HACKER Q&A
📣 throwawayt856

What should I learn for viable career in web dev?


After almost 8 years, I am trying to switch career from customer service to web dev. I am learning Python in weekends.

What should I learn for viable career in web dev?


  👤 johntdaly Accepted Answer ✓
JavaScript, another backend language, a SQL or a NoSQL DB, git, Linux/Unix.

Look at what backend languages are used in your area (PHP, Python, Ruby, Java, C#, JavaScript/Node.js) and learn one.

Look at what JavaScript frameworks are used in your area (Vue, React, Angular, Ember) and learn one.

Look at what DBs are being used in your area and chose one.

Learn Linux/Unix and how to get your frontend and backend choice running. Even if you never do this it will help you understand what you are doing way more.

Best choose for something common in your area. The idea is to get you working soon because real work will get you farther then a long list of hobby projects. Set up a github account and throw out a few projects. Use a CSS framework, even if you know what you are doing with CSS you will get lost in it and waste a lot of time you should be spending understanding frontend and backend programming.

If you have the possibility to spend two weeks or a month without pay (because you live at home) see if you can get an internship somewhere where they will put you to work. After that search for a paying job, with no experience you probably won’t get something good, but you will learn enough. As soon as you’ve got some chops switch jobs, maybe even language and move to a company that has talented people. Learn from as much from them as you can.

Now comes the hard part, search for a language, operating system, app or something else that interests you. If you have a small hobby project that you love, that has nothing to do with work (this is very important) it is way easier to keep the passion for what you are doing.

You don’t always have a lot of choices locally when it comes to languages, tools, DBs and so on and moving is often not worth losing your support network for, especially when you are first getting started since you will fuck up as your idea and industry reality start to converge.


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