Adrian TwarogI wasn't always a developer, and swapping careers from IT was one of the hardest decisions I made during a period where I had a mortgage, wife, baby and good-paying job to becoming a developer.
I was hoping to share my experience of how I swapped careers after having put all my eggs into Information Technology. I did my university degree in Computer Science and spent over 10 years working in the field working my way up the ladder.
Swapping to web & app development was hard, but the fact that it was always a secret dream of mine kept me going. I loved hearing about my friends who worked in the field, making awesome projects and doing things for clients who were ecstatic about the results.
My job in IT didn't feel fulfilling, and slowly and steadily, I started to learn design and development. I started learning the basics on youtube and through google searches after work each day. First I began with HTML, then CSS, and Javascript. I tried to take little steps so as not to feel overwhelmed, but the more I learnt, the more I enjoyed it.
I got to a point where I was ready to work on a small project. It was during this period when I learn the most. I gave myself 1 year to complete a real online business which I wanted to take to market. The process of giving myself a deadline and working through all the goals and problems myself grew my experience to the point where I was confident I could deliver a real project in development.
I was still working in IT at the time, but I started doing small jobs and projects for friends and contacts. This helped me build my portfolio, so when I was finally able to make the decision to swap careers, I had learning, experience, and real-world projects to explain to recruiters that I had delivered.
This helped me land the job I am now still doing, which is being a developer & (and designer). These days I don't just work my day job, I am trying to help others learn how development works, hopefully completing the full cycle in my journey that started more than 10 years ago.
I hope this helps you if you are considering becoming a developer. If it's truly something you want to learn, take small steps and before you know it, you will be on your way.
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