Land a Software Job in 6 Months!

Land a Software Job in 6 Months!

I have JS, PHP, HTML & CSS, but where would you suggest I go next? There’s so much to learn and it’s very confusing. I’m really scared of getting things wrong. Or asking for a road map if you like.

This is a hard question to answer. You need to ask yourself, "What are my goals"?

  • Do you want to be able to build apps? Web apps?
  • Do you want to design very pretty-looking websites?
  • Do you want to want to make cool websites and get them to be on the first page of Google (SEO)?
  • Are you interested in AI or ML? Do you like databases?

Once you figure out your goal(s), you can put a plan in place. I can help you figure out what steps you should take forward! All you need are some stepping stones. We can create a road map on how to accomplish your goal. Here is a simple roadmap for becoming a web application developer.

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!IMPORTANT!

This is a high-level roadmap. This is not intended to turn you into an expert. This is ONE of MANY ways to HELP you land an entry-level web developer job. I have close to a decade of experience writing code. I regularly interview entry-level developers. If you were to complete each of these steps, absorb the material, and be able to speak intelligently about these topics I would be impressed. Take this advice with a grain of salt.

1. Learn HTML and CSS

FreeCodeCamp is a great resource for this. HTML and CSS is the foundation for any web application. Allocate 2-3 weeks for this.

Develop a landing page(s) using only HTML and CSS. Apple, GitHub, and Netflix are great choices! Understanding how popular websites are built will allow you to follow great patterns when you develop your own. Allocate 1-2 weeks to accomplish this.

3. Learn JavaScript and NPM

FreeCodeCamp and MDN are great resources for this. All modern websites utilize some sort of JavaScript framework. Node and NPM are tools used to work with these frameworks. They allow you to use libraries and tools that someone else has already written! Allocate 2-3 weeks.

Pick 2 complex projects and recreate their basic functionality using JavaScript, HTML, and CSS. Soundcloud and Twitter are great examples. Allocate 2-3 weeks.

5. Learn How Computers and the Internet Works

Search YouTube and Wikipedia and focus on the Application layer, HTTP, and how modern web apps work. You need to understand the basics of how web applications communicate. Allocate 1-2 weeks.

6. Learn Git and Deploying

All software projects should use source control. Atlassian has great git tutorials. Deploy your projects to Netlify or Vercel. Allocate 1-2 weeks.

7. Learn NodeJs and Express

Use official tutorials, then YouTube and StackOverflow if you don't understand something. I have a getting started tutorial here. Express and Node are great frameworks for build web applications QUICKLY. Allocate 2 weeks.

8. Learn ReactJS and Redux.

I am a big advocate for Angular. But I think ReactJS is in the biggest demand right now. Kent C. Dodds has a great course. Udemy also has some great courses. Allocate 3 weeks.

9. Learn GraphQL

Use official tutorials and YouTube (Udemy if needed). Then transfer your created apps to GraphQL. It should be relatively easy to migrate a small project to GraphQL, especially if you've gotten this far! Allocate 1 week.

10. Learn TypeScript

Learn it using official docs, YouTube & Udemy if needed. After, transfer all created apps to the TypeScript. I have written a great article describing how to convert ExpressJS to TypeScript. Allocate 1 week.

11. Build 2 Complex Applications

Pick a popular service and recreate the core functionality using learned stack: ReactJS, React Ecosystem, GraphQL, TypeScript, and ExpressJS. Then you will deploy it and put it on your resume. Allocate 2-4 weeks.

12. Create a resume, LinkedIn profile and apply for jobs

It should take you 1-4 weeks to land a job.

Conclusion

This should take you roughly ~6 months. This roadmap is not meant to make you an expert. But it should make you competent enough to land an entry-level software developer job. If you complete this roadmap I am very confident that you will be a very marketable developer! Good Luck! Reach out to me for ANY help!

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This roadmap was inspired by Nick Bull!

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