It’s a really common scenario, unfortunately. No matter what you do, your paycheck doesn’t stretch far enough. It feels like you’re not making any progress on your debt and always stuck in crisis mode. I’ve certainly been there. Your mileage may vary, but for me, learning to code has been a life-saver.
A career in software development isn’t for everybody, of course, but you’ll never know if it suits you unless you give it a shot. I’m going to lay out some advice here on how to get started and land that first job without the need for years of study or a college degree. And no, I’m not selling anything, just trying to be helpful!
Before you spend any money or make any big time commitments, I suggest you check out a free resource like Codecademy to see if computer programming is something you might actually enjoy. I know you’re looking for a job, not necessarily a hobby, but let me be clear about something right off:
Even for those of us who love to code, it can be a tedious and frustrating task. You’ll probably have to put in some long hours to meet the occasional deadline, and you’ll certainly be spending a lot of time staring at symbols on a screen asking yourself, Why won’t this work?! This kind of thing is to be expected, but the process can also be fun, like a puzzle, and it’s quite a rush when things go right. If you can’t find some enjoyment in coding to balance out the negatives, then maybe this career path isn’t for you.
So to begin with, I suggest doing some free lessons in JavaScript (far and away the most useful programming language right now) and giving yourself a fun little project like making a very simple game. And I do mean very simple, like whack-a-mole (a series of images randomly become visible for a second or two at a time, and if you click one while it’s visible, you get a point).
Once you’ve made up your mind that you’d actually like to pursue a career in software development, I suggest finding a reputable coding boot camp to get your skills ramped up and prepare you for all the job interviews you’ll likely have to endure before eventually getting hired. These programs aren’t free, but they’re certainly cheaper than college, and they often offer financing on the assumption that you’ll be able to pay once you get a job. If you earn a certificate of completion from a program like Flatiron School, Devmountain, or MIT xPRO, then by all means include that on your resume, but the number one thing that will land you that job is the live coding portion of your interview.
To prepare for that, there are lots of free resources online. Codecademy actually has you covered there too, along with HackerRank, DevSkiller, and countless YouTube channels. There really is a glut of free information out there to help you along your way.
You’ll never feel 100% ready to take the plunge and start applying for developer positions, but at some point, you’ve just got to dive in. Just take every interview process you go through as an educational experience. As soon as you finish a call or get out of that office, jot down some notes about what was asked, particularly the questions you had a time with. Study up on that for the next interview until somebody finally offers you the job.
Once you do have a coding job, you’ll have to work hard to get up to speed in your new surroundings and prove yourself, but don’t worry if this takes a few months. A slow onboarding process is expected in this line of work. Even experienced developers can get overwhelmed and feel like impostors from time to time, so don’t be too hard on yourself. The most important skill for a software developer is to be flexible and keep learning every day. If you’ve made it this far, you have what it takes!