How I Learned to Code - and Got a Job at Google!

 

How I Learned to Code - and Got a Job at Google!

 

Hello…..

4 steps I personally used to learn to code.

First of all I took a few summer courses during my summer break, so the first course I took was an introductory programming course it covered topics like loops, variables, if statements, and functions, and then the second course I took was on data structures and algorithms. It covered topics like trees, graphs, hash tables, Searching, and sorting these two courses were both taught using Java After I took those courses I decided to learn more on my own I heard that you can use something called "Ruby on Rails" to build websites And I wanted to build a website So I decided to learn Ruby on Rails and "Ruby" which Ruby on Rails is based on. And to learn Ruby, I use the website called The Pragmatic Programmer, and to practice using it I use this other website called Project Euler which gives you a ton of simple programming problems to solve. To learn Ruby on Rails I used Rails for Zombies, which is an interactive website for learning how to use Ruby on Rails.

Step 3 I started working on a bunch of personal projects. My first real personal project was going to be like the reedit of Pakistan Partly because I'm originally from Pakistan and I was living in Pakistan at the time

Working on this project was really helpful for understanding how Ruby on Rails works How Ruby works and also how web technologies in general work. Through this project I also learned the importance of asking for help. You know, when you're new to programming It's so easy for you to get stuck, and I think it's really important for you to just ask for help You can do this virtually through websites like Stack Overflow, Facebook groups, or reedit, or in person if you know someone who knows how to code in person. And then, using the skills and connections I developed, partly through my projects. I got a few technical internships. These technical internships were really helpful for developing my skills further. because I started getting feedback on my code from my colleagues, and I started learning a lot more a lot faster than on my own. In between those internships, and even when I had one of those internships.

I kept working on more personal projects. That was partly because it was just fun, and partly because I wanted to build more skills.

And after all that I started working on my technical interview skills, and eventually I got a job at Google as a full-time software engineer. So if you're just getting started with programming or if you're a complete beginner what should you do exactly? I'd recommend the following four steps first of all, you should learn the basics of programming through one of those interactive websites. I personally recommend Code academy, but I also heard that freeCodeCamp is also pretty good If you're not sure which language to get started with, I do recommend either Python or JavaScript after that, start working on a personal project It could be a website, an app, or automating a simple task. As you work on your project, keep learning more through those Interactive websites. And for more advanced topics that those websites don't cover, I'd recommend Lynda.com and Udemy.

Step number 2! As you work on your personal project I think one important aspect here is the community aspect. If programming is something that's totally new for you, it's probably going to be really hard and so, it's really important for you to be able to get help from others through online or offline communities. So try using websites like Stack Overflow, Meetup.com, and Facebook groups and events to find relevant communities.

 

Step number 1! Try getting an internship Or a job, ideally a paid one Once you do, you should be able to learn even more quickly, because You'll be able to get some feedback from your colleagues on your code. And those are the four steps I would personally use to learn to code today. If you have extra time and money to spare, going through a coding boot camp, or Even getting a degree from a university might also be a good option Okay,