Hi everyone! I'm 28 years old and have around 8 years of experience as a developer, mainly working with PHP, JavaScript, TypeScript, and Node.js. For the last 3 years, I've been a Business Analyst, but I'm feeling burnt out from client meetings and really miss coding. Now that I'm in a comfortable financial position, I'm looking to sharpen my programming skills for fun and maybe transition back into a development role. What do you think I should study, and are certifications worth pursuing?
4 Answers
Honestly, certifications often feel like participation trophies for adults. Just focus on building real projects and putting them on GitHub. With 8 years of dev experience already under your belt, you’re more than qualified—you just need a portfolio that shines.
Given your background, I recommend diving deeper into Node.js and TypeScript. If you haven’t explored frameworks like React or Vue, those are great options too. Try to build a couple of solid personal projects and showcase them on GitHub. Trust me, having projects on your profile is way more impressive than any certification! Certifications are often just corporate checkboxes—skills are what matter, especially with how tough it is to find dev roles right now.
You already have a solid foundation in PHP and Node.js, so you're in a great place to transition into modern development. I suggest checking out free resources like Full Stack Open, which are rich in content. If you want something more structured and with a credential, consider aiming for certifications from cloud platforms like AWS or Azure. These show you can handle complex infrastructures, which looks great for senior roles. Your previous Business Analyst experience will also be a plus, bringing valuable soft skills to your next job.
Thanks for the advice! Full Stack Open sounds like a good starting point for me.
You might find [sidecode.co.uk](https://sidecode.co.uk/) really helpful for learning them; I’ve been using it myself and it’s pretty good!
Personal projects sound fun, but I’m struggling to think of what to build that’s actually decent. Any ideas?