The great thing about web development is that anyone can change career and get into this exciting field. I've interviewed over 150 self-taught developers now and I can emphatically tell you, anyone can be a web developer!
As the tech industry has grown and software has taken over the world, there has been a surge in demand for people who can code. This means that companies are much more likely these days to accept applicants who have learned coding on their own at home or who have attended coding bootcamps. Let's address some common concerns.
Do you need maths for web development?
No, you do not need to be a maths wizz kid to make a successful career in web development. You just need to be able to understand basic logic. Lots of people nowdays become web developers after doing degrees in the humanities such as politics, sociology or philosophy. And many web developers don't have any degree at all! So you don't need to be great at maths for a career in web development.
Read how Anca changed career from hospitality to web development
Can I become a developer without a degree?
Yes! Nowadays most companies are happy hire web developers who learned to code online on their own or went to coding bootcamps. Lots of developers interviewed on No CS Degree do not have any degree whatsoever.
Can I become a developer at 30/40/50 years old?
As someone once put it on Twitter, the only time you can't become a developer is if you're dead. Otherwise, if you're willing to put in the hours of learning to code you can become a developer at any age.
Lots of people find they want a career change in their 30s and become web developers. For some people they make the change later and become developers in their 40s or 50s.
Shawn made a career change at 30 and became a Software Engineer with Amazon Web Services. He has since made a successful side-income selling ebooks for developers.
Matt made a career change at 50 and became a Software Engineer after going to the Manchester Codes bootcamp.
Can I get hired as a developer without experience?
All sorts of people become web developers these days from all sorts of backgrounds. Dani became a developer after going to the Makers bootcamp in London. She previously worked as a jazz pianist but her company were impressed at the skills she had acquired in her coding bootcamp.
