Top 5 Web Developer Courses For Beginners Who Want To Keep Their Day Job While Learning To Code On The Side
Hey there, prospective tech professional!
Last week, I encouraged you to take the plunge into tech as a career. And since you took that super neat-o career quiz on Skillcrush's website, I'm confident you swan dived into the vast sea of coding tutorials, YouTube videos, and other resources that most likely amounted to one thing: A BALL OF CONFUSION.
For that dear Coder, I am sorry. I know how intense all of this learning-how-to-code stuff can be, especially when you're bombarded with a whole lotta web development course options on the Net.
It's okay to feel a teensy bit overwhelmed. From coding bootcamps to full-fledged computer science degrees, the resources available to you are truly limitless.
Although educational opportunities abound, you might feel like these courses won't mesh well at all with your full-time job.
Well, I'm here to tell you that's NOT at all true.
In fact, you can start learning how to code and program for just a few minutes every day after work. There's no need to pay for a bootcamp or quit your day job to pivot into the tech industry!**
In today's post, I'm giving you 5 of the top coding course resources that you'll absolutely love taking in your spare time. These tried and true courses are high-quality, perfect for beginner web devs just like you, and–most importantly–they won't break your piggy bank.
Top 5 Web Developer Courses For Beginners Who Want To Keep Their Day Job While Learning To Code On The Side
Responsive Front-End Web Design | FreeCodeCamp.org – You're going to hear and see and read the words "FreeCodeCamp" forever and ever, so you'd better strap in for the ride of a lifetime! Okay, so maybe it's not that intense, but it is pretty dang cool. I loved taking this course and making a cute little app for the very first time. You will too!
Web Development 101 | The Odin Project – While I have yet to take this course, I keep hearing about how the thorough coursework from The Odin Project really propels students from novice to web dev badassery in a short period of time. Granted, this is probably a combination of two things: 1) Excellent curriculum and 2) Students' desire to tackle the coursework. That said, I recommend taking their WD101 course because techies rave about it. Additionally, I would like to know your thoughts on this.
CSS Fundamentals | SoloLearn – This course is a personal favorite. When I first started coding, I wanted to be able to learn from my mobile device, especially since I tend to stare into my little black mirror all the time, anyway. A friend recommended SoloLearn, and I was hooked. I even earned a couple of certificates for my efforts. The coursework is easy to grasp and available via desktop for those times when you need a bigger monitor.
JavaScript Introduction | edX – I've taken a few exceptional marketing courses from edX, which is why I'm recommending you sign up for their programming courses. Although most of the curriculum is predetermined, this is a great way to practice and fine-tune your programming skills in a self-paced way. You also have the option to buy in if you want access to the course's educators.
Any course you want | W3Schools – OMG, Coder. Never underestimate the educational power of W3 Schools. Back in 2012 or so, I came across W3 when I had a peculiar WordPress blogging issue. As soon as I discovered W3, I was intrigued by coding and front-end development. I took their HTML course and loved it. I still refer to W3 whenever I'm stumped. This is the free school you'll always want to bookmark as a go-to resource.
What I love most about these five courses is that all of them are self-paced. This means that you'll be able to keep your day job and code in your free time.
Because let's face it – we all have bills to pay!
Why not keep your job while pivoting to the next one? It's a smart way to develop your professional skills and to see if coding and programming are really right for you.
I encourage you to take your time with the coursework, starting with HTML and CSS, and dedicate a few minutes every day to it. That way, you'll be able to build up a coding habit–something we'll explore next week in a new post titled How I Made Coding A Habit With This 1 Simple Trick – And You Can, Too!
