5 tips to becoming a successful software developer in less than 12 months.

Are you considering starting a software development career in 2023 but don’t know where to start? Well, you are in the right place because, in this post, I’ll share what I did and landed my first job as a web developer in less than 12 months. So everything I write is what I would recommend from what I learned from my self-taught journey as a software developer. Also, I will be recommending platforms that I used in my learning process, and it’s not because I have been paid to promote any content but because I feel that those specific platforms are very beginner friendly and offer very comprehensive teaching techniques. So here are the five tips to becoming a successful software in less than a year in 2023.

1. Don’t learn coding/programming from books.

I know that thousands of free books and other written materials are available for free that teach people about becoming developers, and I’m not insinuating that they are useless. Still, I feel like it’s not the right path for beginners, and this is why. Programming requires practice and building real projects. It would help if you saw other people building stuff and got to know how different concepts and techniques are applied when building real projects. I would recommend watching YouTube videos over reading PDFs and books since so many videos are available on the internet. Books should be used as reference materials but not the main source of learning how to code.

2. Don’t rush through when learning the basics

The basics I’m talking about are HTML, CSS, and JavaScript. These are the building blocks of software development since this is where a huge percentage of software developers begin their journey. You can build a completely static website from scratch using these three languages. Both HTML and CSS are not that hard to learn, and after one month of learning, you should have a clear understanding on the syntax of writing HTML and CSS code, which I think is the most relevant thing for a beginner. Learning JavaScript is where you should put all your efforts in because your understanding of this programming language determines how good you are as a developer.

I would highly recommend a YouTube channel called “FreeCodeCamp” to find JavaScript tutorials where you get to build real-life projects which are beginner friendly. You should spend at least six months learning and building projects using these three languages.

3. Learn a CSS framework

The simplest definition of a framework/library is prewritten code that a developer can reuse to make the development faster or quicker instead of coding certain components from scratch. For CSS, the framework to learn is Bootstrap. The latest version of Bootstrap is Bootstrap 5, which is the best version to learn in 2023. It’s very easy to use, and it only takes a few weeks to learn how to use it. Find a video tutorial online that you find best to learn Bootstrap 5, but again I would recommend “FreeCodeCamp.” There is another CSS framework called Tailwind CSS, which I’ve never tried, but you can always check it out.

4. Learn a JavaScript framework

There are several JavaScript frameworks, but the best one to start with is React JavaScript, referred to as React Js. This has been the most popular framework for several years now, and the demand for React developers is at its peak. So many react components have been developed over the years that this framework alone is enough for full-stack development. Some people claim to experience a hard time learning React JS, but all it takes is practice and building as many projects as possible. There are several other JavaScript libraries that you can utilize to build cool JavaScript projects. Some include GSAP (GreenSock Animation Platform) for building JavaScript animations; Slider JS for creating slides, just as the name suggests; Three JS for building 3D objects, to mention a few. Learning these libraries would be an added advantage in your career as a developer.

5. Build your Portfolio

After you have all the programming languages at your fingertips, the next step is to create COMPLETE projects using the skills learned. You can then include these projects in your portfolio, a platform where you showcase your services and capabilities to potential clients. And that’s it, and you are ready to start your career as a web developer.

Conclusion

If you follow all the steps above, you are guaranteed to land your first job as a software developer. All you have to do is put in the work and dedication and trust the process.