The hardest part about changing career goals is, of course, figuring out exactly how to do it. I’m used to the idea that getting a certain type of job means getting a certain type of degree. That’s not really necessary for web development, and is completely impractical given my present student loan debt.
I considered going with a coding bootcamp. These claim to teach you web development through 2-3 months of intense practice and preparation. Some of them have pretty good job placement rates. Unfortunately, I can’t afford to move to San Francisco/NYC/Boston/Wherever and pay $10k+ on top of expensive cost of living, furthering my debt. Nor am I certain the investment would be worth it.
I thought about enrolling in a bootcamp that recently opened up near me that’s a little cheaper than most– $7,800 as opposed to $10-13k. At this point, though, there’s no way to tell how their job placement rate will turn out or the quality of the instruction. Fortunately, I discovered a community college in a neighboring city offers online continuing education classes that are affordable and look pretty informative.
Rather than try to take a quick route that would put me further in debt, I’m going to make the financially sound decision. I’ll try to find a full-time job in my area, probably in business administration or human resources, and continue learning web development online in my spare time. If I dedicate 2 weeknights and a Saturday or Sunday to it, I can get in 12-15 hours a week. Hopefully with enough practice, building up my portfolio, and networking, I can land a job as a Jr. Web Developer. I’m giving myself 6 months to a year before I’ll consider going back for another degree or a bootcamp.
The slow path, is, well, slow. But patience is a virtue… or at least a necessary character trait for this career path, anyway.