I had been working 9-5 as a Software Tester and self-learning to code in the evening at the same time for almost two years before transitioning to Developer position. I think that approach works best for my situation; here are why:
I need to pay my bills, so I had to work fulltime
Working in a Software development team helped me to learn other skills required for a developer: Agile, scrum, Development cycle, Communication. I also made friends to some of the developer coworkers, who become my mentors. Additionally, IMO, junior Software Tester Job is easy to get, It does not require much knowledge (I don't have a CS degree)
After learning times, I requested the manager for a transition to Developer role in the same team, he accepted with two months of probation, and I passed!
I had been working 9-5 as a Software Tester and self-learning to code in the evening at the same time for almost two years before transitioning to Developer position. I think that approach works best for my situation; here are why:
That was my story, hoping someone found it useful
I spent years doing tech support and learning on my own. It worked out eventually!