at least enjoy) otherwise it is going to grind you down quickly. It is a very labor intensive subject where burnout means an absolute stop to any sort of productivity. People who burn out while painting a house are still able to pick up a paint can, but people who are burnt out on coding will just sit there, probably copying code, and doing very little that is productive. So, start out by learning how to code for fun. If you are not having at least a little bit of fun, then perhaps coding is not for you.
8 Steps to Becoming a Coder
Discover the Principles of Coding
It is time to get to grips with what coding is all about. Do what you can to learn the principles of coding, including what it is used for and how it may affect your life. Part of the process is learning the diversity of coding, but also learning about the limitations of coding. It has the potential for massive power, but it also has limitations that TVs and movies will often gloss over. For example, you want to build that multi-layered worm that helps you hack a bank? Well, it is going to take you years to build, by which time they will have changed and updated their systems and all your work will have been for naught.
Learn How to Code On Your Own
This is not something like driving a lorry or biomedical research, coding is something you can learn on your own. In truth, you can do all the learning on your own and become just as skilled as the people who have lots of qualifications. However, the first step is to learn how to code on your own. Get to grips with how it works and see if you are still having fun.
Take Classes on Coding
The classes can be free night classes, they can be free online classes, they do not have to be paid college classes. At this stage, your aim is to figure out how well you learn in classes when it comes to coding. You may have learned very well during history lessons at school, but you may really struggle with coding. Take a few classes to see how well you do.
Pick a Career Direction
Now that you have learned a little and you have a bit of learning experience, you can start to pick a career. That are a lot of directions you can go when it comes to coding. It is not like learning to speak French where all lessons lead to the same conclusions. People who are learning how to code video games are going to learn different things to those who become security testers. Now you have the experience, it is time to pick a career.
Take a Paid Course on Coding
Now it is time to take paid courses in coding. You have picked your career, you are comfortable learning, and you are ready to get better at coding. If you can make it through some good courses and you become good at coding, you can move onto getting a job.
Get a Job in Coding
Try to pick a job that is aimed towards your desired career. Also, if you are struggling to get a job in your area, consider working remotely. You can work on smaller jobs to get the sort of experience you need for full-time work.
Get a Qualification For Coding
If you have picked a career and you are doing well, then start looking for jobs that you really want. They are going to ask for qualifications. If you really want those sorts of jobs, then apply for them and see if they will take people with your experience. If not, it is time to take a few qualifications so that you can get the job you want.
Work on Personal Projects
While working towards your future job, or while getting your qualifications, keep working on your personal projects. They will help expand your knowledge, they allow you to take some agency in your learning, and they may even come in handy later in life.
These tips to becoming a coder can set you on the right path to following your dreams.
