The Journey into Tech and a Change of Direction
The pursuit of a better life for oneself and family often involves navigating unexpected challenges and adapting to changing circumstances. This is a reflection on a journey into the world of tech, the challenges faced, and the ultimate shift in direction.
Discovering a New Path: Learning to Code
At the end of 2022, a significant shift began with the decision to learn how to code. Motivated by a desire for a better future, exploration into various fields such as IT support, computer programming, HVAC, and electrical work led to focusing on computer programming.
Diving Deep into Self-Learning
The journey into computer programming involved extensive self-learning through resources like Free Code Camp, Odin Project, and YouTube tutorials, accompanied by practical application through building websites. This was a significant undertaking, especially given the long period since actively engaging in learning. Despite the emergence of AI and widespread layoffs, the commitment to learning remained unwavering.
The Reality of the Job Market
After a year and a half of dedicated learning, the job market remained challenging. Undeterred, the decision was made to attend a coding boot camp, incurring significant debt, with the hope of refining skills and acquiring a credential to aid in job hunting.
The Coding Bootcamp Experience and Job Search Struggles
Despite completing the coding boot camp, the job market continued to worsen. While some success stories existed, landing a job proved difficult.
Application and Interview Challenges
Over 2,000 job applications yielded only a few first-round interviews. One interview was cut short due to attending a conference, and another rejection cited negative experiences with coding boot camp graduates. This experience was highly discouraging, especially with mounting debt.
Freelance Web Development: A Necessary Pivot
The inability to secure a job as a web developer or return to the previous career in behavioral health (due to insufficient pay) led to exploring freelance web development. This involved building websites for small businesses, which initially proved successful but later faced challenges.
Building a Freelance Business and the Impact of AI
The freelance web development business experienced fluctuations in income, prompting a shift in the business model to prioritize recurring revenue and move away from a website-centric approach. The growing capabilities of AI and market saturation due to layoffs further complicated the landscape.
The Uncertain Future of Software Development
The combination of accumulated debt, time invested in learning to code, and the challenging job market led to a reevaluation of career goals. Applying for software engineering positions ceased, and a focus on coding for websites diminished, particularly with the rise of user-friendly drag-and-drop platforms.
A Shift in Perspective: Learning as a Valuable Skill
Despite the setbacks, the experience of learning to code yielded unexpected benefits. The ability to learn new and difficult skills emerged as a valuable asset. However, the focus on coding as a direct path to a job was abandoned.
Adapting and Changing: The Constant in Life
The decision was made to accept that a traditional W2 software engineering role was unlikely. Instead, the focus shifted towards freelancing, where the acquired skills in websites, marketing, and other areas became directly applicable.
New Focus on Business and Mindset
The channel's direction shifted from coding-focused content to business and mindset topics, reflecting the current priorities and experiences. This pivot acknowledges that websites are now just one aspect of a broader freelance business.
A Word of Caution and Encouragement
For those considering learning to code, a cautious approach is advised. While acknowledging that success is possible, the reality is that the job market is increasingly competitive and influenced by factors like AI advancements. A shift in mindset is necessary. One should focus on learning as a valuable skill in itself, rather than solely as a means to secure a job. However, the speaker does not want to discourage anyone. People may be the exception that lands the job.
Prioritizing Freedom and Value
The initial motivation for learning to code was to achieve financial freedom and improve life. However, the focus shifted towards producing value independently, rather than relying on traditional employment.