Becoming a developer can start at any point in one’s life. As the importance of coding has grown, so has the demand for programmers. Thousands of students of all ages are currently training to work in this bolstering industry. We are going to look at how you can start your dream career by leveraging the resources available right here on DEV.
Experience > Degree?
Many devs have pursued a career in programming with a structured degree in computer science or through formal training in boot camps, but not every dev takes the same path. Some go straight into the workforce through freelancing, while others have degrees in completely different subjects but code on the side for fun.
Read up on the type of programming career you want, and ask yourself the important questions.
Internships
A great way to gain experience is through internships where you’ll have the opportunity to learn from more experienced developers and get a feel of what career avenue might interest you. Check out dev.to/listings to find mentors, internship listings, and networking events. Interning can be done for experience-only or college credit, but there are plenty of employers that pay their interns well.
There are Many Paths
Just as not all programming careers start the same way, they also don’t need to end in the same way. Do you want to pursue front-end, back-end or DevOps? Do you want to lead a team of devs? Do you have a financial target that you want to hit? What is your end goal or even what does a successful career look like to you?
It's okay if you don't have all the answers now. The important thing is that you build a solid foundation to learn on and keep all your options in mind.
The best thing to remember is that your path is different than your peers and even your mentors. Reach out to other DEV members and chat about their career maybe get some advice.
Reminder
You are going to make mistakes, you will get a lot of “sorry but we’ve decided to go another direction”, you will need help. That’s why we’re working hard to make sure you have a community that supports you when those times come. Be patient, your dream job may not be your first job.
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In the next part of this series, we will discuss the resources beginners have here on DEV.
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