Honest Advice About Becoming a Self-Taught Programmer

In this video I give my honest advice to anyone who is looking to become a self-taught programmer.

[AndySterkowitz]

Did this advice help clarify anything for you?

[ricardofranco]

I just wanna come and say that after so much time, I made it! I finally made it! I started on Monday as a Software Engineer!

[ricardofranco]

I have an update on my story. Last week I was offered a 6 figure senior software engineer position at a Fortune 500 company that I can’t name at the moment. Hard work pays off! For self taught engineers, this doesn’t come easy so you gotta keep working. If you work hard you will get there!

[northstarcode]

You're not paid for what you know, you're paid for what you get done

[thegenxgamerguy]

I started as a self-taught developer about 20 years ago. Now I'm lead software engineer and senior architect.

I can only say: YES, 100% SPOT ON!

Your advice is great, absolutely sound and it matches 100% my experience. Thank you, man!

[bepd]

Thanks for keeping it real. There's too much predatory marketing out there.

[bluescanfly]

Exactly, we're all self-thought - real learning happens outside of classrooms by just trying things out. It's like playing an instrument - someone can show you a scale, but you still gotta play it hundreds of times. At the end of the day, you gotta play the song not just the scale. Excellent stuff Andy

[davide]

I'm determined to learn programming, learn it quickly, and get a job quickly, and that's what I'm going to do. Everyone says it's not possible but others have done it and I will too.

[ellaiyarasankalidass]

Just came by to say my sincere thanks. I used to watch you when I had zero programming knowledge. Today, I did my first code push to the production on my first software engineer job. Your advice were crucial.

[dylanr]

As always, thanks for the great advice Andy! I have definitely experienced having too high of expectations. You really have to take the process a step at a time and focus on enjoying it, rather than the result.

[viktorasvikce]

Hey, Andy.
Been watching your videos at the start of my journey to learn code by my self. You truly helped me in a lot of ways. Even now, when i have a job I still often watch your videos. You are a great source of inspiration and knowledge for us hungry wanna be self tought programmers.
Been working now for 2 weeks as a programmer, it took me 11 months to get this job and to say the least, I had to do my best to get this job.
So folks who wanna be programmers, dedication and determination is the key, dont jump around in different programmimg langueges, choose what stack you wanna be and every day focus on that, the result will come sooner or later.
Have a nice day!
Great things dont come easy!

[francois]

Thanks Andy, great advice. Have to agree with the part where you said you have to change your way of thinking. I'm literally rewiring my brain.

[TampaThunder]

Best straight talk I've heard in a while. Thanks.

[FISS]

I can only agree with what you just said a 100% !
I my self had a hard time making the shift from Desktop software dev to web app dev (not websites, full blown web apps) even though i am already a programmer !
New ways of thinking and new ways of doing things always take time to get used to, it doesn't mean they are systematically hard though, but sure the outcome worths the long run !

[KGcodes]

Great tips! You have to keep learning and know that it’s a constant learning journey. Other thing is to do real projects along the way! You learn so much more in addition to tutorials and you can productize them and put them on your resume.

[LandNfan]

I got there more or less by chance. My degree (1973) was Mass Communcation and by mid-1974 I was fed up with working in radio. I quit and went to work in the customer service department of a small manufacturing company. About six months later, to my complete surprise, they asked me to learn to be a programmer. It seems when they hired me, they had given me a number of aptitude tests. On the strength of those test results, they offered me the opportunity. They had an IBM System 3 Model 10, running mostly COBOL rather than the more usual RPG II in that platform. So, with a stack of IBM self-learning books, plus a lot of getting slapped around by the compiler, I learned COBOL, plus just enough RPG to be dangerous. A year later, we converted to a Honeywell Level-62. Two years after that, I went to work for Honeywell, supporting the Level-62 in both pre and post sales modes. Three more years, and a reorganization at Honeywell later, and I’m working for an account I had guided through a rocky conversion from Burroughs to Honeywell. I stayed with them until I retired in 2009. After 6 years, we moved from Honeywell to a Wang VS300, and 8 years after that, we decided to quit trying to write all the code for what was by then a $40 million/yr company in house and shifted to a purchased but heavily customized ERP software package for distributors using the Pick D3 database and SB+ 4GL running on IBM RS/6000 hardware. So for my last 14 years, I coded in a specialized version of BASIC. Who knew an ex-DJ could find happiness churning out mountains of computer code for 35 years?

[TakeMeAWeigh]

Rarely do I like and comment on a video. I was just researching something I can learn myself when I discovered your video. Thanks for being so real. Excellent message

[shannongagnon]

I like your approach to the topic of programming. Just watching two of your videos has enlightened me a great deal. Thank You...

[kGambit]

Short. To the point. Love it. Thank you 💯

[mntonja]

I am in the process of learning to code and watching your videos is really inspiring.