Business experience: Frontend developer

Former economist and current frontend developer Anna Nemtseva shares her experience.

Image by StartupStockPhotos from Pixabay

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– Anna, how did you come to the decision to change your field of activity?

"I'm an accountant and economist by training. And I'd say it's due to laziness, because getting an economics degree is easier than getting a math degree. Especially for a girl. It's a stereotype, but it's true."

I have 10 years of banking experience, from teller to deputy head of department. It's a very responsible and very boring position. Plus, the responsibility is individual, which was also stressful. Overall, I didn't find anything interesting about the economist profession. When I worked at the bank, I felt like I was "getting moss," but I didn't have the strength or courage to change careers, ditch what I had, and start learning something new. And balancing both was nearly impossible for me, because there are only 24 hours in a day, eight of which need to be spent on quality sleep, otherwise nothing will work.

– What was the catalyst?

Pregnancy, the birth of my child. That's what influenced my determination. And the availability of free time. An hour, two, three a day. It was this free time that motivated me to change my career. I knew exactly what profession I'd master; I had no doubts. I knew I was going into IT. "Entering IT" describes me. But the process was very slow; the transition took about three years.

- How did it happen?

"First, the courses. I had to try it out, get to know it, find out what it was like. Touch it, see it with my own eyes, change my worldview, turn it from what I had been to what I expected. And it became clear that it was definitely mine and I absolutely loved it. That's the key. You can't start doing something with any intention other than 'I love it.' Because any job sooner or later becomes routine, and if you're not interested in it from the start, it will only get worse."

– What should you pay attention to when choosing courses?

There are a million reviews of different courses, a million testimonials to draw from. It depends on the focus. I'm a visual person, I need to see what I'm doing, so I chose frontend development. The frontend is what we see. We open a browser or some application, and what we interact with is frontend development. Everything "under the hood," what we don't see, is backend development.

- So you are involved in visuals?

– Yes, I create website visuals, develop new applications, optimize and improve their performance.

But frontend isn't my final decision; I'll definitely learn backend as well. Because there's no limit to growth in IT and programming. It's impossible to learn everything and be able to do everything. You're constantly learning.

– Is IT a continuous learning process?

– Yes. You're a perpetual student. Constantly learning. Researching, improving your skills. Technology changes very quickly, you need to always be on top of it. To grow professionally. So that when you read your code two weeks later, you don't say, "Oh, who wrote that?" Because in programming, there are always two programmers working on each program – you, and you two weeks later.

– Do companies organize training for employees or is self-education required?

"It depends on the employer, the client, and many other factors, but without individual self-development, you won't get very far in this boat. You always need to grow independently. Read literature, watch YouTube channels. YouTube is a treasure trove of information."Search – look – read.And so it goes all the time. The key to any programmer's success is searching. We're always searching. It's unlikely that what you're looking for hasn't already been done by someone else. Usually, all the solutions have already been made and described. Just go ahead and adapt to suit your needs.

– There's a perception that programming is boring—just sitting around writing code all the time. Is that true?

"If we're talking about low-level languages, then maybe yes, it gets boring, but if you keep up with technology, then I think it's a lot of fun, it's super interesting. Learning new languages ​​or frameworks. Few people write in programming languages ​​these days, and there's no need to; it's like reinventing the wheel. There are plenty of bicycles out there—just hop on and pedal. And it's important to be able to switch from one to another in a timely manner. That's exactly what programming is all about."

– What do you like about IT?

"Variety, interest, exploration, solutions, communication with people, and sometimes the lack of it, the silence. I wouldn't say it's easy to break into IT. It's quite challenging, quite scary at first, but also incredibly interesting."

- What's the most difficult thing?

"You need to develop a solid mathematical foundation. Ideally, this is provided by a higher education institution. And then you fill in the gaps yourself."

– So, is a specialized higher education necessary?

"I wouldn't say it's necessary. It's desirable. I didn't get a second degree. And I don't have any plans yet. Although it would be really cool. It would allow me to close my gestalts and piece together the individual puzzles, systematizing my knowledge."

Otherwise, the puzzles will take longer to come together, and not without mentorship. You need to find someone, two, three—the more the better. Having someone to ask for advice, voice your questions, show your code to, and hear feedback from others is invaluable. I believe it's impossible to transition into IT without mentorship.

– Let's get back to your path to IT. What happened after the courses?

"It wasn't just one course. Many. Different ones. Elementary ones—HTML, CSS, basic JavaScript. To understand what it was, where to start, so I could develop a further course and a plan for my education and entry into the profession. After the courses, I had some commercial experience, but it was cut short—my knowledge wasn't sufficient. I had to choose: stay at this level or stop earning a pittance and grow further. My choice is always to grow further."

Having gained some commercial experience, I clearly understood what I needed and took the next courses, which focused on advanced JavaScript. Then came technical literature, videos, changing programming languages, choosing specific frameworks, and studying them in more detail.

– Did you pay for the courses you took yourself?

"Yes, you have to pay for everything. I pay for any knowledge. I buy books, I pay for software, I pay for IDEs, I don't download them from illegal resources, I don't crack them. I pay for everything. For courses and for everything I use."

– How much time passed from the beginning of your studies until you received your first money?

– Two and a half years, maybe three, if you don’t count that first little commercial experience.

– What if you don’t have these 2-3 years for the transition?

"They never exist. I know people who, in order to master a new profession, quit their jobs and threw themselves into studying. Typically, their success was short-lived. Because they needed to feed themselves and provide for their families. People encounter the first difficulties—the walls that block their development—and return to where they started. These walls are a misunderstanding of certain processes. And obtaining a specialized higher education could help them better understand these processes.

I break down walls as I go, I break through them with my own head, and that's how I move forward. But I love obstacles. Without them, I'm bored. I need walls to feel like I'm progressing. "Oh, another wall, another checkmark, I did it!"

– So, it’s worth going into IT if you like breaking down walls?

"Yes. And also, if you're a nerd. Don't expect easy money. No one pays you for nothing. Besides, you definitely shouldn't come here for the money. Those who come for the paycheck quickly become exhausted.

- And what is it worth it for?

"It's a calling. It's driven by curiosity, by interest, above all else. That's the main thing. If you can spend hours searching for information to build some kind of chain, this is for you. If you just want to sit there and have things just pop into your head, then no, IT won't be able to keep you going for long."

– What qualities are important for someone who decides to build a career in IT?

"If we're talking about soft skills, curiosity and perseverance are essential. And it's also wrong to say that IT is purely a mathematical science. Learning programming languages ​​is very similar to learning foreign languages."

What advice would you give to people who want to become specialists in your field? Where do they start?

– I highly recommend children's books on programming. They're written in clear language, without any confusing language.

I don't recommend starting with adult books; those are written for those already in the know. Children's books are aimed specifically at introducing the subject—a godsend for beginners. "JavaScript for Kids" and "Python for Kids" are excellent series of books. These are must-haves. Don't steal them—buy them. It's a thank you to others for their intellectual labor, which you too will be sharing. I recommend "JavaScript for Kids" for front-end development, and "PHP for Kids" for back-end development. They're not very up-to-date, and there are some outdated points. But analyzing these points will give you an understanding of the process and, ultimately, whether this is right for you.

First, watch videos on YouTube and read "JavaScript for Kids." Then, questions will arise as you progress. You'll have to find the answers yourself.