DEV Community

Stefan
Stefan

Posted on • Originally published at codewithfan.hashnode.dev

Transitioning from the Army into Tech

My Short Story

Serving full time as a Soldier and teaching myself how to code is no easy journey to begin. The summer of 2021, a couple of youtube videos, and the weight of having another baby inspired me to make an early decision to change careers. Overall, the opportunity to work remote, salary, and quality of life was the hook to break into tech.

What is my journey so far

Choosing my path

Once I decided I wanted to break into tech, I researched, googled, and youtube what the easiest, lucrative, and high salary jobs. For a beginner, I decided to go with being a front end developer. I fell upon The Odin Project because the cost, FREE! I ended up making it to the JavaScript section in Foundations and felt discourage to continue due to the difficulty of understanding functions.

Now, I am currently engaged in the #100Devs cohort hosted by an excellent teacher Leon Noel. Leon is currently teaching a 30 week bootcamp for free for people that were affected by the pandemic or wanting to break into tech. I realized that I needed a course with structure, and this is my time to shine!

Finding a Village

Because I enrolled into the #100Devs cohort, I was able to connect with hundreds of other people who have the same mindset of not being satisfied with their careers and wanting to make a change for themselves. I discovered being surrounded by a village pushes me to work harder, not give up so easily, and help others around me achieve their goals. Once you find your village, there is no turning back!

Are you thinking about it

My overall advice for those on the fence, JUST DO IT! It does not hurt to dive into the abyss of the unknown like coding. You will never know if it suits you if you do not try. Start today, stay disciplined, show grit, join a community, and most importantly, trust the process.

Latest comments (0)