Software Engineer

5 stops · self-paced · a common path, not the only one

1. 📍

   You are here

   Today — wherever you're starting from

2. 📚
   LearnNext stop →

   Learn the basics of coding — HTML, CSS, then JavaScript (free on freeCodeCamp)

   Don't buy a course yet — freeCodeCamp's free curriculum is plenty to find out if coding clicks. Aim to build tiny things, not just finish tutorials.

   ⏱ self-paced · 💵 free–low cost

3. 💼
   Break in

   Pick one language to go deeper in: Python for data/AI roles, JavaScript for web

   Python and JavaScript open the most doors. Pick one and stick with it for 3+ months before switching — depth beats breadth this early.

4. 🔨
   Build skills

   Build 3–5 projects you can show people (a website, a tool, an app)

   Projects are your real resume. A few finished, deployed-online ones beat a long list of half-built ideas.

   ⏱ self-paced · 💵 free–low cost

5. 🎓
   Education

   Either do a coding bootcamp (3–6 months) or pursue a CS degree

   Bootcamps are faster and cheaper; a degree opens more big-company doors. Plenty of engineers have neither — a strong portfolio can stand in for both.

   ⏱ ~2–4 years · 💵 tuition varies — aid often available

6. 🤝
   Get experience

   Apply for junior developer roles or internships — your portfolio matters more than your degree

   Apply even when you don't meet every 'requirement' — they're wish-lists. A public GitHub with active projects gets you past the first screen.

   ⏱ ~2–4 years · 💵 tuition varies — aid often available

7. 🏁

   Software Engineer

   Your destination