|
I looked around for a related thread but I didn't see it. If there is one, please forgive me and ignore this poo poo I'll go there. I'm 29 and living in Chicago. Last year I quit my job for the first time in my life without having a backup (was extremely stressful, poo poo pay, management only about themselves, facility in threat to being sold to Chinese investors, blah blah blah). I consider myself a stable guy but it was the first job that broke me mentally, physically and emotionally (worked 12 years between major-league stadium security and retail before that, so I consider myself resilient). Since leaving I've only managed to secure weak seasonal jobs and now I'm unemployed again in need of serious career redirection. I enjoyed studying journalism (major), it made me step well out of my comfort zone and be assertive, though the field is laughably dry. Job wise my choices were work for the Tribune (notoriously lovely and always squeezing new writers to work for free), Sun-Times (not hiring it seems), or some no-where regional paper, or beg for editing jobs in a field flush with experienced people who can't find work themselves. I don't have desire to continue it. Since quitting I dedicated myself full-time to studying web development (so far juggled HTML5, CSS3, Java, JavaScript, and jQuery for starters). Some research yielded my state is projecting continued growth, the surrounding towns pay a bit above national average for web developers, and frankly I just enjoy doing the work (making sample sites for my friends and for portfolio sake). I have friends who work in the field but unfortunately of the two of them, one is super busy out of state and the other is unreliable and (though doing financially well) is in the middle of a messy divorce. So they are a no go for advice or help. I'm trying to toss Android development into the mix too because I'm personally curious on how it all works (I'm eternally hungry for knowledge). I'm a sponge trying to absorb as much as I can as quickly as I can. TL;DR My question for those in the web dev field: I don't want to return to a college but are certifications meaningful enough to procure at least a entry-level position? Or do I need to man up and attend a university again for an associates? I've seen through the US labor site that they promote CIW as a source of certifications but I want to make sure someone can attest the certs offered are on the level. I get the field is tough, everything is tough even finding lovely menial labor, but I'd rather know I'm using the right tools than wasting $420 on a certification exam that won't yield poo poo. If certs are viable, is CIW reliable? Or are there other sources I should invest in? I've also researched that web devs also have a tendency to be self employed, which I would like to try to achieve, though I sort of want something more stable. Any advice would be appreciated.
|
#
?
Feb 8, 2017 19:27
|
|
|
|
| # ? Apr 19, 2024 06:44 |
|
|
Isn't there a job thread in SH/SC? I would try asking there for specialized advice related to web dev jobs. As far as networking, does your Linked In not have any leads? I can't imagine you only know two people who are in tech. Being self-employed is amazing, though, and definitely more lucrative if you have the hustle to go out and get clients. Have you done any freelance work at all? Rather than going back to study, taking on a few real world problems for cheap would give you a much better understanding of the field and let you know what you actually enjoy doing.
|
|
#
?
Feb 9, 2017 00:52
|
|
|
moana posted:Isn't there a job thread in SH/SC? I would try asking there for specialized advice related to web dev jobs. As far as networking, does your Linked In not have any leads? I can't imagine you only know two people who are in tech. thanks, figured this was probably the wrong spot but I like the idea of trying hands-on training. Thank you for your reply
|
|
#
?
Feb 9, 2017 02:22
|
|
|
I'm a web developer who works with the React framework, and no, you don't need certifications for this stuff or a degree, especially on the front end, its a waste of money. The only thing you need to do is make stuff, and prove you can make stuff. I have an art degree, and 0 certifications and I'm almost at the 6 figure mark nowadays working with front end javascript. It took a while to get here (and I started with really basic stuff like design and html/css only) but javascript and angular2/react and node are a big deal right now in the industry. I'd probably be more junior than I am if I wasn't a huge CSS whiz. My javascript is much weaker but I'm getting there, and I do know javascript well enough to make things. So, here's what I would do if I were you. Pick a framework (angular2 and react are the big ones), look up webpack, and make something. It doesn't have to be anything fancy, but it will make you look awesome if you have some projects up on github and you can speak this language. The frameworks are here to stay and they are awesome for front end software. Websites don't really need them, but if you want to really, truly get your foot into the door and make good money (and have recruiters banging down your door), learn how to setup webpack and npm scripts, learn core javascript, and make something and push it to github. What this does is make you marketable to basically all the companies that are making cloud-based SASS (which is basically every software company these days). Customers demand better interfaces that aren't cludgy webforms, and this is where front end developers come in. I wouldn't have given you this advice a year ago, I thought this stuff was crap. I was so, so wrong. I moved to the east coast and I still have recruiters bothering me every week because I know this stuff. There is a huge demand for front end UI development with javascript. Here are some links. This stuff might be very overwhelming to you if you're still a beginner, but at least give them a look: https://webpack.github.io/docs/tutorials/getting-started/ http://ccoenraets.github.io/es6-tutorial/setup-webpack/ Also, I recommend the Mozilla developer network for learning, as well as the Udemy course: https://www.udemy.com/understand-javascript/ THAT course is 100% worth the money, and the Mozilla network even cites it as a source. It's on sale right now and I can't believe how much I learned. Shayl fucked around with this message at 05:30 on Feb 22, 2017 |
|
#
?
Feb 22, 2017 05:10
|
|
|
Those "front end developer" positions are going to be some of the easiest to automate with ML, I doubt that in depth react experience is going to be very valuable in a few years. Not sure how you plan for that though, most tradtional software developers are utterly hosed.
|
|
#
?
Feb 22, 2017 17:11
|
|
|
|
| # ? Apr 19, 2024 06:44 |
|
|
Regarding self employment, I've heard of people doing poo poo like making a website for a restaurant in exchange for free food. You could get creative and try that type of bartering with any small local business. You could also reach out to nonprofits (especially smaller local ones with no resources) and offer your services for free. You won't be making any money right away, but you aren't right now anyway, and making something that's live in the real world and helping people sure as poo poo beats making fake websites. It also starts building your contacts and gets your name out into the community.
|
|
#
?
Feb 25, 2017 13:58
|
|
