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Dan's career advice for beloved friends lol ❤️

There's lots of different paths you can go down with programming:

  • Web development (Javascript, HTML and CSS and later more advanced approaches using React/Next.js/Node). I'd suggest starting with this to learn programming and seeing how you like it, and then you can look into if you want to specialise in something else (such as one of the below options).
  • Data analysis and more "pure" programming, e.g. data analysis with Python, or machine learning, or C/C#. If you already know that you want or need to learn this, you can start by finding a course here.
  • 2D/3D game development with Unity, sometimes also used to make graphics and videos. More creative but seems like it's harder to find work in, but cool to pursue if you have a job offer or know it's what you want.
  • WordPress. This is a "website builder" so there's less programming, but there's still a surprising amount of jobs here and so it may be a good option, and less technically intense. Basic knowledge of web development (Javascript/HTML/CSS) is still required though so I'd start with this.

I started by finding a course I liked the look of on https://www.udemy.com and then pirating it on https://freecoursesite.com (lol). You can also buy it on Udemy but wait for a discount, it shouldn't cost more than £20. I'd suggest searching for "web development" or maybe "React", just make sure it covers the basics of Javascript/HTML/CSS, has good reviews, has been keep up-to-date (updated in the last 2 years) and looks fun to you.

I wouldn't suggest trying to learn from random YouTube videos, they will be frustrating and disjointed and hard to follow. You want a course that's 15+ hours where you're guided from the start on downloading the right programs, etc. But you can use YouTube for quick explainer videos. For example, if you have no idea what Javascript/HTML/CSS or React is you can watch explainers on YouTube before finding a course on Udemy to actually start learning.

You should experiment and play around with making stuff as you go. The best thing when you're applying for jobs is to have personal projects you've worked on and can show off, no-one really cares if you have a degree.

You can start looking for your first job by looking for internships - University careers websites are especially good for this. Or look for freelance work on Upwork.com, starting with some small projects which you're mainly doing to get some good 5/5 reviews for your profile (instead of for the money).

The most important thing is to find something that clicks with your brain. Programming just feels really creative and fun to me but if you hate it there's other good options you can do from your laptop like graphic design, marketing, managing social media, customer support, and teaching (especially if you know multiple languages). Udemy courses may also be good starting points for this, or search for advice on Reddit.