4 answers
juquan
Student
Long Beach, California
1
Question
Updated
693 views
Where can i get more assistance in my current career plan?
Hi, I'm currently interested in knowing more about programming jobs in my area, Long Beach. I'm 20 years old and I have been interested in programming for almost 5 years I learned some coding languages, but I want to expand and learn more about game development and website development I have a couple of questions I want to ask:
Why did you decide to work in this industry? And what made you choose this passion?
What is your favorite thing about your job?
If you weren't in this position, what other computer-related careers would you pursue?
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4 answers
Lucus Bendzsa
Software Engineer
1
Answer
Terre Haute, Indiana
Updated
Lucus’s Answer
With both game and web development, it is incredibly easy to make and run simple projects within hours. Game development tools such as Unity or Unreal are free to use and have thousands of videos online teaching you how to use them. Web development similarly has many options available to start quickly running projects. Personally, I would suggest Firebase to start web development. It is free, easy to use, and it allows for easy creation of a backend.
As for general career advice, it’s really hard to break into the industry without a degree. Even skilled programmers without a degree have a hard time because college teaches more than just being a code-monkey. College teaches you the ins and outs of how a computer works, time management, critical thinking skills, and social skills. So while a career path without a degree is possible, school is the best route to go down. There are many online part-time degree options available if you look around. Investing in yourself now will pay dividends for the rest of your life.
I received an iPod Touch in 3rd grade. It was absolutely magical. Ever since I have loved technology and I knew I wanted to make software. Fast-forward and I went to the #1 undergrad engineering school in the US, and now work as a software engineer in the defense industry. I love avionics and I love missile technology so working on them alongside military counterparts is an absolutely amazing experience. If I weren’t doing this, I probably would be working in the iOS application development side of things, as that’s where my passion started.
Try to build a website with Firebase.
Try to build a game with Unity.
Explore university classes, online courses, or YouTube videos.
As for general career advice, it’s really hard to break into the industry without a degree. Even skilled programmers without a degree have a hard time because college teaches more than just being a code-monkey. College teaches you the ins and outs of how a computer works, time management, critical thinking skills, and social skills. So while a career path without a degree is possible, school is the best route to go down. There are many online part-time degree options available if you look around. Investing in yourself now will pay dividends for the rest of your life.
I received an iPod Touch in 3rd grade. It was absolutely magical. Ever since I have loved technology and I knew I wanted to make software. Fast-forward and I went to the #1 undergrad engineering school in the US, and now work as a software engineer in the defense industry. I love avionics and I love missile technology so working on them alongside military counterparts is an absolutely amazing experience. If I weren’t doing this, I probably would be working in the iOS application development side of things, as that’s where my passion started.
Lucus recommends the following next steps:
Andrew Do
Sales Manager
2
Answers
Seattle, Washington
Updated
Andrew’s Answer
With your programing knowledge, my suggestion would be apply to entry level dev or testing roles at startups or maybe even freelance. Goal is to gain experience in applied scenarios that you can leverage in future interview scenarios.
Also, I'd encourage you to search for other roles available outside of Long Beach. Remote work opens up more possibilities when it comes to roles available.
Last point - use crunchbase to identify companies that have signals that indicate growth (new rounds of funding seed or series A). These companies will likely take on team members who may not have a ton of applied work experience to help them grow with the companies and in their careers.
Also, I'd encourage you to search for other roles available outside of Long Beach. Remote work opens up more possibilities when it comes to roles available.
Last point - use crunchbase to identify companies that have signals that indicate growth (new rounds of funding seed or series A). These companies will likely take on team members who may not have a ton of applied work experience to help them grow with the companies and in their careers.
david kirk
Retired Computing Manager
480
Answers
Syracuse, New York
Updated
david’s Answer
Hi, Juquan,
This is a good time to start expanding your skill set at your age. There are so many skills available, this gives you a good start. Fortunately, a lot of free resources are available to start learning web development. A good resource is your local public library, as they usually have a rich variety of tutorial books with which to start. There are also a number of websites that provide free hosting, and that lets you experiment with setting up a website on a server, learning how to make it secure from hackers, and how to attract viewers. For a start, the software named Wordpress is a good place to start, as many websites use that software platform. Another place, that can help you experiment with design is wix.com, which allows free sites for development experimenting. As you improve your skills a bit, you might then volunteer to do a site for a non-profit or small mom-and-pop store for experience. The good news is there is a lot of free information available on internet. Good luck in your pursuits.
This is a good time to start expanding your skill set at your age. There are so many skills available, this gives you a good start. Fortunately, a lot of free resources are available to start learning web development. A good resource is your local public library, as they usually have a rich variety of tutorial books with which to start. There are also a number of websites that provide free hosting, and that lets you experiment with setting up a website on a server, learning how to make it secure from hackers, and how to attract viewers. For a start, the software named Wordpress is a good place to start, as many websites use that software platform. Another place, that can help you experiment with design is wix.com, which allows free sites for development experimenting. As you improve your skills a bit, you might then volunteer to do a site for a non-profit or small mom-and-pop store for experience. The good news is there is a lot of free information available on internet. Good luck in your pursuits.
Vítor Ferreira
Software Developer
4
Answers
Lisbon, Portugal
Updated
Vítor’s Answer
Just go and gain experience with pet projects, do things that are usefully to your day to day and build on them, then show them to your friends, it's a great way to gain motivation.