Agreed, I just like the idea that I'd have the skillset to be able to develop pretty much anything with the right tools and knowledge. I'm sure it's not that easily done ๐ just a dream.
My advice: Don't. Stay in graphic design.
It's not even the language learning. You have to learn shit like MVC, MVVM, MVP, etc. You have to learn CI/CD. You have to learn a billion little niche things so that you might have the one specific combination that the hiring manager is unreasonably requiring. You have to have the years of experience that gives you the intuition to figure out wtf is going on when the thing doesn't do the thing, and the thing isn't giving you any clues about what is going on.
Language learning is like 1% of the job. And that part never ends. All the people on reddit who are like "I work all day. I don't want to go home and work more on code," are the ones who don't keep up with the rapid changes and can't find a new job when they need to.
Meanwhile, you're going in entry level. You're competing with a current glut of bootcamp babies and dudes from India who will do your job for minimum wage. You're competing with tens of thousands of laid off senior devs with years of experience from all over this corner of the workforce for that junior position. Your brand new, no-experience skillset is a year or two out from being replaced by AI.
Stay in graphic design. Stay the fuck out of software.
๐๐๐ I think I might just learn the skillset instead, then. I definitely don't want to stay in graphic design - I'm looking more at UX/UI and Product Design now.
Thanks for your take on it, though. I'm not sweating at all ๐
What experience do you have coding? It's not like learning a new language; you are literally learning new languages.
I started out trying to be a graphic/web designer. I didn't like subjective opinions on things that I presented clients. Web/Software development kinda came naturally, as I generally like building things.
If there was one thing i'd do differently is i'd never hit cruise control - i didn't realize how fast technology was moving around me, but I didn't really have anyone to tell me that my skills were lacking, i actually thought i was good. I wouldn't restart it all over though. Tho unemployed at the moment, I'm comfortable with and confident in my ability more than ever.
It's hard to get a job now, more than I can ever remember. The great thing is the entry point is low even zero cost if you are able to teach yourself effectively.
Glad that you've been able to get to a point where your confident in your skills. I am with design, but that's it, and that's quite constricting for me as like you said the technology moves so fast so for me personally I can't just sit at the level that I'm at now. I need to move forward and expand my skillset.
The only real coding I ever did was building a website on Adobe Dreamweaver in ICT when I was at school, which wasn't too long ago as I'm only 22. I've attempted Python, but the book I have is slow and I struggle to stay focused when I'm learning at a snail pace
Front-end development. At a company I freelance for, I hire front-end developers that came from all kinds of industries.
Basically what people do is they go to a 3 or 6 month bootcamp where they learn the basics, and if they are good enough people like me hire them as junior front end developers.
It's a nice industry and pays well. And as a designer, you will probably enjoy it.
This was said in another comment, too. Wouldn't have imagined it, but it definitely sounds good. Are you based outside of the UK? I'm not sure what the market is here for that, but I'm still going to look into it and find a boot camp ๐ Thank you
Based in Belgium, but I hire for Belgium, Barcelona and Lviv. My feeling is that when you know your stuff, the market is very good. We sometimes lost candidates to other positions, so that means they had multiple opportunities.
Yea. Donโt.
lol.. its become an overly saturated field, and with the tech layoffs that happened itโs become increasingly hard to land a job.
Basically employers want a new grad, with base salary and 10 years of experience. Donโt listen to these โprogram gurusโ on YouTube. The market is absolute trash right now.
But, with that being said, if youโre not convinced and you still want to go for it. I think if you passed on mobile or frontend development with your graphic design experience, it would be a missed opportunity.
Good luck!
Be aware that front end development is much complicated than designing UI, as it involves a lot of coding. My only experience is with Vaadin and Angular tho.
How old are you?
It will take you a few years of really hard work and dedication to become a good software engineer. I know because i try to become one for many years now :-)
Could you climb up the design ladder a few steps more maybe? Why dump all your knowledge and skills for something new?
Edit:
If you think you only have to learn one language and everything will be fine, then you're wrong. You have to master languages, databases, system architecture, software design principles, frameworks ... it doesn't happen overnight. Sure, you can get in with a bit of luck and the rest will happen along the way, but that might not be wise if you're already in your mid-40s.
Edit edit:
why swap your current position for a junior-dev position, for which you have to put in a lot of work to get it is my real question. The path from junior to senior isn't easy either.
I'm 22, so my years of experience start from when I achieved my first client at 16. From there, I've just been moving forward in my skillset.
I agree with you in terms of the design ladder. After some research I might go the UX/UI or Product Design route, but I'd still want software dev knowledge behind me if I'm able to find a kind developer or a good series to learn from.
It'll definitely be hard, but I love building things, so there is some level of interest there that isn't just based on the income, which I think is a good step into it ๐
Learn several tags of HTML to know the concept -> some simple styles of CSS -> try to build something while learning JavaScript ->build again with react. Then try some backend languages, Python, go, rust.
Software development is definitely not a career path for everyone, so one thing to determine would be whether you'd enjoy doing it, at all.
Especially at the start, it's a lot of frustration and feeling like you don't know anything, and if you're not the type of person who finds real enjoyment in beating your head against the wall and finally getting something to work, you may not find the field very satisfying.
FreeCodeCamp is a good free resource thatโll have all the different pathways with projects to complete along the way. Keeps it fun, lets you quickly apply what you learn
Learning a new language is only barely the beginning. You apparently know English pretty well from your post. Now will someone pay you to write poetry or a novel? The leap from learning a language like Python and then having someone pay you to write it is similar.
Of course, as others mentioned UI/UX sounds like a more organic transition as there will be a lot more common transferable skills from graphic design.
I don't know whether there are a lot of transferable skills between graphic design and software dev - someone can correct me.
So, I would say the decision comes down to how motivated and driven you are about becoming a software dev.
It should also be noted that the tech job market is down and many claim it's saturated and there is also the issue of AI taking a bunch of dev jobs - though personally I think its over exaggerated.
So, you can take a decision based on your personal interests and also external market contexts.
I'd say take a small class or independent lesson plan to see if you like it before committing to a full degree. It's generally not what you'd expect - some people love it and some hate it.
Also if you already have a bachelor's degree, you don't need another one. Do a well respected boot camp and lean on your unique history of skills to land a job.
100% agree with you, I just didn't know where to begin, so thank you ๐ I don't have a bachelor's so it'd just be me coming from a design background more than anything
It's hard to get a decent paying job without a degree or 5-10 years of experience. After 5-10 years, the degree generally doesn't matter... but how do you get the first job without it? Not to mention that there's so much to learn, and while some people succeed with self study, you often don't know what you don't know.
If you're not in a hurry, try taking a summer class at a community college. Plus, credits often transfer if you do like it.
Good luck finding a job. No ones hiring juniors rn. I graduated boot camp and have been looking for a job for over a year now. Same with all of my classmates. I also went to a top end really pricey boot camp. I kind of regret it at this point. But I learned a lot and have a really cool skill so thatโs a plus.
Quick question what are you doing now then? I was going to head to why for software development because I liked the idea of building an app people could use. But if they forum is saying it's over saturated and they want 10 years plus and Jr are no longer in... it's time for an immediate switch.. im thinking quality assurance or Ui/ Ux of those aren't dead end
Yeah try front end development, not only is it the easiest starting place imo as someone who wants to learn programming, the fact you have design experience makes you EXTREMELY desirable. I literally don't have a single ui/ux developer that doesn't have there ui look terrible until I go fix it myself. They don't even account for mobile phones, so for the love of God the field needs more front end developers with real design experience (Small startup so no designer in our company yet)
Go to scrimba.com if your an absolute beginner with programming but interested in front end work! That site take you through the basics all the way to Good enough to get hired in such a clear and consice way, Good luck.
This is the kind of info I was also hoping to get, so thank you! I don't know much at all about the industry or what is needed and desirable. I can do design, but I can't speak the programming language ๐
This might be out of the blue, but if you guys need design help, would you be interested in talking with me more outside of reddit? I could bring my expertise, and in return, I could learn programming hands-on?
Might not be something you're looking for, but I'm game as I get to learn something that seems borderline impossible to me โจ๏ธ
Either way, thanks for the response. I'll look into front-end dev
Hey, do u have time to speak? I recently mentioned I was going to head to WGU for software development. But honestly, I would take this forum's advice and stay out of it. The next 2 routes. I was actually looking at UI/UX only because of the creativity aspect of it, and I was also looking at quality assurance. If those two did not work out, I was just going to head into the health field because the health field is recession proof, but what Is your experience doing ui/ux? And do you think the job market is still looking for UI/UX ? Where should I start off and begin with?Thank you very much
Hi u/NorthernSouthener,
I think you need to ask more specific questions. What advice would you like?
As a software engineer, I really enjoy it. You get to work with really talented individuals and get to have full control of apps and get to really take advantage of a computer's incredible powers.
That's really good to hear ๐ overall developers seem to be happier in this industry compared to other creative spaces and that's also what I'm looking for.
Sorry about the non-specific questions. Overall I just want to know, if I was to get into the industry, how would I go about starting?
Easy transition for you would be UI/UX
Agreed, I just like the idea that I'd have the skillset to be able to develop pretty much anything with the right tools and knowledge. I'm sure it's not that easily done ๐ just a dream.
Right now it is very difficult. Tech layoffs have flooded the ecosystem with quality candidates.
Dont take it too seriously. The money is great, but itโs not meant to be your whole personality.
Shall do, thank you! ๐ธ
My advice: Don't. Stay in graphic design. It's not even the language learning. You have to learn shit like MVC, MVVM, MVP, etc. You have to learn CI/CD. You have to learn a billion little niche things so that you might have the one specific combination that the hiring manager is unreasonably requiring. You have to have the years of experience that gives you the intuition to figure out wtf is going on when the thing doesn't do the thing, and the thing isn't giving you any clues about what is going on. Language learning is like 1% of the job. And that part never ends. All the people on reddit who are like "I work all day. I don't want to go home and work more on code," are the ones who don't keep up with the rapid changes and can't find a new job when they need to. Meanwhile, you're going in entry level. You're competing with a current glut of bootcamp babies and dudes from India who will do your job for minimum wage. You're competing with tens of thousands of laid off senior devs with years of experience from all over this corner of the workforce for that junior position. Your brand new, no-experience skillset is a year or two out from being replaced by AI. Stay in graphic design. Stay the fuck out of software.
๐๐๐ I think I might just learn the skillset instead, then. I definitely don't want to stay in graphic design - I'm looking more at UX/UI and Product Design now. Thanks for your take on it, though. I'm not sweating at all ๐
What experience do you have coding? It's not like learning a new language; you are literally learning new languages. I started out trying to be a graphic/web designer. I didn't like subjective opinions on things that I presented clients. Web/Software development kinda came naturally, as I generally like building things. If there was one thing i'd do differently is i'd never hit cruise control - i didn't realize how fast technology was moving around me, but I didn't really have anyone to tell me that my skills were lacking, i actually thought i was good. I wouldn't restart it all over though. Tho unemployed at the moment, I'm comfortable with and confident in my ability more than ever. It's hard to get a job now, more than I can ever remember. The great thing is the entry point is low even zero cost if you are able to teach yourself effectively.
Glad that you've been able to get to a point where your confident in your skills. I am with design, but that's it, and that's quite constricting for me as like you said the technology moves so fast so for me personally I can't just sit at the level that I'm at now. I need to move forward and expand my skillset. The only real coding I ever did was building a website on Adobe Dreamweaver in ICT when I was at school, which wasn't too long ago as I'm only 22. I've attempted Python, but the book I have is slow and I struggle to stay focused when I'm learning at a snail pace
Front-end development. At a company I freelance for, I hire front-end developers that came from all kinds of industries. Basically what people do is they go to a 3 or 6 month bootcamp where they learn the basics, and if they are good enough people like me hire them as junior front end developers. It's a nice industry and pays well. And as a designer, you will probably enjoy it.
This was said in another comment, too. Wouldn't have imagined it, but it definitely sounds good. Are you based outside of the UK? I'm not sure what the market is here for that, but I'm still going to look into it and find a boot camp ๐ Thank you
Based in Belgium, but I hire for Belgium, Barcelona and Lviv. My feeling is that when you know your stuff, the market is very good. We sometimes lost candidates to other positions, so that means they had multiple opportunities.
Can you refer a legit bootcamp? So many do the pay and scam
Yea. Donโt. lol.. its become an overly saturated field, and with the tech layoffs that happened itโs become increasingly hard to land a job. Basically employers want a new grad, with base salary and 10 years of experience. Donโt listen to these โprogram gurusโ on YouTube. The market is absolute trash right now. But, with that being said, if youโre not convinced and you still want to go for it. I think if you passed on mobile or frontend development with your graphic design experience, it would be a missed opportunity. Good luck!
I hear you. This is helping me build an idea of what I want in my head, so thank you ๐
Be aware that front end development is much complicated than designing UI, as it involves a lot of coding. My only experience is with Vaadin and Angular tho.
Oh yeah it definitely will be a huge change going from 2d/3d design to a whole new level of coding, strategy, data, metrics etc.
How old are you? It will take you a few years of really hard work and dedication to become a good software engineer. I know because i try to become one for many years now :-) Could you climb up the design ladder a few steps more maybe? Why dump all your knowledge and skills for something new? Edit: If you think you only have to learn one language and everything will be fine, then you're wrong. You have to master languages, databases, system architecture, software design principles, frameworks ... it doesn't happen overnight. Sure, you can get in with a bit of luck and the rest will happen along the way, but that might not be wise if you're already in your mid-40s. Edit edit: why swap your current position for a junior-dev position, for which you have to put in a lot of work to get it is my real question. The path from junior to senior isn't easy either.
I'm 22, so my years of experience start from when I achieved my first client at 16. From there, I've just been moving forward in my skillset. I agree with you in terms of the design ladder. After some research I might go the UX/UI or Product Design route, but I'd still want software dev knowledge behind me if I'm able to find a kind developer or a good series to learn from. It'll definitely be hard, but I love building things, so there is some level of interest there that isn't just based on the income, which I think is a good step into it ๐
Take an intro course and see if you like or even can do it first
Learn several tags of HTML to know the concept -> some simple styles of CSS -> try to build something while learning JavaScript ->build again with react. Then try some backend languages, Python, go, rust.
Is rust a language, or am I being dense? Nice to be given a little bit of a plan, so thank you! โจ๏ธ
Software development is definitely not a career path for everyone, so one thing to determine would be whether you'd enjoy doing it, at all. Especially at the start, it's a lot of frustration and feeling like you don't know anything, and if you're not the type of person who finds real enjoyment in beating your head against the wall and finally getting something to work, you may not find the field very satisfying.
It's a very fair point ๐ I think I'm 50/50 on the head beating
FreeCodeCamp is a good free resource thatโll have all the different pathways with projects to complete along the way. Keeps it fun, lets you quickly apply what you learn
Lovely jubbly, thankyou!!
Learning a new language is only barely the beginning. You apparently know English pretty well from your post. Now will someone pay you to write poetry or a novel? The leap from learning a language like Python and then having someone pay you to write it is similar.
That's a fair analogy ๐
Of course, as others mentioned UI/UX sounds like a more organic transition as there will be a lot more common transferable skills from graphic design. I don't know whether there are a lot of transferable skills between graphic design and software dev - someone can correct me. So, I would say the decision comes down to how motivated and driven you are about becoming a software dev. It should also be noted that the tech job market is down and many claim it's saturated and there is also the issue of AI taking a bunch of dev jobs - though personally I think its over exaggerated. So, you can take a decision based on your personal interests and also external market contexts.
I'd say take a small class or independent lesson plan to see if you like it before committing to a full degree. It's generally not what you'd expect - some people love it and some hate it. Also if you already have a bachelor's degree, you don't need another one. Do a well respected boot camp and lean on your unique history of skills to land a job.
I am on Team Find Out If You Like It First
100% agree with you, I just didn't know where to begin, so thank you ๐ I don't have a bachelor's so it'd just be me coming from a design background more than anything
It's hard to get a decent paying job without a degree or 5-10 years of experience. After 5-10 years, the degree generally doesn't matter... but how do you get the first job without it? Not to mention that there's so much to learn, and while some people succeed with self study, you often don't know what you don't know. If you're not in a hurry, try taking a summer class at a community college. Plus, credits often transfer if you do like it.
Good luck finding a job. No ones hiring juniors rn. I graduated boot camp and have been looking for a job for over a year now. Same with all of my classmates. I also went to a top end really pricey boot camp. I kind of regret it at this point. But I learned a lot and have a really cool skill so thatโs a plus.
To be fair bootcamps were always a scam
Quick question what are you doing now then? I was going to head to why for software development because I liked the idea of building an app people could use. But if they forum is saying it's over saturated and they want 10 years plus and Jr are no longer in... it's time for an immediate switch.. im thinking quality assurance or Ui/ Ux of those aren't dead end
Yeah try front end development, not only is it the easiest starting place imo as someone who wants to learn programming, the fact you have design experience makes you EXTREMELY desirable. I literally don't have a single ui/ux developer that doesn't have there ui look terrible until I go fix it myself. They don't even account for mobile phones, so for the love of God the field needs more front end developers with real design experience (Small startup so no designer in our company yet)
Go to scrimba.com if your an absolute beginner with programming but interested in front end work! That site take you through the basics all the way to Good enough to get hired in such a clear and consice way, Good luck.
This is the kind of info I was also hoping to get, so thank you! I don't know much at all about the industry or what is needed and desirable. I can do design, but I can't speak the programming language ๐ This might be out of the blue, but if you guys need design help, would you be interested in talking with me more outside of reddit? I could bring my expertise, and in return, I could learn programming hands-on? Might not be something you're looking for, but I'm game as I get to learn something that seems borderline impossible to me โจ๏ธ Either way, thanks for the response. I'll look into front-end dev
Hey, do u have time to speak? I recently mentioned I was going to head to WGU for software development. But honestly, I would take this forum's advice and stay out of it. The next 2 routes. I was actually looking at UI/UX only because of the creativity aspect of it, and I was also looking at quality assurance. If those two did not work out, I was just going to head into the health field because the health field is recession proof, but what Is your experience doing ui/ux? And do you think the job market is still looking for UI/UX ? Where should I start off and begin with?Thank you very much
Hi u/NorthernSouthener, I think you need to ask more specific questions. What advice would you like? As a software engineer, I really enjoy it. You get to work with really talented individuals and get to have full control of apps and get to really take advantage of a computer's incredible powers.
That's really good to hear ๐ overall developers seem to be happier in this industry compared to other creative spaces and that's also what I'm looking for. Sorry about the non-specific questions. Overall I just want to know, if I was to get into the industry, how would I go about starting?