I Learned to Code in 3 Months But Becoming a REAL Developer Took 4 Years 💻
The Brutal Truth About Learning to Code 😬
- You CAN learn basic coding in 3-4 months
- But becoming job-ready takes WAY longer
- Professional experience >>> Personal projects
- You need to start LOW and build up
Intro
Look, I'm gonna be real with you. All these YouTube gurus telling you you'll have a 6-figure tech job in 3 months? They're lying. I learned to CODE in 3 months, sure. But it took me 4 YEARS to become a legit software engineer. Let me tell you how it really went down.
The 3-Month Coding Bootcamp Fantasy 🦄
So yeah, I did learn the basics in 3 months. FreeCodeCamp, Codecademy, YouTube tutorials - I did it all. I learned HTML, CSS, JavaScript. I could build a todo list app and thought I was hot stuff. Spoiler alert: I wasn't.
After 3 months, I knew how to code. But I didn't know how to PROGRAM. There's a massive difference between writing code to solve tutorial problems and building actual software that people use.
The Reality Check That Hit HARD
I applied to like 200 jobs with my todo list app and got zero responses. ZERO. Because everyone and their mom has a todo list app on their portfolio. Companies want to see REAL experience.
What companies actually want:
- Professional experience (even internships count)
- Collaboration on actual production code
- Knowledge of real-world tools (Git, Jira, CI/CD)
- Ability to work in a team environment
My ACTUAL Path (The Long Version)
Here's what REALLY worked for me:
Year 1: Learned basics, built crappy projects, got rejected everywhere. Started contributing to open-source projects for FREE just to get experience.
Year 2: Got my first "tech" job - doing basic WordPress sites for $15/hour. Not glamorous, but it was professional experience on my resume.
Year 3: Leveraged that experience into a QA tester role at a startup. Still not a dev, but I was in the door. Started learning the company's tech stack on my own time.
Year 4: Finally got promoted to Junior Developer. From there, it was all uphill.
Start LOW, Aim HIGH
The biggest lesson? Aim as low as you need to get your foot in the door. I'm talking:
- Unpaid internships (if you can afford it)
- QA testing positions
- IT support roles
- Freelance WordPress gigs
- Literally ANYTHING tech-adjacent
The Projects That Actually Matter
Those personal projects? They help, but they're not magic. Here's what actually works:
- Open-source contributions (shows you can work with others)
- Projects with actual users (even if it's free)
- Solving real problems, not just cloning Netflix
- Documentation skills (seriously, this matters)
The Skills Nobody Talks About
Everyone focuses on coding, but here's what actually got me hired:
- Git (and not just 'git push')
- Debugging other people's code
- Writing clear documentation
- Communicating technical concepts
- Actually finishing projects
Final Thoughts
Look, I'm not trying to discourage you. I'm trying to save you from the disappointment I felt when I realized coding tutorials weren't enough. The journey to becoming a software engineer is LONG, but it's worth it.
Just don't expect to go from zero to six figures in 3 months. Be patient, start low, build up, and most importantly - never stop learning. The tech industry respects persistence more than natural talent.