Dec 28, 2020 This time away from work (again) has got me thinking that now is the time to start training in a new profession. I've always had a small passion for coding. So I've decided I'm going to properly learn how to code. By properly I mean learn web development coding from YT videos, onlne courses and general research. 2 questions: 1. Any tips on what I should start out with learning/researching? 2. Assuming I master the skills within a couple of years, can anyone give me any tips on how to get into the freelance world and turn my new skills into income? @Donkey Kong Cuntry @Captain Awesome AKA Papa Tagging you 2 because I think of you when thinking of the "freelance" question.
Dec 28, 2020 Been freelancing for 15 odd years and now on 6 figures. Work hard, find a passion for the work, let the passion drive it, work on it more, enevitably k--- it. Sounds simple on paper, executing that via will power is the hard part. Good luck, hope to see you rich in a few my G.
Dec 28, 2020 Make sure you present yourself as professional as possible, surround yourself with other ppl in the industry, network network network network, and pitch your work to appropriate places.
Dec 28, 2020 @icecube Like @Antman said honestly the most important thing beyond your raw talent is connections and people you know. Never burn a bridge because you never know who could get you a gig in a few years time. The majority of work I've gotten is via friend of a friend etc. Don't be afraid to do something minor for free to get your foot in the door somewhere or help out a friend, but know your worth. If a friend comes to you and says they need a whole-a--- website or whatever, they should be asking about your rates from the get-go. It's unfortunate in the moment (but fortunate in the long run), but you will learn who your true friends are that way. Also, pass your knowledge/wisdom on to others seeking help (but going back to 'know your worth,' there are always limits of course!). Because once you're established, you'll always remember the people who helped you out in the beginning, and for that reason I always want to pay it forward to people asking questions. I don't know much about getting started for coding, but one thing I found helpful is to keep consistent schedule with "normal" hours. I don't ever work after 6PM aside from extremely time sensitive work, and I don't ever work on sundays. Work-life balance can be hard with freelance work, so you need to set some hard boundaries for yourself to ensure you have time off and don't overwork yourself. On that note, I would check out Khan Academy and other sites like that. I'm not sure what type of learner you are, but for me when I was studying for the LSAT I found it helpful to buy a book that basically had a built in syllabus to keep me on track for daily/weekly learning. If you think you need structure I'd highly recommend finding a book for coding like that and make the initial investment (mine was $50 I think, no idea how much it'll cost for a coding book but it might be a little pricy. Worth it though!)
Dec 28, 2020 Knew I get done knowledge from you. Thanks man, really appreciate it. I'll check it that website for sure.
Dec 28, 2020 You should try https://openclassrooms.com/en/. They offer complete courses on just about anything including coding. They have guides, videos explaining stuff in detail, tests afterward etc.. I haven't used that site in years but it used to be completely free and probably still is
Dec 28, 2020 @Slyk would be the man to ask about learning to code (man is a wizard). He gave me some great advice that has helped me a lot while I’m learning python. Also, be weary of Youtube videos. Most of them are just former Silicon Valley programmers who are trying to sell you something. Not saying there aren’t any good YouTube videos out there though. Google offers a few free courses on various subjects. Heard good things.
Dec 29, 2020 @Slyk any entry level tips for getting into coding? I'm starting at the beginning. Starting with an online course on HTML and CSS.
Dec 29, 2020 @icecube I started on this this (but got distracted) a few years back. I'm sure Slyk can give you better ideas, but I found FreeCodeCamp to be a pretty good starting point for HTML and CSS.
Dec 29, 2020 Stay consistent with self-teaching. With WebDev, it’s really important to ‘do’ things rather than passively taking things in. Building a portfolio and having referrals is important. It’s a pretty saturated industry but the demand is really high too and continues to grow. Afterward you may want to consider a specific niche. Sites such as Upwork, Freelancer, PeoplePerHour, Fivver can be ok to start with but they’re mainly a race to the bottom. Ideally, you should have your own website set-up and get new clients through connections. You can try LinkedIn, Reddit, and even Facebook groups to get work. It’s a skill that is always in demand.
Dec 29, 2020 best advice i can give is that we all learn in different ways, but the path i've taken has been to just do it: Have a goal in mind and start small. ex: build a 3 column, 4 row table, with basic text in it. then build that same table out, but make it responsive. then build that same table out, but make it have a header and spice it up with some css styling. etc. what makes this approach possible is that you have unlimited resources on the internet to see how others have done these things. find a website that has something similar built out and use the built in browser inspector tool to see every line of html & css code that went into it. copy that when building yours, but understand what it is you're building. i started working w/ basic html a long a--- time ago, but css, xenforo, jquery, etc., were all things that i had absolutely zero experience of when starting sxn80. the good news is that we initially started with a baked in "theme", so I was able to take pre-existing code and tweak, tweak, tweak, until I had something of my own and understood the ins and outs... start with something and tweak each aspect until you have an understanding of what's controlling what. tbph, i'm unsure of how a few of the css properties that I've used work to this day. but i've played with them when building out the various components, and with the help of other sites + stackoverflow (great resource -- google usually points to this if trying to search for a specific build), it's possible. you don't have to know *everything* before you can build -- start with the basics and lean on references as you need to.
Dec 29, 2020 Become a Java master. Apparently everybody hates it so I'd imagine anybody that's capable and willing to work with it would be in instant demand.
Dec 29, 2020 This is how I learn the best, too. Started with the standard Hello World app, then slowly started adding buttons, changing colors, configuring pop-ups, etc. to branch off of it. Those little accomplishments make learning fun.
Dec 29, 2020 Some really really great tips here guys. Thank you all so much. I have a lot to take onboard right now and a lot to learn. I'll keep coming back to this thread on reflection because there's no way everything here I would even begin to understand or even touch on within the next 6 months! Keep it coming though! It's been added to my reading list!
