On usnews.com, Janica Ingram mentioned in an article she published on the 10th of January 2023 that Software Development job opportunities are expected to grow 26% in the next 10 years. This means that there will be over a quarter million jobs popping up!
Moreover, Software Development and web design were at the top of the list of money-making skills in the latest article on Chegg.
Take a second and think about it. Everything is moving to the internet. A lot of people need websites or apps because they are running an online business. With all this going on online, who is the one needed to maintain its functionality?
You guessed it right, a Software Developer/Designer.
Learning to code opens a whole new spectrum of opportunities as I mentioned above like freelancing on Upwork and Fiverr, getting hired at a company, becoming an influencer and teaching code, and the list goes on…
By far the best feature of learning this skill is how easy it is to get started. Without paying a penny on college tuition you will be able to learn everything you need to become a Software Developer/Designer. There are billions of free tutorials and courses out there it is crazy!
You must ask if there is a degree requirement to get a job. I will tell you it might help. If your knowledge base is strong and your portfolio is full of professional projects a degree will not matter.
***Links on this page may be affiliate links. This means that we get credit for anything that is purchased through the link. It doesn’t affect you at all. As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases***
What are the qualifications to start learning?
Free time, motivation 💪, and a laptop 💻.
It is completely free through online resources that I am going to share below. I will share with you the top three resources that will get you from knowing nothing to a professional Software Developer.
Once you learn the skill and build your resume/portfolio, you will be able to apply for a job in this hot job market and get hired. Start your freelancing business on Fiverr or Upwork and start selling your services to all these small businesses that are popping up. Create a YouTube channel and share your knowledge with the world 🌎.
If you have not already realized, all these opportunities almost entirely work from home. Imagine working from the comfort of your bed 🛌 every day! What can be better than this?! Someone, pinch me! Am I dreaming here?!!!
First, you will need a laptop 💻. Amazon has some great choices that you can check out right here https://amzn.to/422Xjlu.
The top three resources to learn Software Development/design
W3Schools
One of the greatest resources to learn how to code is W3Schools. It is the #1 code base in the world. If you want to learn Java, they have it, or if you want to learn Python, they also have it. There is a tutorial for everything. What is great about W3Schools is that they explain each concept in detail while giving examples. Also, there are practice questions after each section in the tutorial for you to test your knowledge. Once you complete a tutorial you are given a quiz to complete.
They also have road maps. So, if you were interested in front-end web development, for example, they have a road map showing you exactly which tutorials will get you there.
I made a video 📹 on my YouTube channel where I show how to learn Software Development on W3Schools.
FreeCodeCamp.org
Another great resource that differs from W3Schools is that it is based more on road maps rather than individual tutorials. For example, there is a road map for Web Development where it goes through HTML and CSS.
I like the FreeCodeCamp.org style because it is more independent. So, after learning with W3Schools FreeCodeCamp.org can be a great place to enhance your learning. FreeCodeCamp.org will explain a concept. They will tell you what you need to do in the exercise and leave it up to you to figure it out.
YouTube
Another great resource to learn from is YouTube. There are many YouTubers out there that have great tutorials. While you are learning on W3Schools and FreeCodeCamp.org you can use YouTube to consolidate your knowledge.
There are many ways of understanding a concept in Software Development/design, and YouTube can help you understand concepts you might have not understood fully. Also, YouTube has a human side to it. You will be listening to a person explains the concept.
Here are some YouTubers to start out with…
SuperSimpleDev: This YouTuber is so knowledgeable when it comes to the basics. Here is one of his tutorials on HTML and CSS. Check it out! https://youtu.be/G3e-cpL7ofc
Dani Krossing: One of my favorite YouTubers who is very good at explaining concepts in detail. He also does some amazing projects. One to check out! https://youtu.be/TKYsuU86-DQ
Freecodecamp.org: This person who is part of the FreeCodeCamp.org crew is also amazing. https://youtu.be/zJSY8tbf_ys
Bonus! Udemy
Another resource that I found beneficial although not free is a Software Development course on Udemy. This programmer made an amazing course on Web development. Here is the link to the course on Udemy. I am not sponsored by Udemy. I took the outstanding course myself, so I needed to share it with you!
Basically, she goes step by step and you end up creating all these awesome projects that you can showcase on your portfolio.
Finally, start creating projects. Do not wait and say I will create a project when I get sound. Start now and learn as you struggle along. You will look back one day and see how far you have come by comparing your current work to your first project.
Start by creating a landing page or a home page for a website. If you get stuck google your problem. There are many people who have probably gotten stuck on the same problem and have a solution out there for you!
Here is my first shot at a landing page…
To conclude
Make sure to check out my YouTube video on W3Schools if you have not already https://youtu.be/Z1Q-YNwMtLI
Come back and share a screenshot of your first project in the comments below. I would love to check it out!
Also, visit my other post on the top 5 money-making skills
So long…