I really like the program here at FCC, however, is it alone enough to get a job? My real question is, what other resources are you using or have you used that helped you land a job?
In case it helps, I found this post super detailed and helpful. Hope it helps.
When I first started learning how to code, I supplemented the FCC curriculum with Team Treehouse. In addition, while learning Javascript, Kyle Simpson’s YDKJS series is extremely helpful.
Im following P1xt’s Get Job Ready Guide here on FCC, 💻 Deprecated Guide: Get Job ready with 1 FCC cert, 3 projects, 2 courses, and 10 books She suggests completing the Job Ready Guide, which includes FCC Front End, Back End, CS50, a MEAN stack course on edX, and a few books before job hunting.
Unfortunately, Ive been out of work for a couple months now, so trying to find work right now…having no home will impede my progress for sure lol but fully expect to move on to something better once I complete the guide…unless Im lucky enough to land a job that will take my new skills into consideration.
So Im nearly done with FCC Front End and will dive right into FCC Back End, Ive read the You Dont Know JavaScript book series, and now reading JavaScript Allonge. Im nearly done with the CS50 computer science course where I also learned C, and just got to the part of that course where Im learning Python. Since Im very interested in Python, I also just yesterday started the Programming Fundamentals with Python course on Udacity.
I know Im doing a lot of things simultaneously, but each thing Im doing is a bit of a mental break from working on just one thing at a time. I need the variety for one, and for two since Im not working, I have all this time on my hands and figure I may as well make the most of it. I also make sure that I always have a project on my plate at all times to add to my portfolio.
Thank you for your reply,
I am a very schedule oriented person and do not want to pay the tens of thousands of dollars to go to a bootcamp is making this process very hard. I started learning on Khan Academy at first by doing their HTML and CSS courses and then transitioned into FCC, I got to the jQuery section and thought to myself that I needed more so that is why I posted this. I recently read about a Complete Web Development course on Udemy taught my Cole Steele that people here on FCC speak highly of. I was considering doing that in conjunction with FCC.
I do not want to pay the money for a bootcamp because I am enrolled in a masters program in Atlanta. I am a working adult so my life would be a hundred times easier if I could get a junior developer job before I finish school, or even get halfway through this masters program honestly. I am taking two courses this first semester, Foundations of Databases and Foundations of Programming. Because I am coming from an unrelated major I have to take these courses first.
Ideally the goal is to find a job at the jr level in 12-18 months. In order to do that, I have to work my butt off and also do it efficiently, which is why it is important to use the best possible resources available. Again, thank you for your reply it was helpful in finding more resources.
Glad it helps! Yeah,all the resources Im using are free of cost…there really are a lot of great resources out there. Also, P1xt has a few guides, and she makes sure to only include free resources to make sure its accessible to everyone, regardless of income or location, which I really think is wonderful.
I have no direct experience with any of those intensive bootcamps, but I know people that have done them. Yes, you can learn a lot, but no more than you can by working a lot of the free material out there. The main advantage of the bootcamps is connections. You code with a lot of driven people and live with them for weeks. You bond with them and when they hear of jobs, they pass the word around. But you can also get a lot of that benefit from regularly attending local coding meetups and hackathons, etc.
As far “do you need anything besides FCC”, while FCC is kind of a scaffolding for my training, I certainly have supplemented it. Eloquent JavaScript was great. The YDKJS books were great (and some day I hope to reread them and understand it all.) I’ve found youtube videos to be great - there’s a lot of crappy ones out there, but some are good and take you step by step through building a program. I’ve really enjoyed Brad Travesy’s videos, but there are other ones. Of course, FCC has some good videos too.
Ah! Indeed…speaking of connections though, something that Id really like to do is start going to meetups. Not only are there FreeCodeCamp meetups, but on Meetup.com there are some weekly coding groups which at least help bring in that element of face to face interaction and networking. Another thing would be hackathons… Only reason I havnt started that yet is because my laptop died and I cant afford to get one right now, but as soon as I can, I will.
Ive read a lot of good things about attending events like that, so its something to consider if those types of meetups are available in your area.
Yeah, a big frustration that I have is that I can’t get to most of these meetups. I teach guitar lessons most nights and Sunday afternoons - the only meetups near where I am are at those times.
I just resolved today that I’m going to try to make some of these. There’s a FCC one on Tuesdays in San Francisco - I could probably make a few hours of that before I have catch the train to get back to my car to race to work. Everything else is when I’m working or a ridiculous drive.
There’s an unrelated meetup of developers near where I work on Thursday mornings. I’d have to drive out there in the morning, do the meetup, wait for four hours, then go to work. Maybe it will be a good excuse to sit and cafe with my laptop. Oh well. I don’t know if the connections quality will be as good as San Francisco, but I guess it’s better than nothing.
I feel you on the schedule… most of my friends are professional musicians (love the local music scene and kinda fell into the circle). But oh man I think you should definitely give that other meetup a shot if its a possibility. you really never know who you will meet or where I would actually love to get a couple hours to work at a cafe …Im stuck at my desktop for hours a day, but I think the change of scenery would be refreshing so may turn out to be a good thing.
Yeah, I know I need to go, it’s just a matter of if I can go.
I really, really, really want to quit my teaching job. I would love to get any coding job that would replace that income - it would take so little. But right now, that job is keeping me from doing some of the things I know I need to do to get a coding job. I can’t stop teaching until I get a coding job. I might not get a coding job if I don’t quit. If I had a day job, I could make some of these meetups. It’s a Catch 10110.