Thanks my brotha! Been looking into this much appreciated!
Those interested in learning software development (programming)
- Thread starter water
- Start date
Programming is too difficult to be oversaturated. Also, the demand for programmers is rising exponentially (especially mobile). That is the least of your worries.
It's so bad, crappy programmers from china are making a mint using yesterday's frameworks
which do you think gives you the best bang for your buck?
http://www.starterleague.com/ (based in Chicago, is co-founded by two brothers but a bit pricey i think)
http://www.starterleague.com/ (based in Chicago, is co-founded by two brothers but a bit pricey i think)
I think this is true. Learning the basics is one thing. Solving a problem a potential client/employer gives you is different animal.
Right on time. Good looking out for this thread 
I just changed careers from a physical job in the automotive industry to web development and landed a job with a solid Startup. I had a number of years as a designer in my past but Im a relatively new front-end developer position. Here are some tips that I found useful over the last few months during the transition. I have a plan of learning what I need to for a couple of years and then hopefully getting to work on my own dreams. (Colin Alert)
Getting started.
1.You dont have to go to school. Nobody cares how you learned, just what you can produce, just like design. You will have to take a test most of the time when applying for jobs in addition to your Github. i have taken test where there was no computer but I had to write it out on a whiteboard, test that ive taken home to complete over night, and test where I log into a site with someone watching me code out a problem on the fly. Ive met a lot of friendly people in the community and be advised that you will be looked at with surprised looks as there are not a lot of us brothers in programming, but I can say that so far I havent been discriminated against. They will be extra curious to know how much you know tho. A simple and important key is your ability to intelligently talk about programming. About trends, techniques, best practices, but most important be humble enough to listen and ask questions about how others peoples methods and workflow. There is no one right way to program but there are plenty of wrong ways. No one likes programming with someone who cant program.
2. Do NOT sit in front of a computer or a book and try to read it from front to back. Nobody know everything about a language and its a waste of time. Its going to come down to learning the important parts that get used all the time and having the basics to begin solving a problem, and then knowing how to google and reference the stuff that you dont know quickly. I found that the easiest way to tackle it is to watch two of the college lectures on youtube about the language you are trying to learn and jot down notes. They are pretty much going through your average programming language books and fishing out the relevant parts for you. Pick up like 3 different books and flip through them. The parts that keep coming up are usually the parts that you need to know. You have to find YOUR way of learning. I usually cant learn much from video tutorials..Books are usually better for me, but is far from actually having someone show you. Most people I know do very well with video tutorials. But once you know the basic syntax of a language you absolutely HAVE to start creating something with it.
3. Knowing what youre doing is only half the battle. Companies dont hire people they dont know. There is usually some relationship associated such as knowing a friend there, or having met you at a networking event and meeting on several occasions. I got my job because the hiring manager had a lot to do with our school and met me on several occasions and my personality was something that would fit into and was needed around the office. Getting a job with a tech company, especially a Startup is like dating. My entire hiring process from first interview to signing the offer was about a month and a half and this seems to be the norm based on the other students that got jobs. Its going to come down to 1. What you know. 2. who you know. and most importantly 3. WHAT THEY KNOW ABOUT YOU. Being good isnt going to get you hired anymore. She bypassed a lot of qualified people to get to me. They want people who can work within a team, because youre around these people for 8-12 hours a day, maybe well into the night. They also look for people with a calm collective attitude. It can get stressful and there is no room for people who cant get passed their own frustrations. As far as your programming abilities. Companies can teach you anything they want.. You have to prove to them they you are the person that can do that for them.
Making a plan for yourself...
You absolutely must make a plan for yourself or you will be as lost as everyone else is out there. There are many different areas that you need to decide what where you want to end up at. But the first should be whether you are actually built for programming because not everyone is. If you get frustrated at solving problem, have a short attention span to finding solutions, then this might not be for you. Do you want to be a UX designer, visual designer, front end developer, backend developer, mobile developer, html email developer? They are similar paths that go in different directions.
If you have a background in graphic design like I did, the easy route would be UX/UI/visual design/product design. The role of graphic designer is really being relabelled as one of these because we have had to progress to learning more code. But the competition is fierce because everyone who was already in the saturated market of graphic design is ending up there. Markup languages are easy to grasp and get good at in a short time, so a lot of people are just stopping there for now. For this role you should have a firm understanding of..,
Software:
Graphic Production:
Adobe Illustrator
Adobe Photoshop
sometimes Indesign
Coding:
HTML5
CSS
JQuery/Javascript.
Twitter Bootstrap/Zurb Foundation
Wireframing:
Basalmiq/Omnigraffe/Invision App
Techniques:
Rapid Prototyping
Use cases
A/B testing
Problem and solution interviewing
In a sense, from a technical standpoint it is easier to get into one of those positions than it is to get into front-end developer position right off the bat if you have the creativity. Front-end developers is really important and typically need a few years of experience in the front end or back-end because they are the connection from Design to Development. Not all front end developers have to be creative, depends on the company you are working for and what they do. But it is part of the front end developers job where as backend devs arent required to have that visual creativity ability.
My selling point for the interview is that all of their front-end developers have a computer science background where i have a solid design background. When work comes down from the design department they move on to something else, changes in design ruin the workflow and the department gets backed up. So instead of backtracking im capable of making the changes and keeping it in the development department. You have to create a selling point of your skills so people see the value in having you around. I let them know that ever since i got involved in coding that Ive felt a need to transition from design into doing more development and have a strong interest in the backend as well. So in addition to the front end software and coding that i have been using for years. As a front-end developer I need to add more javascript possibly PHP, but I know the company is very JAVA heavy as well. Our backend people definitely are doing Ruby, Python, Java and Ruby, but we arent Rails. Where as UX designers need to study human interaction, it is beneficial for developers to learn critical thinking.
Focus on what you want to do with your talent and then compile the languages that will best get you to that point. Its not so much the languages you know more so what you are capable of doing with the language you know.
The most important piece of advice. When putting together your Github, portfolio, and for your interview. The thing that is going to set you apart from everyone is what you are currently working on. Companies are looking for people that have already started a personal project themselves and are currently working on it, if you have gathered 2 or 3 other heads to give you a hand, then this looks great to someone that is hiring. During my interview the CTO and hiring manager were more impressed with the app that I was rapid prototyping myself and the project I was working on with other developers. It is also very important to show your work that was done with other people because code review by peers is also extremely important. You get use to other people understanding your code.
Networking.
The most important part of your job search. As i said before most people in this industry ive come across get their job based on the people they have come into contact with. It is just as important that you go to Meetup.com events, tech parties, pitch events, and hackathons and design sprints to get to know people, as it is to study and become great at a language. If you are in Boston, Chicago, New York, LA, Denver, or Austin,TX, then you have an advantage because those are considered tech hubs with deep and growing tech communities. Here in Chicago we have events hosted by Built in Chicago, Impact engine, Technori, Uncubed, Techstars even businesses from large Startups like Groupon to small coffee shops are hosting their own hackathons every other night and a lot of them are free. Even if you havent started writing a lick of code, its worth it to start going to the events and getting to know people because you might even have a job skill that is needed at the present moment and the fact that you have been studying code would be looked at as an added bonus. Technical marketing and sales are important to tech companies as well, and you might be called upon at any time to help code something or participate in the white boarding for a project so its important to not be turned off by anything and to know something about everything. I didnt know shit about coding but I learned in my design job how my job effects the work flow of the developers, as well as how it effects the marketers so I had to learn a little bit of their job as well.
Dont be afraid to find people at companies that you have an interest in and inviting them out for a cup of coffee to pick their brain. People in this industry have been friendly so far and feel honored to be sought out, and have usually found time to meet with me. But dont waste their time because they are busy. Dont bullshit about what you know. Youll be called out on it. If asked something you dont know, its much easier and respectable to say that you dont know and to express an interest in it and ask questions about it.People in this industry definitely dont like having their time wasted so if someone agrees to meet with you to have coffee.. then have legitimate questions ready to fill at least a half hour.
So far white folks is friendly as fuck and know everything coming down the pipe, Asians are always lookin for a way to show off their knowledge and women are usually thorough about the work they produce cause just like a brother, women have something to prove too, and if you do come across a brother hes probably VERY knowledgeable and capably of explaining things on a level that would effect you directly, so dont get caught up in your prejudices about who is capable of teaching you what in this business.
Dont get caught up in the fanboy computer battle. No one cares about your operating system as long as you can get the work done so dont let yourself think that you cant get started. There are a lot of great tools for Mac though. I was a PC guy for years but have switched to Linux, but ive had to work on all 3 at different times in my life and you shouldnt conform yourself to being able to work on just one system. If you do a considerable amount of design and developement work, then a Mac might be your best choice though.
Some sites that have really helped me.
Twitter. Connect with different companies your area, because a lot of them will post jobs their first cause its free and easy and its easier to find someone who already has an interest in your company.
Smashingmagazine.com They focus on showcasing the latest trends and techniques as they become available.
Angel.co A lot of tech startups post jobs here.
http://pcottle.github.io/learnGitBranching/
has a good interactive tutorial about Github once youve read through the Github Documentation.
A Smarter Way to Learn JavaScript: The new approach that uses technology to cut your effort in half. This book really got me over the hurdle of learning Javascript. I still have a good ways to go but the road blocks are gone...
http://www.professormesser.com/ These are free videos about IT.. but one of the questions i asked the CTO when i went for my interview was "If you were able to teach all your developers from scratch so they were all on the same page, where would you have them start." His answer was "Id teach them how to build a computer so they know the entire industry from the ground of all the way though how the network work and how the internet works through a computer and then lead them into Algorithms and Data Structure. Not saying you have to start with this but knowing the inner workings of a computer and how it gets to your visual interaction is something beneficial to know.
I know this is long and not organized the way Id like, but over the last 6 months ive crammed a lot of useful information into that small amount of time, and ill try to post more stuff about getting into and working in the industry as it becomes available.
So step 1.. Id say google all the different roles of programming and compile a plan of action focusing on exactly what you want to do at the end of your study because there is no need to waste time learning C++ if youre planning on focusing on web technology job.
Getting started.
1.You dont have to go to school. Nobody cares how you learned, just what you can produce, just like design. You will have to take a test most of the time when applying for jobs in addition to your Github. i have taken test where there was no computer but I had to write it out on a whiteboard, test that ive taken home to complete over night, and test where I log into a site with someone watching me code out a problem on the fly. Ive met a lot of friendly people in the community and be advised that you will be looked at with surprised looks as there are not a lot of us brothers in programming, but I can say that so far I havent been discriminated against. They will be extra curious to know how much you know tho. A simple and important key is your ability to intelligently talk about programming. About trends, techniques, best practices, but most important be humble enough to listen and ask questions about how others peoples methods and workflow. There is no one right way to program but there are plenty of wrong ways. No one likes programming with someone who cant program.
2. Do NOT sit in front of a computer or a book and try to read it from front to back. Nobody know everything about a language and its a waste of time. Its going to come down to learning the important parts that get used all the time and having the basics to begin solving a problem, and then knowing how to google and reference the stuff that you dont know quickly. I found that the easiest way to tackle it is to watch two of the college lectures on youtube about the language you are trying to learn and jot down notes. They are pretty much going through your average programming language books and fishing out the relevant parts for you. Pick up like 3 different books and flip through them. The parts that keep coming up are usually the parts that you need to know. You have to find YOUR way of learning. I usually cant learn much from video tutorials..Books are usually better for me, but is far from actually having someone show you. Most people I know do very well with video tutorials. But once you know the basic syntax of a language you absolutely HAVE to start creating something with it.
3. Knowing what youre doing is only half the battle. Companies dont hire people they dont know. There is usually some relationship associated such as knowing a friend there, or having met you at a networking event and meeting on several occasions. I got my job because the hiring manager had a lot to do with our school and met me on several occasions and my personality was something that would fit into and was needed around the office. Getting a job with a tech company, especially a Startup is like dating. My entire hiring process from first interview to signing the offer was about a month and a half and this seems to be the norm based on the other students that got jobs. Its going to come down to 1. What you know. 2. who you know. and most importantly 3. WHAT THEY KNOW ABOUT YOU. Being good isnt going to get you hired anymore. She bypassed a lot of qualified people to get to me. They want people who can work within a team, because youre around these people for 8-12 hours a day, maybe well into the night. They also look for people with a calm collective attitude. It can get stressful and there is no room for people who cant get passed their own frustrations. As far as your programming abilities. Companies can teach you anything they want.. You have to prove to them they you are the person that can do that for them.
Making a plan for yourself...
You absolutely must make a plan for yourself or you will be as lost as everyone else is out there. There are many different areas that you need to decide what where you want to end up at. But the first should be whether you are actually built for programming because not everyone is. If you get frustrated at solving problem, have a short attention span to finding solutions, then this might not be for you. Do you want to be a UX designer, visual designer, front end developer, backend developer, mobile developer, html email developer? They are similar paths that go in different directions.
If you have a background in graphic design like I did, the easy route would be UX/UI/visual design/product design. The role of graphic designer is really being relabelled as one of these because we have had to progress to learning more code. But the competition is fierce because everyone who was already in the saturated market of graphic design is ending up there. Markup languages are easy to grasp and get good at in a short time, so a lot of people are just stopping there for now. For this role you should have a firm understanding of..,
Software:
Graphic Production:
Adobe Illustrator
Adobe Photoshop
sometimes Indesign
Coding:
HTML5
CSS
JQuery/Javascript.
Twitter Bootstrap/Zurb Foundation
Wireframing:
Basalmiq/Omnigraffe/Invision App
Techniques:
Rapid Prototyping
Use cases
A/B testing
Problem and solution interviewing
In a sense, from a technical standpoint it is easier to get into one of those positions than it is to get into front-end developer position right off the bat if you have the creativity. Front-end developers is really important and typically need a few years of experience in the front end or back-end because they are the connection from Design to Development. Not all front end developers have to be creative, depends on the company you are working for and what they do. But it is part of the front end developers job where as backend devs arent required to have that visual creativity ability.
My selling point for the interview is that all of their front-end developers have a computer science background where i have a solid design background. When work comes down from the design department they move on to something else, changes in design ruin the workflow and the department gets backed up. So instead of backtracking im capable of making the changes and keeping it in the development department. You have to create a selling point of your skills so people see the value in having you around. I let them know that ever since i got involved in coding that Ive felt a need to transition from design into doing more development and have a strong interest in the backend as well. So in addition to the front end software and coding that i have been using for years. As a front-end developer I need to add more javascript possibly PHP, but I know the company is very JAVA heavy as well. Our backend people definitely are doing Ruby, Python, Java and Ruby, but we arent Rails. Where as UX designers need to study human interaction, it is beneficial for developers to learn critical thinking.
Focus on what you want to do with your talent and then compile the languages that will best get you to that point. Its not so much the languages you know more so what you are capable of doing with the language you know.
The most important piece of advice. When putting together your Github, portfolio, and for your interview. The thing that is going to set you apart from everyone is what you are currently working on. Companies are looking for people that have already started a personal project themselves and are currently working on it, if you have gathered 2 or 3 other heads to give you a hand, then this looks great to someone that is hiring. During my interview the CTO and hiring manager were more impressed with the app that I was rapid prototyping myself and the project I was working on with other developers. It is also very important to show your work that was done with other people because code review by peers is also extremely important. You get use to other people understanding your code.
Networking.
The most important part of your job search. As i said before most people in this industry ive come across get their job based on the people they have come into contact with. It is just as important that you go to Meetup.com events, tech parties, pitch events, and hackathons and design sprints to get to know people, as it is to study and become great at a language. If you are in Boston, Chicago, New York, LA, Denver, or Austin,TX, then you have an advantage because those are considered tech hubs with deep and growing tech communities. Here in Chicago we have events hosted by Built in Chicago, Impact engine, Technori, Uncubed, Techstars even businesses from large Startups like Groupon to small coffee shops are hosting their own hackathons every other night and a lot of them are free. Even if you havent started writing a lick of code, its worth it to start going to the events and getting to know people because you might even have a job skill that is needed at the present moment and the fact that you have been studying code would be looked at as an added bonus. Technical marketing and sales are important to tech companies as well, and you might be called upon at any time to help code something or participate in the white boarding for a project so its important to not be turned off by anything and to know something about everything. I didnt know shit about coding but I learned in my design job how my job effects the work flow of the developers, as well as how it effects the marketers so I had to learn a little bit of their job as well.
Dont be afraid to find people at companies that you have an interest in and inviting them out for a cup of coffee to pick their brain. People in this industry have been friendly so far and feel honored to be sought out, and have usually found time to meet with me. But dont waste their time because they are busy. Dont bullshit about what you know. Youll be called out on it. If asked something you dont know, its much easier and respectable to say that you dont know and to express an interest in it and ask questions about it.People in this industry definitely dont like having their time wasted so if someone agrees to meet with you to have coffee.. then have legitimate questions ready to fill at least a half hour.
So far white folks is friendly as fuck and know everything coming down the pipe, Asians are always lookin for a way to show off their knowledge and women are usually thorough about the work they produce cause just like a brother, women have something to prove too, and if you do come across a brother hes probably VERY knowledgeable and capably of explaining things on a level that would effect you directly, so dont get caught up in your prejudices about who is capable of teaching you what in this business.
Dont get caught up in the fanboy computer battle. No one cares about your operating system as long as you can get the work done so dont let yourself think that you cant get started. There are a lot of great tools for Mac though. I was a PC guy for years but have switched to Linux, but ive had to work on all 3 at different times in my life and you shouldnt conform yourself to being able to work on just one system. If you do a considerable amount of design and developement work, then a Mac might be your best choice though.
Some sites that have really helped me.
Twitter. Connect with different companies your area, because a lot of them will post jobs their first cause its free and easy and its easier to find someone who already has an interest in your company.
Smashingmagazine.com They focus on showcasing the latest trends and techniques as they become available.
Angel.co A lot of tech startups post jobs here.
http://pcottle.github.io/learnGitBranching/
has a good interactive tutorial about Github once youve read through the Github Documentation.
A Smarter Way to Learn JavaScript: The new approach that uses technology to cut your effort in half. This book really got me over the hurdle of learning Javascript. I still have a good ways to go but the road blocks are gone...
http://www.professormesser.com/ These are free videos about IT.. but one of the questions i asked the CTO when i went for my interview was "If you were able to teach all your developers from scratch so they were all on the same page, where would you have them start." His answer was "Id teach them how to build a computer so they know the entire industry from the ground of all the way though how the network work and how the internet works through a computer and then lead them into Algorithms and Data Structure. Not saying you have to start with this but knowing the inner workings of a computer and how it gets to your visual interaction is something beneficial to know.
I know this is long and not organized the way Id like, but over the last 6 months ive crammed a lot of useful information into that small amount of time, and ill try to post more stuff about getting into and working in the industry as it becomes available.
So step 1.. Id say google all the different roles of programming and compile a plan of action focusing on exactly what you want to do at the end of your study because there is no need to waste time learning C++ if youre planning on focusing on web technology job.
Fuzzy_McNut
Banned
What hot heat.
I know SQL is not the same but I'm enrolled in a few courses for certifications in MS sql, what should be my next step?
Look into Hadoop
Here is a free sandbox:
http://hortonworks.com/products/hortonworks-sandbox/
Sounds like you want to do back-end development?
I would recommend looking into doing Ruby on Rails
Get this book if you decide after doing your research:
You can get anything for free or close to free
Did you check the links?
They have specials from time to time as well.
DVS X
Solid post bro
BIG THANKS TO YOU BROTHER and to all the other brothers on here taking the time to post links to software and other valuable information to get people ahead... This thread, the Full stack developer post, and the Startup post really got me going. i put in the hardwork and I made it. So are Ive changed careers, fixed my girls credit, and stackin money while educating myself with the investment thread...
Lots of people sleeping on the valuable information found on a fuckin porn site.
Find that motivation y'all<~~~~~WINNING
BIG THANKS TO YOU BROTHER and to all the other brothers on here taking the time to post links to software and other valuable information to get people ahead... This thread, the Full stack developer post, and the Startup post really got me going. i put in the hardwork and I made it. So are Ive changed careers, fixed my girls credit, and stackin money while educating myself with the investment thread...
Lots of people sleeping on the valuable information found on a fuckin porn site.
<~~~~~WINNING
Big congrats Bro
Motivation like a mofo
The day we figure out that the software game could be a hustle just like the music game it will be a wrap
DVS, I can't believe I read all of that but I appreciate the knowledge. I have a Bachelors and Masters in different fields. I've worked in the financial industry for 15 years. I made very good money but got burned out. I decided to change careers to IT. I am working on an Associates but I was concerned about job opportunities if I don't pursue a Bachelors. Both you and brother Kaya have given me hope.
Kaya, Always wanted to get into gaming as much as me and my girl play games, just never had the time.. There really is a need for black videogame characters that arent just criminals. But i agree, as many videogames as our people play, im sure theres plenty of us out there with great ideas and now that you can just bypass the publisher...
Im developing a mobile app on the side that uses my food and health knowledge to help the unhealthy but aspiring Chicago citizens have the proper knowledge about healthy food so that they dont waste it when they buy it. Dont forget that while makin that money, programming can also be used to spin the world in a positive direction. Programming is about solving problem, and there are plenty of community problems out there that can be solved by YOU. Its equally fulfilling, beneficial, and you can do it almost anonymously if you like.
Coldplay... Everyone Ive come across in the Startup community is just like you... A lot of people who got burned out or abused from corporate America. A LOT of former finance people... a LOT of law school dropout or converts... MOST of the CEOs that I met found college to be a waste of time and dropped out to pursue their own ideas and ventures. Those seem to be the top three stories when I meet people. If you have IT experience, Id imagine it would be an easy transition for you, because anyone knowledgeable about computers in general is valuable one way or another.
Im developing a mobile app on the side that uses my food and health knowledge to help the unhealthy but aspiring Chicago citizens have the proper knowledge about healthy food so that they dont waste it when they buy it. Dont forget that while makin that money, programming can also be used to spin the world in a positive direction. Programming is about solving problem, and there are plenty of community problems out there that can be solved by YOU. Its equally fulfilling, beneficial, and you can do it almost anonymously if you like.
Coldplay... Everyone Ive come across in the Startup community is just like you... A lot of people who got burned out or abused from corporate America. A LOT of former finance people... a LOT of law school dropout or converts... MOST of the CEOs that I met found college to be a waste of time and dropped out to pursue their own ideas and ventures. Those seem to be the top three stories when I meet people. If you have IT experience, Id imagine it would be an easy transition for you, because anyone knowledgeable about computers in general is valuable one way or another.
What exactly are APIs?