Time for #DevDiscuss!
Tonight's topic is
Alternative Career Paths
Let's start with a few questions:
What path did you take to get to where you are?
How "traditional" would you say it was?
Would you change anything if you were to do it over?
My path was pretty traditional I would say, comm. college CS to BS in Computer Science. But it didn't start that way, I originally went to film school and was planning to go to USC film school. Pivoted a year in. #DevDiscuss
I had perhaps the most vanilla start to my career: a paid internship that led to an opportunity to come on full-time, which is where I am now.
I landed a previous internship at St. Jude, and networked to eventually meet my current boss and get info on that internship #DevDiscuss
Time for #DevDiscuss!
Tonight's topic is
Alternative Career Paths
Let's start with a few questions:
What path did you take to get to where you are?
How "traditional" would you say it was?
Would you change anything if you were to do it over?
Then I took my second CS class -- data structures and algorithms in C++. I spent forever on the assignments and tried *so* hard at it, but still didn't do that well in it.
So I quit programming.
#DevDiscuss
I changed majors about six times.
I wound up graduating with a marketing major, but it was more of a mishmash degree.
If I were to do it all over again, I'd still study a lot of different things.
But I'd be a little more "organized" about my mishmash ideally. #DevDiscuss
Time for #DevDiscuss!
Tonight's topic is
Alternative Career Paths
Let's start with a few questions:
What path did you take to get to where you are?
How "traditional" would you say it was?
Would you change anything if you were to do it over?
My code path specifically was a bit of school-teaching, lots of self-teaching. If I were capable of sitting still and paying attention in class I'd probably do more school teaching. But alas it's never been a skill of mine. #DevDiscuss
The next summer, I was applying for internships in my chosen field (politics) and realized that a lot of them were looking for basic programming. So I put my experience on my resume.
Next thing I knew I landed a software engineering internship in a political role.
#DevDiscuss
Then I took my second CS class -- data structures and algorithms in C++. I spent forever on the assignments and tried *so* hard at it, but still didn't do that well in it.
So I quit programming.
#DevDiscuss
I fell back in love with code -- I loved the practical application of it, especially web stuff. I've been working in the field ever since and wouldn't dream of leaving it.
#DevDiscuss
I'd say my path was traditional in a sense: BS in CmpE, job -> job -> job. 💥
Tinkered with web development before college, found Rails while in college, and moved to professional web development after my first job. #DevDiscuss
I blogged about my reverse engineering of and documenting the dev surface area of a product I loved, risking getting sued into silence. Instead the hired me. Eventually produced folded and i floated about... back to looking for new gig now :( #DevDiscuss
Time for #DevDiscuss!
Tonight's topic is
Alternative Career Paths
Let's start with a few questions:
What path did you take to get to where you are?
How "traditional" would you say it was?
Would you change anything if you were to do it over?
I went from wannabe CS student->public health researcher->developer. I don’t regret my path, in fact it has taught me how to think of everything from the end users perspctive #devdiscuss
I blogged about my reverse engineering of and documenting the dev surface area of a product I loved, risking getting sued into silence. Instead the hired me. Eventually produced folded and i floated about... back to looking for new gig now :( #DevDiscuss
The year I was studying film I took a CS class that was creating games in ActionScript (Flash) and that's when I got hooked. Transferred out after that first year and started over focusing on CS. #DevDiscuss
I know you've talked about your career path before @kyleshevlin quite extensively, but could be interesting for others here since your path to being a dev is pretty cool #devdiscuss
I still feel incredibly, incredibly lucky that I fell into this career. I lucked out so hard -- multiple times.
That being said, I wish that I had exposure to code before college and that my CS education was more accessible and inclusive.
#DevDiscuss
In my senior year of H.S. I tried to decide whether I wanted to study engineering or journalism. Went with Comp Eng. (CPE), but missed journalism. Stuck with CPE to graduate, but it wasn’t for me. Interned in Journalism, leading me to Front-End Dev. #DevDiscuss
Went to community college to take all the pre-reqs for CS and intro CS classes. Then transferred to Portland State where I dove deep into computer science to get my BS. All of this while working full time at @Zapproved and getting mentored by incredible people there. #DevDiscuss
I applied for jobs until I got an interview.
Then I demonstrated I was better than anyone they had ever hired on the interview.
And that is how I got my first job.
#DevDiscuss
- Went to nursing school in France
- Taught French in the UK
- Was a stay at home in the US for a while
- Started learning python
- Went to a web dev bootcamp
- Did some web dev
- Now working as a Data Engineer
Not traditional by any means but wouldn't change a thing
#DevDiscuss
Time for #DevDiscuss!
Tonight's topic is
Alternative Career Paths
Let's start with a few questions:
What path did you take to get to where you are?
How "traditional" would you say it was?
Would you change anything if you were to do it over?
I regret thinking my major would matter. I always wanted to do a bit of everything but thought I needed a "hard specialty" of some kind to make it.
My college allowed for a triple minor path and I wish I'd just done that.
#DevDiscuss
So now I have an untraditional career writing code -- I teach other people how to code. I do so as my main job through @GA but I also teach workshops, classes, and write blogs which is like teaching.
#DevDiscuss
Literally had 1:1 study sessions at times with the CTO to cover CS concepts. It was phenomenal, I was writing code for production systems before I even graduated. It definitely set me up to be where I am today. #DevDiscuss
I would say my path is untraditional. I started as a teacher and now I am a front-end web developer. I started learning how to code 3 years ago with HTML & CSS and now I am trying to learn React and Gulp #DevDiscuss
Sure, I don't mind sharing that story! For those who don't know me, I am a pastor turned programmer. I wrote about it here: https://t.co/PzN44QMM6o but will gladly share the bullet points in a thread. Let's get started *cracks knuckles and clears throat* #devdiscuss
I make my students write letters to my future students at the end of each bootcamp, and my favorite quote of all time is:
"Remember, coding is for everyone, not just the chosen"
That is the philosophy that I wish more people had in relation to code.
#DevDiscuss
I would love to meet someone who took a similar path to me to learn to code. As part of my math degree, I had to take a class on Scientific Computing. Except there were two options, regular and high performance. #DevDiscuss
I got my first an only job so far as an infra. Admin intern in high school, then dev a few years later, now a DevOps Engineer. I got this job when I was entirely self-taught, and now on the other side of my schooling I'm happy to start mentoring new team members! #DevDiscuss
Time for #DevDiscuss!
Tonight's topic is
Alternative Career Paths
Let's start with a few questions:
What path did you take to get to where you are?
How "traditional" would you say it was?
Would you change anything if you were to do it over?
I started out studying to be a technical writer. No one was more surprised than me when my coding electives turned out to be my passion. Now as a developer advocate, I get the best of both worlds--solving hands on problems and creating documentation #DevDiscuss
This evolved into becoming a software engineer before graduation and working on a greenfield project about 6-8 months after graduation. Became the co-lead developer on that project and dove VERY deep into AWS working on a document extraction pipeline. #DevDiscuss
I went the traditional route in that I went for my bachelors degree in a computer science-based area. Switching to the hands-on route was a little non-traditional. Knowing what I do now, I don't know that I would change things. #DevDiscuss
So judging a book by it's cover (how cool the name sounded), I took the high performance class. A pre-req was C++, but I didn't know how to code and was running out of time to learn. Talking to the CS dept., I taught myself Java to test out of the class. #DevDiscuss
2001: Learn to code to create Neopets guild
2008: Graduate from high school, still coding
2012: Graduate with BS in Psych (freelancing)
2014: Graduate with MSW, MPH (freelancing)
2015: Work as dev in corporate world
2015: Full-time freelancer
2017: Rebrand as agency
#DevDiscuss
It is hard to really to classify how traditional the path I am on now is but if I did anything differently it would have been exposed to coding when I was school since it would have allowed me more time to learn CS fundamentals plus gotten me to where I am now faster #DevDiscuss
My original undergrad major was mech. engineering, but at 19, I fell in love with philosophy, made the 2nd worst decision in my life and switched majors. I earned a BA in Philosophy & Mathematics. During college, I had a religious epiphany and began pursuing ministry #devdiscuss
I used to work for a coding bootcamp - never as their student, well into my professional career, first as a TA, then as an instructor, then as a lead instructor. I have a lot of respect for those who put their lives on hold to go through them. #DevDiscuss
I had never thought I could code, let alone do a professionally, before I took @drchuck's "programming for everybody" class! That was 3 years ago and I have come a long long way, from an extremely bored stay at home mom to an incredibly happy Data Engineer #DevDiscuss
I was raised in a fairly whacky hippy family and I never had much care for "traditional" paths.
Even though I was chock full of imposter syndrome about the code itself, never did I ever think of my past experiences as anything besides a big bonus in this field. #DevDiscuss
Eventually, I led a different project that was dedicated to hiring/onboarding/mentoring junior engineers joining the company. Best project I ever got to work on, hands down. #DevDiscuss
I love those who do the self-taught approach, as that's where I started, as a hobbyist. I went the degree route though so that I would feel legit in the field. While it helps fulfill HR checkmarks in job reqs, I don't know that it really matters. #DevDiscuss
I was a page designer interning at major dailies in large cities, but I didn’t like seeing newsrooms gutted. Used those design skills and thinking, and applied them to the HTML/CSS I picked up in middle school. Self-taught myself from there. #DevDiscuss
I was placed into the C++ class a semester before the High Perf. class and everything worked out. At some point in the advising process, I was convinced to pick up the CS minor, which later led to a Computational specialization in the math degree. So non-traditional #DevDiscuss
Once things were running on that mentoring project thats when I moved into management and had to stop doing all of things I enjoyed doing, writing code and mentoring others. Spent my days managing personalities & revising product backlogs, no more coding or mentoring. #DevDiscuss
This is why I think organizations like @GirlsWhoCode@girldevelopit and @madewithcode are so important bc I would have definitely benefited from these groups if I was the age many of these organizations target. #DevDiscuss
I thought I wanted to be a lawyer. Got a degree in Justice Studies, made it 1+ semester of law school before realizing I hated it.
Learned web dev to prove I could to a boss who said he couldn’t hire me without knowledge. Been in tech ever since, just sql side now. #DevDiscuss
I was a musician. Screwing around at university, changing major every year for 5 years. Accidentally took a Java programming course. Graduated 2 years later with a CS degree and landed a killer job.
Traditional? Nah.
Change anything? Nah.
✌🏻🤓 #DevDiscuss
BA in communication ➡️ 4 yrs in Human Resources bored out of my mind ➡️ 12 wk coding bootcamp ➡️ just passed my 3 yr mark as a dev
Hindsight: more networking. The company I work for was hiring devs with zero experience, could have saved $$
#DevDiscuss
The path I took was a nice meandering scenic one 😊
I was a Rabbi, an elementary school teacher, pivoted to tech-support, made my way up to integrations/developer-support, saw the cool stuff and decided I wanted to BE a developer and not just support them 😂
#DevDiscuss
"I still feel incredibly, incredibly lucky..."
It's awesome when people mention this. I also feel lucky to be where I am. We're working in a great time of history. Many of us can work from anywhere. Our skills are desired. Our work can be so impactful. #DevDiscuss
#DevDiscuss I was going to be an English prof but halfway through college, I got mono and ended up back at home. I took a job with a startup and used my English-department HTML to write the docs they obviously needed.
Went back to college, changed my major, became a tech writer.
My career path gets a lot of confused looks.
Psych degree > managing recovery centre > therapist intern > web development.
They're different kinds of problems... but still just big, messy, difficult problems that need to be broken down. Problem solving ftw. 😊 #DevDiscuss
Time for #DevDiscuss!
Tonight's topic is
Alternative Career Paths
Let's start with a few questions:
What path did you take to get to where you are?
How "traditional" would you say it was?
Would you change anything if you were to do it over?
I worked in various campus ministries as a youth and worship pastor. Many people began to tell me that due to my analytical and oratorical skills, I should be a pastor. and because it felt like sin not to, I pursued that further #devdiscuss
It's only traditional in the sense that I often hear "Oh a math major can just pick up X language and program for a career", but it seems like it's more often said than done. I definitely wouldn't change my path, it's been fun! #DevDiscuss
I have a journalism degree and spent years in newspapers. It's surprising how useful those skills are in day-to-day life, and working as a developer. Critical thinking, working under pressure, accuracy, accountability. Wouldn't do it over. #devdiscuss
This x 1,000,000,000,000. We are ALL lucky to have these careers and be where we are, but now we MUST bring others on the journey with us. Give back and level others up. #DevDiscuss
In reply to
@derekjhopper, @ASpittel, @ThePracticalDev
On the topic of career paths, this post from today was one of the most interesting and gripping reads I've had on the subject in a while.
#DevDiscusshttps://t.co/tQ9CxrVxrq
I eventually made the worst decision in my life and went to Fuller Theological Seminary (worst cause it was too expensive) and earned a Masters in Theology. Cost me $80K, but hey, I could finally be a head pastor. That is if I could find a job #devdiscuss
Started as a hobbiest in my pre-teens, then I decided at the end of high school that I would rather be a web designer. I went to college and got a degree in a combo of art (mainly), comp sci, mass comm and visual journalism. And then became a front end developer. #devdiscuss
I feel I must also include a shout out to @DjangoGirls ... I've helped at a few of their events around the world, and they have an amazing track record of helping women get more into coding. #DevDiscuss
In reply to
@TheOriginalBPC, @GirlsWhoCode, @girldevelopit, @madewithcode, @djangogirls
During this time, 2 things happened. My theology became too progressive to be easily hired (conservative churches have more money than progressive ones) and I had been teaching myself how to code for fun with @Codecademy. I still had no intention of being a dev yet #devdiscuss
In reply to
@nickytonline, @ThePracticalDev, @Codecademy
My wife and I realize that we're going broke in Los Angeles, so we move to Portland to make our money go further. I'm still having no luck getting pastor jobs, but a dev in town, @pietvanzoen, was nice enough to get coffee with me and look at what I had learned. #devdiscuss
In reply to
@nickytonline, @ThePracticalDev, @Codecademy, @pietvanzoen
I took one of the less traditional paths, basically I left my career in electromechanical engineering in college because I got tired of formal education and realized that I was learning better by myself about programming which was what I was really passionate about. #DevDiscuss
At first it was only supposed to be a break to prove what I could do without a university degree and ended up becoming my career. I have been able to get to know many countries, meet incredible people and dedicate myself to something I really like.
#DevDiscuss
He tells me, to my surprise, that I have the skill to get a jr dev job. Had no idea! So while it was difficult to change, I needed money and I loved problem solving, so I went out and started finding work as a dev, landing a job at @wearefine 2 months later. #devdiscuss
In reply to
@nickytonline, @ThePracticalDev, @Codecademy, @pietvanzoen, @wearefine
We should get posters made of this, sell them online, and donate all profits to organizations/communities that bring up the next-gen and underrepresented. Let's make it happen. This is pure awesome. #DevDiscuss
In reply to
@ASpittel, @derekjhopper, @ThePracticalDev
Would I do anything different? Don't think so, I learned and grew from every step of the way, each station gave me skills I use each day as a developer
Ok maybe I'd get into development a bit earlier, I had a huge bridge to cross before convincing myself it was for me
#DevDiscuss
Heh. I taught college English for ten years. Had a super traumatic labor and delivery that required surgery and left me with PTSD. My husband encouraged me to learn to code and it helped me immensely with my PTSD. So, um, not traditional. #DevDiscuss
That was a little over 4.5 years ago, and my life hasn't been the same ever since. I've never looked back and am so stoked to be in this industry. It is rewarding, both mentally and financially, but that doesn't mean my alternative path has no value... #devdiscuss
In reply to
@nickytonline, @ThePracticalDev, @Codecademy, @pietvanzoen, @wearefine
Career path is an interesting phrase. I was going to be an attorney. Then a political pollster. Then a technical PM. THEN I became a dev. Math was always waiting in the wings propping me up and giving me the foundation I needed. School/intern/jobs were on that path. #DevDiscuss
From the Military to a Catholic Congregation, where I got into computers the first time, after 5 years I moved away and started working as tech instructor, then had my one-man-company or Technical Support and from there to programming, that was like 18 years ago #DevDiscuss
My time as a pastor helped me grow in a number of ways that I don't think I would have learned otherwise. I also noticed other people with alternative paths would often say the same thing, so I started the @2ndCareerDevs podcast to share their stories! #devdiscuss
In reply to
@nickytonline, @ThePracticalDev, @Codecademy, @pietvanzoen, @wearefine, @2ndCareerDevs
And so now, I'm a senior software engineer, working in JavaScript day in and day out, and I get to speak at conferences and tell stories and help lots of people out every day because I got lucky, fell in love with coding, and someone told me I could do it 👍 #devdiscuss
In reply to
@nickytonline, @ThePracticalDev, @Codecademy, @pietvanzoen, @wearefine, @2ndCareerDevs
I was just having a discussion at work about the classes we've used the most after college and mine was Communication Law from my visual journalism minor. I use my journalism skills in programming all the time! #DevDiscuss
English major ➡️ technical writer ➡️ QA engineer ➡️ junior dev ➡️ dev. The hop from writer to QA was unconventional, but simple enough: since I was on site with the QA team, I asked them to give me some tasks & just like that, I was writing integration tests.
#DevDiscuss
Time for #DevDiscuss!
Tonight's topic is
Alternative Career Paths
Let's start with a few questions:
What path did you take to get to where you are?
How "traditional" would you say it was?
Would you change anything if you were to do it over?
Took a BASIC class in HS.
Thought CS was lame.
Got BS Mech Eng and worked in electronics (13 yrs)
Quit and studied C, C++, Windows App Dev.
Developer of CAD software (10 yrs)
Developers of Financial software (8 yrs)
#DevDiscuss
And now, as a direct result of my choice to deviate from what most students from my college were going for, I had a really great advantage in my job search. Currently working a fantastic job as a security engineer! #DevDiscuss 2/2
Started blogging (even though that wasn't a word yet) in 1996 while in high school. Learned more and more through that and got hired to code a news site while I was in college in 2002. From proto-blog software to back-office systems to enterprise software now. #devdiscuss
Time for #DevDiscuss!
Tonight's topic is
Alternative Career Paths
Let's start with a few questions:
What path did you take to get to where you are?
How "traditional" would you say it was?
Would you change anything if you were to do it over?
- Messed around before finally going to college
- Started of on criminal law/political science
- Got a laptop got into linux
- Changed to Information technology in college
- Got to 3rd year dropped out
- Become a system admin
- Now a Dev for @Andela#DevDiscuss
Medium deja bastante que desear. Los comentarios no están buenos para generar debate. Las palmaditas son Mehh. En fin... Hay mejores opciones. Por ejemplo para #DevDiscuss@ThePracticalDev esta mucho mejor
In reply to
@gabyfdez90, @Medium, @toppin1893, @bettysabi, @eldavixxl, @AntroPOPloga, @alxrcs, @rociobaro1993, @ThePracticalDev
I wouldn’t change anything about the path because of the experiences I gained working in a newsroom, working in other industries have proven indispensable. The soft skills I gained makes it easier to “code.”
#DevDiscuss
One of the many benefits of diversity of people and backgrounds is diversity of perspective, which brings with it a diversity of solutions. If we all thought alike, we'd all get stumped by the same problems. #DevDiscuss
In reply to
@derekjhopper, @ThePracticalDev, @yechielk, @kyleshevlin
I thought I was going to go a design path so I actually dropped out of Computer Engineering, then out of Computer Science. I kind of wish I'd stuck it out but figure it worked out anyway. Degree ended up being in "Telecommunication, Arts, and Media." #devdiscuss
Oh, right, with a specialization in "Digital Media Art and Technology." Can't forget that.
Worth noting that no one on my current dev team has a CS degree, I suppose. #devdiscuss
Biomedical engineering undergrad, HATED the 2 required CS classes in 1st yr, was forced to do some programming in 3/4th yr electives, realized it was actually pretty fun, now work as a JS dev! Wouldn't change the path but wish I'd been more open minded to CS initially #devdiscuss
Thanks! I really love how UX and empathy overlap. I think dev is more related to psych than it gets credit for sometimes, even in terms of non-UI decision making. And meetings... 😅 #DevDiscuss
Studied music -> taught music lessons -> joined a research lab as volunteer -> got a job running MRI study at lab -> became a research coordinatorfor a company -> dug myself I to their tech stack -> got transfered to engineering team
#DevDiscuss
Want to add a couple things.
1. Both my comms degree and yrs spent in a customer facing role contribute immensely to my success as a developer.
2 HR has great careers for the right person, didn't mean to bash it in any way. Just wasn't a fit for me.
#DevDiscuss
#DevDiscuss
Path: Kept offering to build websites for anyone that would trust me with their money. Self-taught.
Non-traditional, but becoming “normal” maybe? … no formal training. #nerdalert I just read everything I could.
Great point about the customer facing roles being important experience. I'd be willing to bet all developers would improve with some customer facing experience under their belt. #DevDiscuss
a dude in high school told me girls don't code so i took applebasic as a class (it was 1995 okay) and liked it so much i declared my CS major first day of college orientation - graduated, took a job in phone support, they learned i could code and moved me. #devdiscuss
Time for #DevDiscuss!
Tonight's topic is
Alternative Career Paths
Let's start with a few questions:
What path did you take to get to where you are?
How "traditional" would you say it was?
Would you change anything if you were to do it over?
eventually i worked up my way up to lead designer and art director at a little agency that churned out wordpress sites and was too small to have an actual developer. i got tired of hiring freelancers to write tiny amounts of JS and decided to take a course at @ga#devdiscuss
i learned .Net (C#) at that job - it was for a dialup provider. Moved on to several other jobs, all .Net dev - it's been 16 years and I'm a Senior now :) #devdiscuss
I have a background in languages/linguistics with a TEFL. Knowing how to communicate something in a variety of ways works great in both technical and non-technical settings.
In my experience, this skill set is not exactly uncommon...? #DevDiscuss
I’ve been an artist my whole life! Got bachelors in graphic design ➡️ discovered Codecademy and currently in bootcamp and enjoying the heck out of it! I like that I can use my creativity while being flexible 🎨 #DevDiscuss
i had every intention of going back to life as an art director but instead i loved code! it sounds weird, but when i learned about custom express middleware in particular, i knew this was what i had to keep doing forever. #DevDiscuss
Wanted to be paleontologist, bought Jurassic Park video game in 3rd grade, said F*ck Dinos I’m programming computers, software internship in high school, again in college, 10 years later never looked back, I give, the most tradional dev career path of all time. #DevDiscuss
Absolutely. We do a disservice by telling people that mastering coding is the hardest part of being a developer. It’s a challenge, but beyond that is communicating with non-coders, design, documentation, requirements, etc. #devdiscuss
"Do you have a computer science degree?" I wonder if this is an equivalent question to asking a watercolor artist if they have a degree in chemistry ... (yes, that's pretty out there, but give it a minute...) #DevDiscuss
i ended up reaching at @ga for about a year after i graduated, and then left to go into the industry. i love what i do and am so lucky to get to do it. #DevDiscuss
-HS: dabbled in webdev
-started CS maj, chickened out
-BA linguistic computing: Perl C# VBA
-stumbled into law school, then 1 yr as prosecutor
-never stopped dabbling
-heard stories about eng w/o CS degrees and went for it
my only regrets: doubting, waiting
#DevDiscuss
I have half a CS degree, the other half is maths. Thing is, the CS degree put me off development by the medium of Java and I only do it today because I was also playing around with front end web dev. #DevDiscuss
It's a wonderful evening here, sitting in my sunroom, windows open, letting the night breeze flow through. So quiet, sipping my tea, rocking in my recliner, and chatting with the #DevDiscuss adventurers.
Heh.
- Games look cool. *Starts/sometimes completes 5 tutorials*
- Hey, there’s some @eternagame scripts I want to modify
- Hey, I can ~~slightly~~ modify how the @team174robots scouting app works
#DevDiscuss
In reply to
@ThePracticalDev, @eternagame, @team174robots
Still in the middle of my career path, but I’m 19 and have been doing YouTube for 5 years teaching people how to code.
This gave me so many amazing opportunities to connect w/ people. It’s all about learning & sharing atm and maybe making my own business. 👌
#devdiscuss
Time for #DevDiscuss!
Tonight's topic is
Alternative Career Paths
Let's start with a few questions:
What path did you take to get to where you are?
How "traditional" would you say it was?
Would you change anything if you were to do it over?
Built websites in high school.
Spoke French & read books in college.
Realized building websites was a pretty handy skill.
Learned more programming.
Got a master's in computer science.
I'm not sure I would change anything. I learned a lot about a lot along the way.
#DevDiscuss
Dropped out while studying for a technical degree in informatics to pursue a degree in systems engineering, dropped out of that one too, I moved to another country.
Been working as a dev for 8 years, ever since I was like 4 semesters into the technical degree
#DevDiscuss
Honestly it’s kinda crazy - I was a definite wannabe game coder through middle school. In high school, I really started to write stuff - and I’ve touched so many different areas and learned so much. Reading, working with others code, and just writing code has been big #DevDiscuss
In reply to
@ThePracticalDev, @eternagame, @team174robots, @SyracuseU, @UBuffalo
I started programming on Doom and Quake mods. Went to college to become a poet. Threw out my computer. Dropped out to become a bartender. Worked my way up to be Sommelier for 10yrs. At 32 I decided to go back to making games. Instead I write software for researchers. #DevDiscuss
I managed to break a website built using a site builder like sqaurespace, their support told me it was unfixable, and that I should 'just start over'. I scoffed and thought, it can't be that hard. 3 months of obsessive study later, I landed my first dev job 🙌 #DevDiscuss
YES! Each morning I am posting under the #CodingPuzzle hashtag with a new programming challenge. Its a great way to see other people's solutions and test yourself! I also have a post on it: https://t.co/awVvvRgbYx#DevDiscuss
#DevDiscuss Taught myself HTML/CSS as a teenager, but didn't know anyone who understood web development/CS, so I didn't know how to make a career out of it. Instead, detoured through two liberal arts degrees, teaching, rare bookselling, all super fun! (1/2)
- emigrated to the US @ 15
- worked odd jobs: pumping gas, grocery store cashier, server, hardware store
- @ 25, fed up w/ my life. I emailed blast many start ups w/ the little html, css, and js I knew. I got an internship
- now I’m a SSE @ an amazing non profit org
#DevDiscuss
Time for #DevDiscuss!
Tonight's topic is
Alternative Career Paths
Let's start with a few questions:
What path did you take to get to where you are?
How "traditional" would you say it was?
Would you change anything if you were to do it over?
Great thread going on tonight for #DevDiscuss. It's one of the reasons I love working @lighthouse_labs, because everyone I meet has an interesting path to becoming a developer.
Time for #DevDiscuss!
Tonight's topic is
Alternative Career Paths
Let's start with a few questions:
What path did you take to get to where you are?
How "traditional" would you say it was?
Would you change anything if you were to do it over?
#DevDiscuss Rediscovered coding through a bootcamp as an adult. So... non-traditional, but I can't really say I regret it. All those other experiences taught me a lot about people, history, teamwork... all pretty important skills too! 😄 (2/2)
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After the Marines i majored in biochem (pre-pharmD). Long term goal was PhD in pharmacology. After I got a job in a retail pharmacy I decided it wasn't for me. I always loved everything tech so dabbled in programming. Recently graduated from coding bootcamp. #DevDiscuss
