How I Self-Taught for a Year as a Non-Major and Landed a Job (Long Post)
I graduated with a humanities degree early last year and started from knowing absolutely nothing, then got in as a junior backend developer within a year. I used to find comfort in posts like this, so I'm leaving one too. To get to the point: "It's possible, but far more boring than you'd think."
The first three months were a real dark period. I kept taking grammar lectures but wasn't actually learning anything, so I got hit hard by a reality check. What broke me out of that was "just build something, anything, and deploy it." Even if it was terrible, making something other people could use made my skills grow fast.
The order I actually followed was:
1. Pick one language and read the official docs carefully (docs, not lectures)
2. Build and deploy a small API server — this was the most important part
3. Put real effort into writing that project's README
4. I filled in CS knowledge one piece at a time as I failed interviews
5. I started applying around month six; I applied to 30 places and got 2 offers
Honestly, I think luck played a big part too. But not giving up and staying consistent mattered most, and in the end, one "project of my own" changed everything. If you have questions, I'll answer as best I can.
9 answers
Agreed, this is the right answer. I also spent 6 months just watching lectures, and my skills improved after I built one project.
Do you have a source? Where did the numbers “30 places” and “2 places” come from? Your own records?
Well, isn't the part about "luck playing a big role" a bit ambiguous? If someone self-studied for a year, applied to 30 places, and got into 2, that's less about luck and more just the market being at that level. These days, many people still don't make it even when that one year becomes two. I think we should first mention that this case was special.