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General Discussion

jamesjones21
jamesjones21
9,260 Points
Posted by jamesjones21
jamesjones21
9,260 Points

Beginning web development again

Ive took the plunge and signed up to treehouse to start to learn php, I have a degree in web development and graduated from university. Unfortunately after university I had really bad depression and took me over 6 years to get over it and was way behind on technology and programming :(. So here I am at 31 beginning development an learning php, an I have to say I do love the language an the course being taught by Alena. But what my fear is, is it to late to get a shot at being a web developer? Anwhay can I do to practice what I’ve learned offline?

If there is someone in the same boat as me, I would like to hear :)

Regards, James

Joel Bardsley
Joel Bardsley
31,249 Points
Joel Bardsley
Joel Bardsley
31,249 Points

Hi James, I'm 34 and have also been in a similar position. After completing a degree in "Web & Multimedia" in 2005 I was initially involved with a startup with some others on the course, but after a few months I moved back home and really struggled to get a foot in the door and had to step away from web development for several years to be able to pay the bills. I felt like the degree was a waste of time and it took a toll on my mental health.

I always kept tabs on the industry through an ongoing subscription to .net magazine and eventually joined Treehouse, which really reinvigorated me into giving it another shot. From there I was fortunate to be offered an initial 6-week contract for front-end web development in 2014, which in the end lasted for nearly 2 years until the company ended up being taken over and moved elsewhere.

So at 31, as others have said, it's definitely not too late for you. Good luck!

jamesjones21
jamesjones21
9,260 Points
jamesjones21
jamesjones21
9,260 Points

Joel Bardsley thank for your comment, I am was the same when I returned home after university, as I lived in a rural town in South Wales, there was little tech companies around, plus with depression / anxiety issues it sapped all my motivation and drive. Which in my case caused me to go deeper and deeper an not being able to focus, but I am glad with the responses I have received, huge appreciation here. Hope you are feeling better by the way.

Kind regards, James

3 Answers

paulscanlon
PLUS
paulscanlon
Courses Plus Student 26,735 Points
paulscanlon
paulscanlon
Courses Plus Student 26,735 Points

Hey James

I'm in a similar situation as you. Wrote my first line of HTML just after I turned 30, no experience or degree. I really don't think it's too late at all though. If you have the passion and drive to do something you can do anything. I am planning on freelancing a few projects to build up a portfolio then start applying for jobs.

To answer your question about how to practice, all you need is treehouse and a code editor, just build things. I'm working on a weather app at the moment that pulls the weather based on your location.

Trust me, I know how you feel, but keep your chin up, keep coding and always reach out on these forums whenever you need help.

Also read the success stories, really uplifting.

Good luck and happy coding

Paul

jamesjones21
jamesjones21
9,260 Points
jamesjones21
jamesjones21
9,260 Points

Hi Paul,

Thanks for your message, I have a solid understanding of html and css, and do know how a website functions. If you need any help with html or css questions, please do reach out. I’ll be happy to share my what projects I’ll be working on in the coming months as I embark back to my freelance role :)

Regards,

James

stjarnan
seal-mask
.a{fill-rule:evenodd;}techdegree seal-36
stjarnan
Front End Web Development Techdegree Graduate 56,488 Points
stjarnan
.a{fill-rule:evenodd;}techdegree seal-36
stjarnan
Front End Web Development Techdegree Graduate 56,488 Points

Hi James,

Good news, you are still really young! An example is how we at the company I work at just hired a person who just finished university, he's 33. Just get stuck in and apply what you learn. Creating small projects is a great way to learn offline. These projects can later be shown to companies to show them what you can do.

You can do this :)

Jonas

jamesjones21
jamesjones21
9,260 Points
jamesjones21
jamesjones21
9,260 Points

Hi Jonas;

Thanks for your message, I just received a tweet from Alena, saying that she’s known people at the age of 50 picking up programming, so I do feel less frustrated :) I do intend to give myself a 6 month target to get somewhere an to put my knowledge into practice an get freelance work using upwork :)

How long did it take yourself to become a front end dev? My plan is to look at php an JavaScript so I can do a bit of both.

Regards, James

stjarnan
seal-mask
.a{fill-rule:evenodd;}techdegree seal-36
stjarnan
Front End Web Development Techdegree Graduate 56,488 Points
stjarnan
.a{fill-rule:evenodd;}techdegree seal-36
stjarnan
Front End Web Development Techdegree Graduate 56,488 Points

That sounds great James!

I don't think I have a real timeframe for how long it took me, but after I finished the Techdegree here at Treehouse I managed to land a job within a month. I believe that if you stick with it during your target of 6 months you can get really far!