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mryoung
4,156 PointsTo get a junior position how many hours should you study and for how long?
So, searching around google brings up so many answers it’s crazy. Most of the answers have been given years ago (so I’m assuming they’re outdated).
If someone wanted to go from zero to hired, how long will that take and over what time period?
Personally, I know the idea of coding for 8-12 hours everyday isn’t practical, and it would lead to burnout easily.
I’d love to do 4 hours a day, but I have other responsibilities and a full time job, so that too isn’t practical really, besides weekends.
So I try to put in 15min-1 hour of study time a day, and if I’m building something about 1-3 hours, most of which is on the weekend. Most times I don’t get to do both, it’s either study or build.
2 Answers
Eric M
11,546 PointsHi mryoung,
It depends on a number of factors, and no one can say how many hours you need to study - we are all different.
To get a job, in any field, you need to come accross as more capable than the other applicants. For a junior developer position you will need to seem more capable than other potential junior developers.
Who will these other candidates be?
- Self taught / hobyists
- Graduates of bootcamps and courses like udacity and team treehouse
- IT Graduates & IT Professionals changing direction who would rather be on the development side
- Computer Science Graduates
How can you get a job when those are your competition? By showing you can do the work. For non-CS grads this is usually achieved through a portfolio, which is why the Treehouse Tech Degrees have a focus on portfolio projects.
A finished project shows not only that you understand coding, but that you can do the work to put something in front of other people and have it work. This is no small thing and can absolutely set you apart from other skilled people who can not quickly prove they can go from zero to product.
How many hours will it take you to build these projects? This will depend on how you learn. It may be than one hour a day on average is enough. 15 minutes a day is unlikely to get you to a level of a junior developer position but can certainly help you build coding skills that can help in many other jobs.
Keep in mind that if you do become a developer you absolutely will be programming ~8 hours every work day.
The good news is, your last project is always better than the one before it, and if it's not another level of complexity, you'll probably be faster too.
Try to enjoy the learning (because a career in programming is constant learning) and really make sure you understand teh fundamentals through and through. It's better to do the basics three or four times than rush through them and not fully understand the concepts that build upon them.
Best of luck and happy coding,
Eric
Jay Reyes
Python Web Development Techdegree Student 15,937 PointsAt least 25 for treehouse's FullStack track.
This doesn't include finetuning your portfolio for interviewers. So another 5?
6 hours a week means a month... but like you I have a full-time gig. Then there's reviewing what you learned.
I say give it 2 months.
mryoung
4,156 Pointsmryoung
4,156 PointsSo would you say 3 years is ridiculous to get a junior position?
My plan has been to build a simple portfolio with professional sites and a couple apps showcasing what I’ve learned over a year of self teaching.
Sometimes people act like even this isn’t enough, that it requires 12 hours of coding on top of studying to even get close to a decent level to find a position.
Why is there such a variety of answers on this?
Eric M
11,546 PointsEric M
11,546 PointsI wouldn't say that no. Depending on how one uses their time three years could be an abundance, a struggle, or not enough.
For most people, if it was their focus - even with full time work, I would absolutely expect three years to be enough to learn a new skill and get employed using it. Three years is very reasonable.
My point was, no one can tell you the particular amount of time it will take. Time is not the deciding factor. How well you can learn the fundamentals, build on them, and apply them to solve problems is more important than three months or three years.
Your plan is solid, and if you want a career as a programmer the sooner you get the job the better. There is no reason not to apply for jobs every six months along a three year journey. If you get a job after one year, great! You'll be programming every day at your job and get better even faster.
There's a variety of answers to this because people are mostly speaking from experience, and people have different experiences. I have spoken to people who got hired straight out of a 12 week bootcamp with no prior experience and others with relevant degrees who spent 3 years trying to find that first job, building side projects all the while. How long you study is not the only factor, so asking the question "how long should I study" will get a broad range of answers depending on what other factors are assumed.
Jay Reyes
Python Web Development Techdegree Student 15,937 PointsJay Reyes
Python Web Development Techdegree Student 15,937 PointsThanks for the insight. I have Support experience, and have dedicated 4 hours per week over the last two months on Full Stack (and Git, console) tracks.
I will be discussing a techdegree with Treehouse soon :). As you said, a robust portfolio will enhance my candidacy greatly.