Patrick Reany
20 December 2023
I've extracted outlines from the advice of a number of developers from their YouTube videos
on how they advise new coders/programmers to move from wherever they are to production-level
developers. Although my brief outlines of their presentations tend to follow their chronologies,
the numbering of my outlines may not exactly correspond to theirs. My notes are bare minimum,
so, you'll have to watch the videos to have the presenters themselves flesh-out their full contents.
Although the advice presented here-in is generally intended to make one ready to find a job in
the industry, much of it could also be useful to a research programmer or for one's personal
hobbyist use. I am such a person, and this webpage also has good advice (I hope) for me.
As I peruse the broad diversity of good advice given below, I conclude that no one person could
follow all of it. So, choose wisely a subset of it and proceed. It might help you to read the
comments on these videos to help you decide.
On the whole, I found these videos to be both informative and interesting. Their advice falls into
four categories:
a) Hard skills: coding and algorithms.
b) Soft skills: working with people, having the right attitude, etc.
c) Internet resources: GIThub, Youtube, training schools, websites, etc.
d) Persistence and a lot of hard work.
Finally, I'll give a piece of my own advice: The computer industry is chock full of jargon
terms and acronyms --- Learn them. SWE = software engineer. OSI Model = Open Systems
Interconnect Model. That's two down.
And so we begin. I present the websites in random order.
Coding Learning MISTAKES that Hold Beginners Back: Internet Made Coder
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=33QcgtOSoQY
Be careful of:
1. Trying to remember it all: You can't retain all the details in your memory.
2. Taking on too many computer subjects at the same time, which can
How I Would Learn To Code (If I Could Start Over): Namanh Kapur
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k9WqpQp8VSU
1. Mindset. Adopt a coding mindset. There's always a solution.
Learn problem solving. CS50 Yes!
2. Coding. Learn well at least one language. (Python is a good one)
Use online learning resources. Include objects, classes, and similar stuff.
Hash maps and arrays to start with.
Learn how to script for simple but repetitive tasks.
Commit to completing a personal project. [Learn some JavaScript/TypeScript]
(I left out a lot of details here.)
Crud app: create/read/update/delete.
Practice interviewing.
Learn recursion.
3. Build something in a production environment.
Learn the terminal. It's faster than the graphical user interface. (Linux better
than Windows environment.)
Learn an editor. (VScode)
Learn GIT. GIThub
Why Javascript should be your first programming language: Your Average Tech Bro
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gfX5Gjn0lX4
1. Javascript/React for website dev and mobile applications.
How To Learn Coding in 2024 Within Few Months | Tips & Tricks : CodeEasy
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oDM741Pl5PE
1. Choose a language (Python).
2. Have clear goals.
3. Learn the basics.
4. Practice.
5. Problem solving.
6. Read/modify others's code.
7. Join coding community.
8. Do a project for fun or skill.
9. Learn to debug.
10. Review and refactor (fixing/improving code).
11. Embrace the difficult.
12. Have fun.
7 Habits I've Picked Up From Senior Software Developers: Andy Sterkowitz
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zivngNtLiuY
1. Train to focus 'on project' and for the long term.
2. Learn to automate.
3. Be pragmatic. Stick to what matters. Minimize effort.
4. Teach/help others.
5. Be openminded/flexible to new ways, technologies, and languages.
6. Be open to feedback/advice from others.
7. Follow your interests. Constant learning.
How I'd Learn to Code RIGHT NOW (If I Started from Scratch): Andy Sterkowitz
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jzaz7oH15IU
1. Master the fundamentals.
Head First Javascript Programming book is recommended.
2. Build a simple app.
3. Learn a second programming language; apply for a job.
4. Prepare/practice for the job interview itself.
5. Practice leetcoding and HackerRank problems.
("leet" refers to "elite"; hence, leetcoding is to develop elite-level coders.)
HackerRank problems are similar to leetcoding, but are intended to be
competative and will be scored.
10 Ways To Get Better At Coding: Keep On Coding
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GGSmywkXKOE
Be aware that whatever you have learned can be lost by lack of frequent reinforcement.
1. Review other people's code.
2. Have others review your code.
3. Do side projects for fun.
4. Learn multiple languages.
5. Contribute to open-source projects.
6. Use existing code, especially built-in code.
7. Code live in front of reveiwers.
8. Take on challenging projects.
9. Take a programming course.
10. Suggested learner's resources.
How To Grow As a Junior Developer To Senior | 5 Tips: Travis Media
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JoU_CZWOoo0
1. Learning takes effort and patience.
2. Develop soft skills: communication, decision making, teamworker, dependable.
3. Develop more technical skills beyond the fundamentals. Continual learner. On line courses.
4. Put into practice your decision-making skills. Give options rather than excuses.
5. Take on the mindset that you will be more than just a coder.
How to THINK Like a PROGRAMMER! : Tech by Ralph
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eBk15t5vyMU
1. Break problem into smaller bits.
2. Learn to debug. (Use built-in debugger if available)
3. Learn from other programmers.
4. Be open for new ideas. Constant learner.
5. Keep practicing.
FASTEST Way To Learn Coding and ACTUALLY Get A Job: Brian Cache
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KsXp22QLMv0
1. Pick a flexible language with back- and front-end applications.
Javascript or Python
Stick with one or both of these languages and don't jump around at first.
2. Don't wait too long before you begin to code exercises and then projects yourself.
Try freecodecamp.
Learn frameworks later on.
3. Enhance a previous API. Upload to your GIThub account. Make your own website.
4. Apply to jobs according to what you know. Make a good resume. Make it fit the
requirements of the Applicant Tracking System (keep the formatting simple).
5. Apply to the company directly through its website.
6. Be good at the soft skills (adaptable, problem solver, listener, etc).
7. Use the interviewing experience as a learning experience.
5 Creative Ways To Get a Coding Job: Aaron Jack
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PLF3_pMDmc8
1. Cold messaging people.
2. Find a company that has been recently funded.
3. Contact a company recruiter: demo your skill with a personal video.
3. Meet-ups, or better, hackathons.
4. Create/contribute to some open-source project.
Write an SDK (Standard Developer Kit).
Publish something.
5. Freelance for the experience. Low-code option.
6. Cover tech news for others. Content creation.
I gave 127 interviews. Top 5 Algorithms they asked me: Power Couple
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EM8IgIIiOdY
0. Bellman-Ford, A*, Floyd Worshall.
1. Breadth first search (BFS) & Depth First Search (DFS) [stack vs. queues].
Dijkstra's algorithm and Topological Sort.
2. Dynamic Programming.
3. Backtracking
4. Sliding Window
5. Top k elements: know what a heap is (it's useful for finding extreme elements of a set).
5 Math Skills Every Programmer Needs: Power Couple
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iF0I2SPk5JU
1. Exponential backoff.
2. Time/space complexity.
3. Combinations.
4. Logarithms.
5. Factorials.
6. Exponentials.
7. Modulus.
5 Coding Projects That Give You An UNFAIR Advantage: Tech With Tim
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V1hjSeSF4xg
Making yourself standout to companies. [Advanced-level stuff]
1. Automating trading bot.
2. Sentiment analysis tool.
3. Block chain voting system. (Web 3)
4. On-line multiplayer game.
5. Computer-vision application. (rasberry pi application)
How I would learn to code (if I could start over): Pirate King
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=To8hKb112Aw
1. Learn by doing.
2. Build your career early. Internships.
3. Copy ideas from others.
4. Be proactive. Just do it.
5. Invest in a Macbook.
6. Master one programming language. (Python)
7. Be autonomous. (Google it.) AWS your projects.
8. Learn how to debug. Visual Studio (code) is a great IDE. Use break points.
9. Leetcode early. Complexity.
10. Positive mindset.
I've Changed My Thinking On Self-Taught Development (...a bit): Travis Media
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mWWsg2eKxRY
If you're only self-taught in coding, you may have crippled your deeper understanding of
programming. Travis tells us what we should do to fix this potential problem. It's not
too late to fill-in some of the holes in our understanding. Travis repeats some of the
advice given above, but also goes beyond that.
1. Learn Rust after learning Python/Javascript. It will help you to learn the stack and the
heap. Also, it's a language that Microsoft is fully endorsing. One particular advantage it has
over C/C++ is that it leaves no memory management to the programmer. Errors in memory
management can lead to nasty bugs and security exploits.
2. Those self-taught programmers have overlooker deeper programming aspects that they
should seek to learn as time goes on. Do this, or let the imposter syndrome take over.
3. Learn something about data structures, networking (OSI Model), security, authentication
protcols for career advantages. View CS50 on-line lectures.
4. Use TypeScript over JavaScript. Perhaps learn C#.
And there you have it. I stopped at this point because other websites I looked at seemed to be
repetitive. But feel free to check out more creators on this topic.
My last comment is that not all of the advice given is equally applicable to all readers,
so you should decide on the advice that seems most in line with your own goals.