The demand for programmers is growing annually, so is their salary. Now it’s a great time to be one as the supply is short thanks to the fact that everything is going digital. To become a professional front end programmer, all you need to do is learn the various programming languages on webopedia.com like;
- HTML
- CSS
For backend programmers,
- Python
- Java
- PHP
- Ruby and
- .NET are the packages to learn.
Although all these sound complicated, it is good to know that anyone can learn the various programming languages online. The best part is you can earn a valid certification that can help you find an excellent job as a freelancer or in an office. For this to be possible, you will need to;
Identify what kind of programmer you want to be
As mentioned, there are front and back end programmers not forgetting android developers, front-end developers among others. While you can choose to be either, you are not restricted to be both. By knowing your goals, it is easy to choose a learning path, and this should help you to finish your course fast. Part of your learning should involve lots of practice because you will need to be conversant with the languages.
Make it part of your daily routine
Since you want to become a programmer with no background in this field, you will want to ensure that each day you make an advance. Note that programming is on high demand and for you to find a spot in the market, you need to act fast. The good thing with learning how to program on sites like simpleprogrammer.com online is, you don’t have a fixed schedule. If you study today in the morning, for example, the next day you can decide to study at night.
Set realistic study goals
You can never know how you are progressing with your studies until you put yourself to the test. Continuous tests and examinations are part of your curriculum. However, you will want to test yourself independently to find out if you have learned something. One idea of a realistic goal is to learn each programming language within a set time and evaluating yourself at the end of completion. There are several teaching goals for programming, and once you get to understand what is required of you, setting them becomes easy.
Img source: gogotraining.com
Understand how it works
Because you can learn to program online, it does not mean that you can enroll in an online school and start attending lessons. Firstly, you will want to discover how the learning path you have chosen work. Usually, there are regular testing and evaluation, but that is not all. There are study groups, and at times, you will want to contact your instructor for whatever reason.
By knowing your way around the system, you will reduce confusion and keep track of your studies. There are so many people interested in becoming professional programmers. They end up abandoning their student’s account after realizing that the learning path chosen is too complicated for them.
Forget about what you know
As stated, anyone can learn to program online and become a professional in this field. That means, even if you have never stepped inside such class, you can still become an expert in this field. It is therefore vital that you put away any doubts if you become interested in learning how to program.
Most learning paths for programmers like seen in bitdegree.com are designed to suit everyone, and even the kind of language used in these websites is easy to understand. It is also important to mention that other platforms teach programming for the advanced level as well. If you have a background in it, such platforms offer the best chance to expand your knowledge base.
Network and learn from other programmers
Mentorship is vital, especially if you are taking a programming course online. Due to the nature of your studies, you will need to connect with others, maybe from your online study group. Other than your connections from your online classes, you can befriend a real professional from around for mentorship.
The importance of mentorships in learning how to program is that you will quickly solve problems that are giving you a hard time. The internet is said to have enough information to make you a professional programmer. However, some aspects of programming demand experience and time on the field.
Remember that you gain experience when learning
Unlike most kinds of jobs that need you to be on the situation to gain experience, learning how to program online is quite different. That is because, when advancing with your studies, you keep practicing, and that adds to your level of experience. The more you learn and apply in practice, the more experienced you become.
It is also good to know that most employers have specific needs when it comes to programming. They usually look for those who are experts at working with various programming tools. That means you don’t need to have a working experience to score such a job. However, your skills and expertise in using that particular tool will add up to your experience.
Conclusion
Finding employment as a programmer is easy and possible for anyone. However, it is crucial to recognize that for you to fall inside the bracket of professionals, you need to prove to employers that you are capable of. This is one of the reasons why many people who learn to program online start building experience by becoming freelancers.
That way, they get to deal with various challenges in the field as they keep increasing their knowledge base. Specialization in programming is vital for newbies hence never rush to mix all kinds of it unless you are handling one after the other.
However much there are several online courses for programming, you don’t want to end up a victim to con artists. Some websites look like genuine online programming websites but are owned by cyber-criminals. Social media and related discussion forums are an excellent place to begin your background research.
