I recently left my job and plan to spend the next year acquiring new skills. Financially, I'm secure enough to focus on this. Realistically, I have about 9 hours daily to dedicate to learning. Right now, I'm diving into C programming using the ANSI version of the C Programming Language book, doing about 1 to 2 exercises each day for 2-3 hours, six days a week. I'm curious: how long did it take for others to transition from learning coding to actually getting hired? Also, what daily study or practice routines did you follow? I've come across posts where people claim to study 7 to 9 hours daily, which seems excessive. I want to be dedicated but don't want to spend my entire day programming. If most people find that 3 to 5 hours daily over 6 months to a year is viable for finding internships, that feels more manageable to me.
5 Answers
If you start coding in 7th grade, it might take about 7 years to land an internship after college. If you focus solely on full-time work, it might take around 9 years. Honestly, I could’ve probably started sooner if I weren't so focused on finishing my degree first.
I’d recommend getting a degree and some internships. In the current job market, it can be tough to get hired without experience or connections. Many companies are being pickier lately.
I landed my first developer job about three months after graduating college and have been in the field for 20 years now. The key isn't just what you know but how well you can present yourself. If you can show potential employers that you're smart and adaptable, you'll have an edge. Plus, working on personal projects that excite you can make the time fly – I've definitely spent 14 hour days when I was passionate about what I was building!
Exactly! The hands-on experience with real projects is where you learn the most.
It took me about 12 years from my first learning experience to get a full-time job. I averaged around 2-4 hours of practice daily during that time, but I was also working concurrently with my studies.
I began coding around 1983 and got my first job by 2000—so, 17 years! For the most part, learning through hobby projects didn’t help with finding employment immediately.
That makes a lot of sense! I've been thinking about building something cool while I learn, it keeps me engaged.