You have finally settled on becoming a software developer. Now what? This article will guide you on how to get started as a software developer, whether you want to do that as a hobby or as a career. I assume you have zero or very little know how about programming or coding. If that’s you, this article is for you. So let’s delve in.
Know Your Why
First thing first, why do you want to be a software developer? Why are you willing to sacrifice your time, energy and probably your fun time to become a software developer? Why programming and not, medicine? Why spend your hard earned money for a programming course?
Why is this important? Well, programming is very technical and can be terribly hard. You don’t just wake up today and become a software developer. You have to work for it, and that demands a lot of learning, practice and personal commitment. Technology is ever changing and you must be on the edge with the latest tools and technologies in the industry such as AI.
Knowing your why will carry you through the hard times in your journey as a software developer.
Maybe your why is landing a job as a software developer. Maybe you want to put your business online, start an e-commerce store, or become an ethical hacker. The reasons are many, and are best defined by you – be clear on your why.
Assuming that you know you why, how do you become a software developer?
The How
There are two viable paths you can take. You can teach yourself how to code or you can enroll in a programming course. Both have their pros and cons.
1. Self Taught Developer
It’s actually possible to teach yourself a programming language such as JavaScript and create a useful program. Sounds great, right? There are so many free resources available on the internet like w3schools.com and MOOC s. Most of these resources are free. All you need is a computer and an internet connection.
The catch here is that they do not offer certificates. Certificates are quite crucial while you are applying for a job or showing a proof of knowledge. It’s not easy to secure an employment opportunity without a certificate, and not just any certificate, but from a reputable institution.
Teaching yourself how to code can also be terribly slow. It’s not about being smart or having the right resources in place. You might get trapped into the illusion of understanding – this is where you think what you’re doing is right, but it’s quite wrong. You have little exposure to programming which means you are also inexperienced when it comes to best practices. This can be overwhelming especially when you are starting out.
If you think are up to the task, there’s no stopping you.
2. Enrolling in a Programming School
It’s highly recommendable to join a certified institution to become software developer. The catch here is that you’ll have to pay for the course. But as you’ll see in a second, it’s totally worth it, down to the last cent. Here’s why?
An institution like KwetuHub will award you with an industry-signed certificate of completion once you are have applied your knowledge in a project, and presented it. This certificate will come in handy when you are applying for a software developer job in Kenya or a remote job for that matter. People are also likely to trust you more.
Coding schools have the added advantage of being taught by key players in the industry. These instructors have extensive knowledge and experience around your area of interest. When you get stuck, they’ll be there to pull up out. When programs won’t run, they help you find bugs and fix them. And trust me, you’ll get a lot of those – bugs.
This is quite challenging for a self taught developer. They have no one to ask for help which impairs their learning significantly.
Here’s where we come in. KwetuHub is a coding school in Kenya offering quality training as a software developer. You can choose to start a programming track between full stack web development or mobile app development.
Our courses are centered around creating projects that solve real world problems. Your projects will be solutions to existing problems that are felt by you or other people. Right from the first class, you are awarded marks for identifying a key problem, clearly defining it and proposing a solution that will effectively solve the problem. The solution may be a mobile app or a website. Either way, you’ll be well guided to create a software that perfectly meets your needs– a project based learning.
Visit this page to learn more about the courses we offer kwetuhub.com/tracks