Business Experience: How to Become a Programmer

The crisis and pandemic have contributed to the IT industry becoming one of the most desirable for many people. And this is no coincidence: high salaries, opportunities for career advancement, excellent working conditions, and the ability to work from home if necessary.

Anyone considering a career as a programmer asks themselves questions: is it difficult to master this profession, where and how long do you need to study, is higher education necessary, and where to look for work?

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Web developer Roman Ruzhentsev shares his experience: how to master the profession, the knowledge and skills needed to become a programmer, the qualities that define a specialist's value, and the prospects for professional development.

Roman, how long have you been in this profession? How did you decide to change your career? How did it all begin?

"I've been working as a programmer for over two years now. Before that, I was the commercial director at a light industry company. I was simply tired of what I was doing before. So I decided to change my career."

– Why did you choose programming and web development?

"For me, the choice of a new profession was obvious—I've always loved computers. But my knowledge was purely at the user level, so I can't say I was prepared or knew even the basics—that's not true."

– Tell us about how you got started? Where did you study? Is it necessary to get a specialized higher education?

"I completed the usual courses, of which there are many these days. They were no better or worse than any others. I also received a specialized education at university. But that didn't change anything at all. Having a higher education will only be a huge advantage if I plan to work in another country."

Regarding courses, I can only say one thing: the most important factor in choosing a course is the personality of the instructor. Therefore, if I were someone choosing a course, I would read reviews and ask opinions about specific instructors, not schools or courses. The same organization (or IT course) might have two instructors, and with one of them you'll find a job, while with the other you might not even complete your studies.

What does it take to be a successful programmer? What professional knowledge, skills, and personal qualities are essential for success in the profession?

– (smiles) Well…professional knowledge is essential. First and foremost. As for personal qualities, I'd mention the ability to concentrate and solve problems on your own.

– Was there anything you were missing at the beginning of your journey?

- No, I prepared well and knew what awaited me.

– What would you advise someone to start with if they decide to become a programmer?

– You will need a lot of time, which means, first of all, I would advise you to think about where to get it.

This is my personal opinion, but I believe you can become a programmer in six months by immersing yourself in the material. But you can't become a programmer in five years, studying half an hour a day. You'll need to absorb tons of information—very diverse, from quite a few different fields. Therefore, if you spread your studies out over time, you'll end up learning the same thing and simultaneously forgetting what you learned six months ago. That's a dead end.

And of course, keeping technology up-to-date is also important. There are areas of programming where everything changes very quickly, so gaining up-to-date knowledge will make it easier for you to find a job. So, to summarize: I don't think learning "little by little," but over time, is a good path.

– What books or websites would you recommend for a beginner to study?

- It depends on what he wants to learn.

But for any programming language, you can find a list of literature that the community of that language considers mandatory reading in a couple of seconds on Google.

Besides, I don't think there will be time for this during the courses.

Overall, YouTube tutorials and official documentation are a good way to go.

How long did it take from starting your training to receiving your first web development commission? How did you get your first order?

"I didn't receive any orders (smiles). I got a job at the Kyiv subsidiary of a European company. It lasted exactly seven months, from the day I started training until my first paycheck."

– How is your self-education going now, what new areas are you exploring?

– Every day, every programmer learns and explores something new. There's no way around it.

This is not a profession where you have a choice: to learn and develop constantly, or simply use the knowledge and skills you once acquired.

Perhaps there are companies where you can sit and do the same operation for years, but I don’t know of any.

– What areas of further professional development do you see for yourself?

– A programmer has only one path to professional development – ​​to develop in the profession and become an even better programmer.

I'm already managing several projects concurrently as a PM (product manager). Or I could, for example, open my own IT company. But I don't think that's really the right fit for the programming profession.

– What would you recommend to people who have decided to become a specialist in your field?

– (smiles) Here’s a 100% working plan for you:

Preparation:

Choose a programming language. Choosing one means understanding where it's used and why, as well as where it's not used and why. Ideally, at this stage, you should know all the popular programming languages ​​and the industries where they're used.

Choose a place to study your chosen language. It's advisable to find a good teacher, if one exists—whether it's an academy with its own building where you'll be given a laptop, or a company renting classrooms at a school. Choosing a place means you can be confident that after completing their course, you'll emerge as a strong junior developer.

Studies:

So, now you have an idea of ​​how long the courses last, when they start, and so on. It's crucial to plan this period of your life so you have enough free time and a clear mind.

We're all different, and everyone has different abilities, but the more time you can dedicate to studying, the better your chances of a successful outcome. Ideally, I think 4-5 hours a day, and I'd imagine no less.

It will be really tough at times, but I can say that everyone goes through this. At this stage, it's important to push away thoughts like this isn't your thing, or that you're a humanities major, or anything like that. It's not necessarily true; you're simply absorbing a lot of new information.

Communicate with your teacher regularly; they should be there to help you. Try not to leave any gaps in the curriculum for yourself. If you don't understand something, but you don't think you need it right now, ask, learn it yourself, but don't skip it.

Last month of school:

Ideally, it's time to start interviewing now. I know there are companies that are looking for junior employees who they train themselves.

You'll be asked questions. Some you'll be able to answer, some you won't. But the ones you couldn't answer, you'll study them thoroughly when you get home.

And believe me, very soon the evil recruiters will run out of questions to which you don’t know the answers, and you will receive an offer (smiles), which will be the start of your career in a new profession.

"Thank you for your detailed answers, Roman. I'm sure your experience will be interesting and useful to people considering a career change."