Jessica's new coding skills opened up opportunities at work & for her freelancing career
Jessica was a designer with no coding experience. Finding that it was holding her back from job opportunities, she was determined to learn to code and be confident in her skills. Jessica started learning with Treehouse in between projects at work. A few months later, with the knowledge she'd gained, Jessica found new opportunities opening up to her not only at her full time job, but also for her freelance business. She can now confidently take on more in-depth web design projects and clients, which in turn is steadily growing her business.
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What first encouraged you to join Treehouse and learn to code?
Prior to Treehouse, I had a working knowledge of HTML and CSS. But, these days, it's hard to find a job as a designer if you don't know how to code. I wanted to really learn code, and be confident in my knowledge of it. So, I reached out to some of my friends in the industry who DO know code and asked what they thought would be the best resource for learning code. All roads led to Treehouse :-)
How has the experience of learning to code online compared with web design courses you took in college?
I only took one semester of web design in college, and it was the first (and now last) time that class was offered. The professor was not well-versed in code, and it was a very fast-paced class. So, not ideal conditions. That's where I learned the basics of HTML and CSS. I needed something a little slower, and more hands-on – like Treehouse! It was incredibly helpful to be able to rewind and pause videos to take notes or work on code.
Treehouse has added value to me as a designer and to my business. It means more sustainability as the industry grows and becomes more and more digital.
How long did it take you to learn the web design/coding skills you needed?
I was using Treehouse at work, so the learning happened between projects. But, I think it was only a week or two (with a few hours each day) before I got back up to speed and refined my current knowledge of code. I'm not where I want to be yet, in terms of skill level, but I am more capable of handling web design projects than I was before!
What were the most useful features of Treehouse?
For me, I loved that the tracks go in order. Other tutorial videos out there don't always go in order – and I don't want to skip around trying to figure out how to do x-y-z, when all the videos are only teaching me about a-b-c. I also enjoyed the challenges, because I am a hands-on learner. Being able to apply the knowledge there helped me retain the lesson better!
Did Treehouse skills improve your job opportunities, and if so how?
Yes! Both at my full-time job and my freelance business Jess Creatives, I can now handle more in-depth web design projects. This allows me to take on more clients and grow my business.
What does the value of a Treehouse education mean to you?
The value of the knowledge I've gained from Treehouse is adding value to me as a designer and to my business. It means more sustainability as the industry grows and becomes more and more digital.
Is there any advice you'd like to share with other students who are just getting started?
Push yourself and stay committed! Treehouse is an incredible resource that shouldn't be taken for granted. I'm so thankful for what this knowledge has already done for me, and I can't wait to see how I can use it in the future!
Are you ready to start learning?
Learning with Treehouse for only 30 minutes a day can teach you the skills needed to land the job that you've been dreaming about.
Start A Free Trial