Thanks for watching! Here are timestamps if you want to move around :) Timestamps 1:00 My Job Before Becoming A Software Engineer 4:54 Why I Chose Not To Do a Bootcamp or get a CS degree 5:40 Recurse Center (free educational retreat) 6:50 How I Studied Before Quitting My Job 7:38 How I Studied After Quitting My Job 9:04: My Interview Experience 10:11: Interview Resources I Found Helpful
Off topic, but your very beautiful...... Ok onto the topic, I started in Computer Science, but I didn't understand when I was in college. And the college I went to school had nothing to do with the programming criteria.. but later wish I seen it through
Fresh Prince Right. I should have caught that right away, but the MESSAGE kept dragging on and on, so I had to bail. ENGINEERING of any kind is a BIG DEAL!
You reminded me of how I went through my career change. I was a truck driver, but I had no degree, not even a high school diploma. I went back to school to become a chiropractor, but I needed several pre reqs for Palmer college. Well after some time, my bank account looked like shit. I did like my computers class, so kept on going down that path. I graduated with Computer Science degree, got a job working on Apple computers. Then I went back got a degree in Information Systems. This last time I went back and got a degree in Cisco Telephone Systems, and a CCNA, CCNA Security certificates. Which is how I got a job with the government. I have now been deployed to Hong Kong and looking forward to my next deployment. Over all, "Never give up on yourself"!
I just lost my job and looking into this, what would be your first step if you had to do again, were the first two degrees needed or would you have just did Cisco telephon systems, CCNA and CCNA security
I have a neighbor Asian mom South American Dad. Both immigrants... Except they were in a cult and the only options were to be a wife or a missionary (wife).
I feel kids who finish highschool need to figure out what they really want to do in life before going to college. Other wise you end up with a Student Loan debt for a degree and career you hate.
I think it is extremely unfair to make a 16yr old decide what they want to do for the rest of their life, we don't live and die by the age of 30yrs old any more, that means at 16 you have to decide what you want to do for atleast around 70yrs, that is so unrealistic, however, atleast deciding for the next 10-20 is a goal I definitely would advocate for!!
Yes im thinking maybe school could give them some time to work as experience or for them to have a feel of workforce. Otherwise they can take a gap year before deciding what to take for their college. Then they would know roughly what they would want to do, instead of spending many years studying but end up not liking it when entering the workforce. It is hard.
@@neoloanderson6676 yes that's why there are people who then tried to do career switch. Even after obtaining the degree and spending so much money and time on it
@ITHEREONETHATHASNT stop right there. Click on my page and see that I too am a black woman in tech who struggled breaking into the industry self taught. I know her she is smart and we both went to the recurse center. She attended one of the top universities in the country. She is very brilliant. That is a myth. It took me over 2 years of applying to get a tech job. If black women were getting jobs handed to them then we wouldn't make up .7% of the industry although we major in cs at 4%. Were are these magical black women getting jobs?
this makes me cry. Here I am trying to figure out my next move and I'm reluctant to go into computers fearing it's not my forte or aptitude but seeing another person of colour who is a woman going into it without a computer science degree gave me hope. I even felt good enough to exercise after this video.
I want to study this and my husband said im crazy and that i can never make it. He always encourages me to give up on my dreams which he failed last time, i wannna prove him wrong again!
@@pearyummy1995 The best part is that they're YOUR dreams, not his. haha I'm currently working on a CCNA (networking certification) and I'm terrified. haha We can all do it! :D
Slow and steady wins the race. Even if it is 30mins everyday, put in the work. Software developers have it easy compared to other fields, you have nothing to loose.
I have Jamaican parents. I started college majoring in pre-med. Blood and the general public make me nauseous.I switch to engineering 3 years ago and to this day my mom still ask when am I going to med school.
SAME! Fellow Jamaican here interested in policy and research. My grandmother asked me up to two days ago, why I don't just go to med school. "You know NYU's med school is free, now??" hahaha
you should tell your parent that you're building engineer stuff for medical which doctors doesn't know so you're helping doctors.....that should quiet them a bit...haha
I've been working in the field for over 20 years and have made a good living at doing so without a college degree. During my career I have had a lot of doors close but several opened. It was definitely my passion, drive, and determination that set me aside because I refused to be denied. After 20 years of working my way up from a help desk analyst to an IT Project Manager I am finally completing a degree in Project Management because I knew there were things that I just could not learn on my own at this level of my career. As a black woman myself I can relate to a lot of the challenges minority's and women in general face in this career. Stay grounded and if this is what you love doing don't give up.
Don't be scared! I'm sort of in the same boat. I realized my parents can't dictate my life early but I still feel the effects, especially going to a local state school while living with them. I used to want to do law but I changed my major to CIS. Last year I was trying to tell my mom that UPS accepted me to an Information Technology internship program and she asked me if I was going to be driving trucks. There's nothing wrong with driving trucks, but my folks think if you aren't a doctor or lawyer you aren't worth anything. That doctor-lawyer mentality is toxic and is disrupting people's lives. I'm learning more outside of my schooling than I am in college. You will be just fine. Keep doing your research and get those certifications.
Just wanted to throw this other route out there: in some companies you can get a job in one sector, learn coding on the side, and then apply internally for engineering position openings. People do this in my best friend’s company and some people have basically doubled their salary by being proactive about learning coding, being coached by their coworker friends for the interview process, and then literally being interviewed by their friends. It’s still a strict process and you have to have the skills, but it’s soooo much easier to get your foot in the door and the interview process is much less stressful since you know the people interviewing you.
Thinking about doing this myself. I want to be a developer but I'm thinking getting into IT may be faster because I absolutely hate my non-tech job now.
TH-cam only shows part of the title in thumbnails, so all I read was _"How I Became a Software Engineer Without A Computer"_ and it would be an understatement to say I was surprised.
I am happy to hear that you became a software engineer, you don't need a CS degree, but you do need to learn and continue to learn! You have given alot of good advice and self study is critical! The field is in great need of good people who want to make a difference. I've been in IT for 20+ years I can say, it's been great to me. So my suggestions are for you to 1. Learn more than one programming language. 2. Learn all aspect of how to and support your web stack (Web Server, Database, OS, Network). 3. Get an understanding of Cloud Computing (AWS, GCP, AZURE) . Books to Read 1). Clean Code -Uncle Bob Martin. Actually everything by him. Also 2). The Phoenix Project.
Thank you!! I really do want to to dive into the tech world but I’m a bit lost and the numerous advice I see online kind of overwhelm me on which to follow or where to even start from. The motivation itself sometimes isn’t always there. Please can you mentor me? Teach me a lot of things and direct me if possible? I can drop my email or if you could drop yours so we’ll be in contact. It’ll be very much appreciated, thanks!
I want to do something new...but I want to forgo the reading (currently studying for an MBA). I just want hands-on practice...kinda like an apprentice.
I have CS degree due to family of computer ppl. I hated programming and would never practice programming. I was forced at age of 15 to take CS course in high school. 20 years later I have been doing programming at work for 10+ years already. I picked up VBA due to work purposes. However my job mainly uses SQL which is what I learned in university. Recently I am into data science so just started to learn R and Python. Yes totally agree you have to keep learning if you want to stay competitive.
My suggestion to everyone, find something that's interests you, create a small project and create a GitHub account and post it there. It could be something small, it doesn't matter, you have to sell yourself. That will show some initiative. Many companies, including my own, want passionate people in IT. I will take that over a Masters or Bachelors in CS any day. Also there is more than just being a programmer. I switched from coding to DevOps and I love it. Look at all different fields.
I am a software developer, and maybe people are not telling you this enough, but remember to make some time in your working hours to always learn some new technology (software library, framework, language...), even if it is about whatever product you have to use for work anyway. Even if it is not obvious in your current position, trust me you need to do this all the time. I would generally suggest investing your time in open-source programs for more freedom later, but really whatever suits your situation is fine...
well she is an engineer not a coder per-se; there is a big difference on being an engineer as being a coder and i know this because im a student in programming but i agree with the learning thing in computer science it should never end.
Mr Blonde yes, if you're an "engineer" you need to spend most of your waking hours honing your craft. Being an "engineer" just basically works out that you are expected to work in any technology stack that is thrown at you.
@@nycfpv that doesn't mean coding though; engineer != coder. Do you need to code to be an engineer? probably not, is it good that you know how to code as an engineer probably yes.
Mr Blonde you absolutely need to be able to code if you’re a software engineer. It’s best to be language agnostic and be able to be comfortable coding in any language and style. Maybe you’re confusing architect with engineer. Either way, no one is gonna let you architect anything if you aren’t a competent programmer first
I really hate the hiring process where they ask you to solve dumb puzzles and trick questions. Now that I'm in the position to hire devs I just send out a super simple task, ask them to spend 2 hours on it and then we talk about how they approached the solution. Gives me way more insight into if the person will fit the team. I also learned a thing or two from junior devs doing it this way.
Thank goodness. Our son is currently in 3rd year computer studies at uni and there are only one or two girls per class, in classes of 35 students. Hardly any girls seem interested. Why are there not more?
Aren't computer science and engineering majors at UCB (and all UC campuses) "impacted"? I.e., you have to apply for the major and there's no guarantee of acceptance due to limited enrollment.
NPC007 not only that, the course material is dry as fuck.. I’m a 4th year @ Berkeley too and I’m seriously considering on moving the hell out of this dry career-field
Data structures and algorithms is a huge part. I can’t stress it enough. It’s literally the bread and butter especially if you’re going to be dealing with the backend where all the data is.
So on Nov 24, 2020, I found this video after I was thinking to go back to college to get my CS degree, I'm 30 y.o. never got through college and always was considering it just to prove to family and friends that I can do it. Ever since I watched this video and a bunch of others right after I decided to do it myself and be a self-taught developer, I'll come back to visit this comment and update everyone on my progress. Thanks for sharing your journey
Yes my dear, Nigerian parents will tell you what you will be lol. Doctor or lawyer. I started out in nursing to make my Nigerian parents happy. In the end, I chose cyber security lol 🇳🇬🇳🇬🇳🇬
@@bambam6231973 To be honest college didn't make me feel as prepared as I hoped to be. A combination of self teaching and college worked for me. Everyone is different. However, some individuals enter the field with JUST certifications (self taught) and no college. It's up to you to make the decision on what best suits you. God bless and goodluck 😊🙏
But seriously, you still look like a lawyer. You have the hairstyle, the black shirt, the expression. But still it's so cool you switched sides. Thanks, Learned a lot.
Honestly, I just stumbled across your channel and I’m speechless. I’m a freshman at College majoring in computer science. I’m Nigerian as well! I’m just so inspired because you’re everything I’m hoping to be when I’m done with my career. A female Nigerian programmer?? Phew. Thank you so much for this 🥺🥺 you’ve got a new fan 🥰
@@Leedah8 Companies want to hire best performers. When a law require they have to hire certain percentage of certain group, they have to lower their standard and hire whomever is the best from the group.
@@neberboi The law is there for a reason, and y'all love to ignore that. There wouldn't be a need for quota filling if people weren't bias to begin with. Too much black talent out here being ignored because people love homogenous work spaces. You can deny it all you want.
If you just beginning, start with cs50 harvard lecture. Its completely free. And there is an udemy course that offers 95 percent discount for new users. It covers all the basics from html, CSs, php. Also freecodecamp gives you practice. GL sis.
tbh algorithms is important for the interview process, but for the actual skills there are other things that are probably more important. Like web technology. Really I don't see how you can be an engineer without some familiarity with database, web technology, and I'd add in computer networks for good measure. And to really have some clue of what you're doing, computer organization / architecture / operating systems is necessary. But you could easily buy a textbook on each of those topics and read them all, it would probably take you a year or so. My recommendation is really that you research what the best textbooks on each of these topics are - like go onto stackoverflow and try to find the recommended textbooks, buy them... and read them. You will be fine if you read them all. Also you should learn C++ before Java... Java is a C derived language, as are numerous other languages including javascript. Really I'd learn javascript along w/ HTML5 instead of Java, after C++ .
I am also a black woman. I’m 28 and wanting to transition careers as I hate working in healthcare and my field has been cutting jobs since Medicare changes happened. I want to learn a skill that will be forever in demand and that will also pay the bills 😩 I feel like I’m starting so late at my age but I’m not going to give up. I just started self studying and it’s so hard but yes we will get there. Everything new takes time. I’m giving myself a goal to be an engineer by the time I’m 30 if it be God’s will. I’m ready to change my life
This is crazy. My degree is also in Political Science and I graduated from College in 2016. I did a coding Bootcamp and now I have a job in tech 😂😂. Are we the same person???
KING I’m learning C# .NET stack too! It’s the language I want to specialize in. It’s really impressive how you learned after 7 months. I was expecting more than a year before I get a job. Much respect to you!
I can relate. Also have african parents. I also started off pre-med then moved to pre-law then I switched to cybersecurity. Now I am a cybersecurity analyst. I actually like my job for the most part and technology is a really good field to be in now a days and the money is good too. In 2020 tech is the move. Law isn’t really a diverse field cuz if one decides to move out of the country, the law degree is only applicable in America, whereas technology is global.
Theo NYC yes it does. Don’t underestimate the prestige of a degree. She can literally switch to an career field and have a better chance than those have relative major but no name schools.
At the age of 50, I am looking to change my career now after this virus has turned this world upside down. This is a big help. Thank you for sharing your experience and advice in becoming a software engineer.
I really admire you. I'm self taught software developer since I was 18, currently in my 30's, and lately have being wondering what's goin to be my future in the industry. I really like to code, not so much the analysis and architecture part, and honestly, I haven't met many coders older than 40, usually they take roles as project managers, or team leaders. I don't want to say there's age discrimination, but yeah... I hope you can make it!
You can do it, just start researching and trying things out. The fallout from the financial crisis from '08 is the primary reason why I went into I.T., never looked back and I haven't felt any 'shock' from this disastrous pandemic.
As a young Nigerian myself I’m so proud of you. you are my inspiration. I will be graduating soon and I’m so excited. Although my parents were to poor to help me I joined the Army national Guard and got free schooling. Phew it has been a journey but it sure will pay off. Stay blessed
Parents are so old fashioned these days, there actually isn't as much jobs for law graduates these days and hundreds of thousands of jobs remain unfilled in the tech industry. Most parents do not know this because they are not with the times.
Excellent advice, i had the same experience and to add, I work in top companies and still yet even experienced cs graduates failed interview tests, then later after we get the jobs we learned, the people who tested us, code worst then us in the real job. let me also add if you really wanna prosper build real projects that you can monetise so that you can profit from it, not just so you can get a job. what you have is a blessing. so you are gorgeous and intelligent and your previous studies are not waisted, they give you an added advantage. Stay blessed and stay n the blessing.
I was so inspired by your "how I spend my money" video I decided to check out your personal channel. You have a subscriber in me! I love the content and helpful advise. Keep up the good young Queen.
I'm an immigrant mother and I am soooo proud of you!!! Sharing your videos with my 15 year old who has very similar interests. Nothing would make me happier than to see her turn out just like you! Beautiful, resilient, brilliant and gracious.
Thank you so much for your videos. I'm a young black female from the Caribbean about to start my CS education in NY and its really amazing to see role models like you who have already been through the journey especially someone who came from another country. You give us hope and encouragement to accomplish anything.
HA! My dad is from Nigeria and wanted me to be a doctor soooooo bad growing up. I cracked up when you talked about the 3 routes. I'm so glad I didn't listen!!! And I'm so proud that you took the leap on your own with the self learned route. I went to General Assembly's bootcamp back in 2014 and had a crisis even after taking the web dev class because there was still a lot of uncertainty if I would get a job. I ended up becoming a UX Designer which I still do today and I love it. But when it comes to working in tech, I definitely do think being self motivated and improving your skills through self initiated projects is the way to go. Along with building your own community. You're so right! Thanks for sharing.
You are beautiful! I am trying to become a self taught analyst by learning SQL, Tableau, and Python by taking udemy courses. My background is in mechanical engineering. I just want to have the flexibility that software jobs offer.
Viviana Barrett Yes girl! I highly recommend them. However, make sure to have a plan because it’s difficult to be self disciplined when you don’t have a teacher keeping you on check! That’s the major downside of being self taught.
I've been trying to get a job as a software dev (opting for a few CS classes and a $10 Udemy web bootcamp) instead of the $10,000+ commitment of either path. I've had no luck whatsoever at even GETTING the interview and have been pretty down because I couldn't figure out what the heck was wrong with me. Honestly, I almost came to tears after watching your video and looking up interviewing.io and pramp.com. Your video has given me hope that I can get a job and I'm going to use these resources to land the job! Thank you very much! Edit: thank you all for the great advice! Still working away but not nearly as discouraged as I used to be. Thanks for the encouragement!
Gava don't give up... There even more resources out there to help you with the interview process and as she said after a while of interview you can see the patterns, repeat questions they are asking. Just make it your mission and most importantly let and look for others to help u on getting better at interview s.....
Go to networking events. Build some really cook projects. Know ur tech and talk about it.... Have some genuine conversation with recruiters. Connect with them on linked in. Show ur interested. This should get u a interview. Next grind ur algorithms, know ur tech.. good luck bud u got this.. I am a cs grad. U dont need it.....
@@al.e123iis7 thanks! Yeah I've been working on a few projects and ive been nervous to go and network and socialize but you're absolutely right. I'll be focusing on that over the next few months
I'm currently taking web development course. To become junior developer at first. Then I plan to move up to software engineer eventually. Btw if anyone play fortnite, reply to this comment for my user name.
Congrats on becoming a software engineer! It's a breath of fresh air to hear how you committed yourself to the career transition and put in the effort to achieve it. Keep it up
You’re stunning! ❤️ Thanks for this video, I just started in my job in tech and it’s lovely to see someone older than me give tips on the industry. Thank you sharing !!
I love when people are honest about themselves and their journey. Thank you and I definitely can relate with being in college and not knowing what to major in.
I love this, I can relate with you so much. My parents are Liberian/Jamaican and they wanted me to become a doctor so currently I am a “disgrace” because I left my premed major and am now searching for a new career.
Amazing! It´s always the same story - you get to a job that you hate, and soon you are looking for something that motivates you from 9 to 5 instead of something that burdens you. Congrats for having the courage! How does it feel to get paid to do what you love?
For any job there are two pathways. The standard one (with the right degree). And, the circuitous route which requires self-directed hard work and some luck. I taught myself to program just for the hell of it. I went to university to study philosophy and dropped out. I would have preferred Computer Science but didn’t have the maths. I ended up on a free (to the unemployed) part-time course on programming C on Unix (it was a long time ago) and from there got a job teaching the same course. Then I applied for a programming job at a tiny software house. I was fortunate that I was hired by someone who was also a self-taught programmer. Then that company was bought by a bigger company and I was kept on because by then I had the real experience to offset the lack of a CS degree. So, if you don’t have a CS degree but want to be a software engineer then you have to make sure that you learn as much as you can about your chosen language and look around for a company that has a more relaxed hiring strategy than most. As I said earlier, hard work and a big dash of luck.
I love what you said about failing at interviews. The first few interviews are not the best. Interviewing is a skill and takes practice. I recruit for techies on the daily. I also agree with what you said about NETWORKING so important. Great video.
Nadiya ahmed That is a great question! In my opinion, networking is really just about building connections with other people. (This can be really fun!) In connecting with others, you will meet people inside and outside of your field, but the overall goal is to build long term relationships and find ways where there can be some exchange of either knowledge sharing or other mutually beneficial things. Also, networking should not be forced, you may not connect with everyone and that’s ok. Over time by being open and putting yourself into settings where you can meet and learn about other people then also share things about yourself you will begin to grow your network and build a good amount of relationships. This can help you pursue new careers interests, find a new job or allow you to learn or teach others new things. I hope that helps dear! 😊
For an introvert it's really tough to hold onto people for long(especially when there is no emotional bond); If I do reach out to someone after a long time It would feel as though I'm compelling a conversation with them. Thanks for taking your time to reply🌸
This is great advice, and I have gone through a similar process as a self-taught software engineer. A lot of the information and resources you provided have also helped me a lot in my journey as well (e.g. leetcode and interview prep, Python being a popular language (especially in the data field), learning data structures and algorithms, and not having to do a CS degree or shell out a lot of money for a bootcamp).
I just want to say that this video is super inspiring and is exactly what I need to see right now. I'm going for my bs in software engineering and i just feel so defeated and like i cant grasp it. It's gotten me so down that i have honestly not been trying. You have helped me to refocus and really put in the effort because this IS my dream and what i want to do with my life. Sending much love 💕
Just wanted to drop a little advice and encouragement here for folks looking to get into coding. When the pandemic hit I bought a computer and took two terms of community college CS classes and then entered into a 6 month full stack bootcamp. 3 months after graduation I am now an Associate Software Engineer. IMO, I think a proper education is the way to go if you need structure + you get to ask questions which is priceless. Sure you can do it all self taught but that’s lonely and really hard and takes an extra incredible amount of dedication. Good luck 🍀 keep hacking away it you’ll get there!!
I'm an old head systems and security guy who is always trying to sharpen development chops and this is one of the best breakdowns in breaking into a coding career I've ever seen.
Thanks for sharing your college confusion story! I can relate. There should be a process for apprenticing before we even go to college for a few weeks at different types of careers to see if we are even suited for them before putting in all that time on one path. and so often "trade schools" or courses outside of college are so much more appropriate and so much more fulfilling than getting a degree.
Your story is very inspiring. I’m also a self taught engineer! I started my new job at Facebook a few months ago. I’m planning on making a video about it :)
@@cosryuu3900 lol hating ass. He may not have the paper but if the industry hires him for the same role as an actual engineer, guess what? Lol get your head out of the matrix
Your story reminds me of my change from a degree in business administration towards learning coding to get into the IT-industry. I was motivated by the demand within the IT-industry in Sweden rather than the saturated and broad entry jobs you can get with a BA-degree. Exactly one year ago I applied for a program that included: a free 3 months boot camp (JAVA) + a guaranteed job as an IT-consultant. I thought it was a very good deal and I was highly motivated to get admitted to the program. After extensive screening and interviews I got admitted! Since then I just needed to focus on programming and I am now working on a project and am the owner of a subsystem within this project. Meaning that I make design decisions, am accountable for bugs and that the system fulfil the requirements. It is crazy to think about how fast everything went. I guess, by focusing your mind obsessively on a goal, unthinkable outcomes can happen.
I love how clearly you speak and explain things! So glad I found your channel. I have a English Degree with an emphasis on copyediting but i’m interested in coding... but not interested in paying for a four year degree again!
This is so wonderful! I am 50, have a PhD in math yet almost no programming background ... I left my teaching job bc of COVID, but I don't want to go back; I want to switch to something else. I've just got a simple parttime job and like you, I am worried about time and money. I love that you tell specific resources you used, and a timeframe that was possible. It is surprisingly hard to find that kind of advice. Thank you so very much!
But you didn’t tell us anything about your new job!! I was totally looking forward to it the whole time- lol. (I am a former lawyer who has decided to learn to code as a career change- so yeah loved your story)
I graduated with a degree in political science too (also was planning on attending law school), and am looking at bootcamps right now! Haha. I'm so glad I found your channel! :)
@Jason Young No my man, in the Western world, unfortunately, Asians are only perceived as Korean, Chinese, and Japanese. Indians fall into South Asians, so I just wanted to mention them separately.
So why are all of those countries in such bad shape that so many feel the need to escape to the west. That's the main motivation of your parents being strict and demanding you study,....so don't have to return.
This has to be the MOST motivating video on TH-cam. I’m a newbie to tech and currently in the process of changing careers. You’re video has really lifted up my spirit and girrrrl you have given us a lot of applicable nuggets!! Keep the videos coming pleaseee, we really appreciate it! ❤️
Thank you so much for this video. I have a degree in IT and it was slightly CS focused but after graduating I got stuck in an IT support role because of the great culture and experience I had during an internship but my dream is to become a software engineer so I’ve been getting back into the swing of things on my own. You’ve really inspired me and your story has been incredibly motivating Thanks for showing that it’s possible to do it!
I’m 30 years old. I really wish I would’ve gotten into programming much sooner. My biggest motivation is the money which might not be the best for this kind of work...
34 contract network admin. trying to learn python programming(to be able to use for network automation and doing basic data science projects. ). But still struck in basic syntaxes of functions and variables.
I'm turning 34 soon in a month, it's never too late! I'm learning Java and Mongodb right now. Just have to make sure to correct your posture when sitting for long periods of time!
Your presentation was impeccable. Thank you for a totally comprehensive and informative walk through the intricacies of dealing with career choice and career change. It is possible to become a coder if one commits to do the work. As a former instructor I would venture to say you have excellent teaching skills and could charge for your instructive insights. Again, thank you!
I recently dropped out of college due to multiple reasons, then I had the opportunity to start working full time in the marketing field. I recently got fired and had no idea where to go with my life, but I just decided that I’m going this way, thanks for sharing all your experience!
yassss girl love this! We can do anything we put our minds to and you are proof of this!! How I chose Computer Science as a major was extremely random so you inspired me to make a video similar to this! P.S. I'm Nigerian too! 💕✨
This was so motivational. Thank you so much for making this video. It really helped give me some direction with what I need to do and how I need to prepare.
Thanks for sharing your journey. I too graduated with a sociology degree and only found out at the end it qualified me to teach only. I then applied for a masters in information management and attained this after one year. I never really used it for another 10 years after which I got into data analysis utilising microsoft business stack tech. It has been a journey. But self learning is a must for any starting point followed by instructed learning. Turn off your TV and get reading check out online intructural sites. God luck
I literally am living your story. I’m so confused rn and i hate being a chemistry major but my gpa is so low i can’t change my major and everything is so frustrating. You’re an inspiration sis !
hi! my name is Jules and i’m a first year computer science student at Penn State. i just wanted to say i loved this video and i subscribed immediately! you’re super encouraging and all around just an inspiration. thank you for your content and i can’t wait to learn more from you! heaven knows i’ll be watching a lot of you through my college career. :) have a lovely day!
I used to do Political Science for almost 10 years (Bachelor, Masters, and Ph. D.). During my Ph. D., I learned R and Python to apply in my researh (Python mostly for Web Scraping, R for statistical analysis), learnt mostly on my own by just doing things. Turned out my Python, although not great at all, was good enough to get hired as an analyst, so, now I'm doing Python 80% of my time (the rest is mostly SQL) :) So, hi five! :) Also, uploading your projects to Github is a great piece of advice, the only reason I got hired is that my employer actually had a look at my Github page.
Thank you for this video! It is the most relevant one I've come across. I also have a B.A. in Political Science. But, instead of realizing law school wasn't right for me, I actually went to law school, graduated, and have been working in the public interest legal field for several years. I don't dislike my job because I help people most in need of it, but it's not my passion. I would rather do part-time pro bono work and full-time software engineering. Like you, I took an into computer science class as a pre-req during undergrad and it was my favorite course during my entire time in school. Now, I'm learning Python while also taking plenty of time to figure out my next steps.
Wow! This is my exact story before I switched into the field! Thanks for sharing your story! It's nice to see someone who looks like me who made it through to the other side!
I realized while watching your video that the thing that will probably motivate me most to continue learning how to code on my own is being able to say I have that grit that programmers have.
Please make sure to get as many internship opportunities while you’re in college!! I graduated a couple of months ago nd I feel completely unprepared for the real world. While I have many years of work experience, finding my place in cs industry has been impossible. I’m very discouraged nd am struggling mentally because I feel like I wasted so much time in school with the same outcome as if I had no degree...
It feels extremely good hearing your story as I’m doing research of the field I always come across men reviews and perspectives but is so different hearing from a women because we faced a lot of different struggles I had been interested in computer software but after having problems with male teachers and see how they really didn’t care for you as a women in the field I felt discouraged and I went into graphic design I know the foundations of css and html but now knowing that self teaching and commitment can work I’m really excited thank you for your story 💙
it's not that the male teachers don't care about girls, it's more so that these types of teachers have zero social skills. I hated my undergrad in engineering, all my teachers just brushed me off as well.
I just found your videos! I love it! I'm Nigerian currently in my 5th year of medicine and I know it's not for me. I've grown an interest in computer science and your video is amazing! Thank you sooooooooooo much! It spoke directly to me!
Hi, what would you recommend? I’m in my junior year as computer science student. Does the name of the school matter? I’m going to Texas A&M - commerce, which is a small town.
Girl I studied economics and i regret it so much. I also worked in a financial services firm as a risk analyst and ended up quitting. I hated it so much. I wish I would have studied marketing or computer science.
I have a finance degree so a little exposure to economics and marketing, and now I am a CS student. I can tell you that economics and CS are at least related in terms of math, but marketing is not even in the ball park as rigorous. I assume that in economics you had to at least learn to code a little - MATLAB at least - right?
This was so completely random that your page was suggested to me (Although not really random just heavy cookie monitoring smh) but for the entire weekend I have been revamping my resume to apply for a new Software Engineering position so of course I have spent all weekend taking some refresher courses offered through TH-cam. I just opened my LinkedIn Account about an hour ago and this was recommended, but I am so glad it was. I definitely ain't mad at Google for this haha. Great content and you definitely just got a new subscriber! From one black engineer to another, and simply one young engineer to another young engineer, keep doing great things!!
Thank you for your inspiring story. I’m on a similar path but more towards machine learning. I love what I’m learning but unsure if I will be taken seriously without a degree. Thank you for you recommended resources and spreading your love for coding!!
![[LIVE] : ONE ลุมพินี 88 | คู่เอก "ป้อมเพชร vs อัสลามจอน"](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/1ZqTVVbMgbo/mqdefault.jpg)
Thanks for watching! Here are timestamps if you want to move around :)
Timestamps
1:00 My Job Before Becoming A Software Engineer
4:54 Why I Chose Not To Do a Bootcamp or get a CS degree
5:40 Recurse Center (free educational retreat)
6:50 How I Studied Before Quitting My Job
7:38 How I Studied After Quitting My Job
9:04: My Interview Experience
10:11: Interview Resources I Found Helpful
Your an inspiration ❤️
Off topic, but your very beautiful...... Ok onto the topic, I started in Computer Science, but I didn't understand when I was in college. And the college I went to school had nothing to do with the programming criteria.. but later wish I seen it through
The Come Up Props to u, young sis! Thanks for the vid but the meandering was excruciating. I had to bail. Sorry.
Fresh Prince Right. I should have caught that right away, but the MESSAGE kept dragging on and on, so I had to bail. ENGINEERING of any kind is a BIG DEAL!
The Come Up hot and smart. Wow 🔥
You reminded me of how I went through my career change. I was a truck driver, but I had no degree, not even a high school diploma. I went back to school to become a chiropractor, but I needed several pre reqs for Palmer college. Well after some time, my bank account looked like shit. I did like my computers class, so kept on going down that path. I graduated with Computer Science degree, got a job working on Apple computers. Then I went back got a degree in Information Systems. This last time I went back and got a degree in Cisco Telephone Systems, and a CCNA, CCNA Security certificates. Which is how I got a job with the government. I have now been deployed to Hong Kong and looking forward to my next deployment.
Over all, "Never give up on yourself"!
So inspiring!!
I just lost my job and looking into this, what would be your first step if you had to do again, were the first two degrees needed or would you have just did Cisco telephon systems, CCNA and CCNA security
@@tgrucker thats awesome.I am 19 and will be going for Oscp next year
Thank you. I needed to this.
What I wanted to hear tonight..
Nigerian parents should collab with Asian parents.
No! That would make them both too powerful! No immigrant children would ever get to do what they wanted!!!
Hahahahaha this will be epic!!
Legit..
I have a neighbor Asian mom South American Dad. Both immigrants... Except they were in a cult and the only options were to be a wife or a missionary (wife).
Lmfao! We're so much more alike than we know. 🤣
I feel kids who finish highschool need to figure out what they really want to do in life before going to college. Other wise you end up with a Student Loan debt for a degree and career you hate.
THIS 🔥
I think it is extremely unfair to make a 16yr old decide what they want to do for the rest of their life, we don't live and die by the age of 30yrs old any more, that means at 16 you have to decide what you want to do for atleast around 70yrs, that is so unrealistic, however, atleast deciding for the next 10-20 is a goal I definitely would advocate for!!
Yes im thinking maybe school could give them some time to work as experience or for them to have a feel of workforce. Otherwise they can take a gap year before deciding what to take for their college. Then they would know roughly what they would want to do, instead of spending many years studying but end up not liking it when entering the workforce. It is hard.
@@neoloanderson6676 yes that's why there are people who then tried to do career switch. Even after obtaining the degree and spending so much money and time on it
@@miaomiao07 Mad, but if possible, definitely do able 🤷🏾♀️
Be self-taught and enjoying constant learning is the key.
@Susuya Juuzou depends on the field really. There isn't much "pure" math or physics in e-commerce. it's still a multi billion industry.
@Susuya Juuzou My bad, I overlooked the "for any science application" part. For this line of work, I totally agree.
@ITHEREONETHATHASNT stop right there. Click on my page and see that I too am a black woman in tech who struggled breaking into the industry self taught. I know her she is smart and we both went to the recurse center. She attended one of the top universities in the country. She is very brilliant. That is a myth. It took me over 2 years of applying to get a tech job. If black women were getting jobs handed to them then we wouldn't make up .7% of the industry although we major in cs at 4%. Were are these magical black women getting jobs?
You can get Comptia certification which only takes less then a month for south learners
@ITHEREONETHATHASNT you're so pressed lmao it's hilarious
this makes me cry. Here I am trying to figure out my next move and I'm reluctant to go into computers fearing it's not my forte or aptitude but seeing another person of colour who is a woman going into it without a computer science degree gave me hope. I even felt good enough to exercise after this video.
Gurl hop on the train... We're rare in that sector and their are employers Literally looking for us
@@dasiakristi2149 thank you for saying that! Its encouraging, I too am a woman of colour looking to transition into this field.😊
@The Dora gotta keep telling myself that!
I want to study this and my husband said im crazy and that i can never make it. He always encourages me to give up on my dreams which he failed last time, i wannna prove him wrong again!
@@pearyummy1995 The best part is that they're YOUR dreams, not his. haha I'm currently working on a CCNA (networking certification) and I'm terrified. haha We can all do it! :D
I am 42 and looking to become a software engineer, but with two toddlers... it’s not easy. Best of luck to all.
YOU CAN DO IT
I believe in you...You can do it
You got this!!!
You got this Dave keep going!!!
Slow and steady wins the race. Even if it is 30mins everyday, put in the work. Software developers have it easy compared to other fields, you have nothing to loose.
Her smile and energy makes me feel employed already
she is so adorable!
marry her
She's beautiful!
@@skilz8098 She your babe and my babe too.
Univ Univeral she has her stuff together she will not marry someone who doesn’t even have a job!! Allergic to dust!! #nodusties
I have Jamaican parents. I started college majoring in pre-med. Blood and the general public make me nauseous.I switch to engineering 3 years ago and to this day my mom still ask when am I going to med school.
Kelley Kelly 😂😹☠️💀😹😂
hahaha I could make a million dollars a year, but as long as im a doctor my mom wont care ahahha
ha most parents think the same all over the world. Here is Korea. are you satisfied with your work?
SAME! Fellow Jamaican here interested in policy and research. My grandmother asked me up to two days ago, why I don't just go to med school. "You know NYU's med school is free, now??" hahaha
you should tell your parent that you're building engineer stuff for medical which doctors doesn't know so you're helping doctors.....that should quiet them a bit...haha
I've been working in the field for over 20 years and have made a good living at doing so without a college degree. During my career I have had a lot of doors close but several opened. It was definitely my passion, drive, and determination that set me aside because I refused to be denied. After 20 years of working my way up from a help desk analyst to an IT Project Manager I am finally completing a degree in Project Management because I knew there were things that I just could not learn on my own at this level of my career. As a black woman myself I can relate to a lot of the challenges minority's and women in general face in this career. Stay grounded and if this is what you love doing don't give up.
She is smarter and sleeker than any lawyer.
So should I go CCNA then Linux cloud
She hasn't brought up race in anything she said...unlike you. Why can't you just say something without mentioning race?
What’s the good living you made?
Thank you... that's the way to go ma
Yeah, I am a victim of the doctor-lawyer mentality of parents and now at 26, I am learning to code.
I am scared...
Same 😔 sad how their eagerness for us to not be a disgrace has harmed us more than anything
same. 26 learning to code after my degree
Accountant trying to move into the software space. I remember parents saying computer science is not a degree. Nigerian parents need to let us breath.
Medical student here. I’m Hispanic and 28. I’m also a product of this mentality and considering doing coding after my graduation.
Don't be scared! I'm sort of in the same boat. I realized my parents can't dictate my life early but I still feel the effects, especially going to a local state school while living with them. I used to want to do law but I changed my major to CIS. Last year I was trying to tell my mom that UPS accepted me to an Information Technology internship program and she asked me if I was going to be driving trucks. There's nothing wrong with driving trucks, but my folks think if you aren't a doctor or lawyer you aren't worth anything. That doctor-lawyer mentality is toxic and is disrupting people's lives. I'm learning more outside of my schooling than I am in college. You will be just fine. Keep doing your research and get those certifications.
Who came here after watching her episode on CNBC???...If you did leave a like... Cheers.
Subhash Vadlamani
Girl yes , I love these stories!!
Subhash Vadlamani tambakongoh
Lol
Subhash Vadlamani me lol I got this in recommended video I was like mm ok 👌
Girl yes I was inspired LOL
Just wanted to throw this other route out there: in some companies you can get a job in one sector, learn coding on the side, and then apply internally for engineering position openings. People do this in my best friend’s company and some people have basically doubled their salary by being proactive about learning coding, being coached by their coworker friends for the interview process, and then literally being interviewed by their friends. It’s still a strict process and you have to have the skills, but it’s soooo much easier to get your foot in the door and the interview process is much less stressful since you know the people interviewing you.
How does one go about this? What kind of companies?
Yeah what kind of entry level jobs can people do ?
All the ones I see are help desk or administrative ones
Thanks for the tip @Wylie K.
Thinking about doing this myself. I want to be a developer but I'm thinking getting into IT may be faster because I absolutely hate my non-tech job now.
cool
Shout out to our Nigerian parents pushing us to become some amazing robots
For real bro
lol, on point
Pakistani parents sending a Hi5, buddy... ✌🏼
@@Ghazanfierce Sending more right back at ya👍👋
They just wish you all the best and in reality that's what they think the best is, every parent is the same I guess
TH-cam only shows part of the title in thumbnails, so all I read was _"How I Became a Software Engineer Without A Computer"_ and it would be an understatement to say I was surprised.
😂😂😂
LMFAOOO
@@bread5414 If I made a non-sentient being laugh out loud from something I did, I consider my life complete.
At one point, I only saw the first line of text in the body of a GitLab page, which was
"Merge requests are a place to propose"
🤣🤣🤣
Haitian parents are the same; “you can be anything you want to be, doctor, lawyer, engineer; anything you want to be.” (Actual quote from parents)
nurse
@@alluringbliss4165 I am Haitian so I should know 🤣🤣😂
Or a little bit of everything.
Enineers earn shit nowadays.
🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣
I am happy to hear that you became a software engineer, you don't need a CS degree, but you do need to learn and continue to learn! You have given alot of good advice and self study is critical! The field is in great need of good people who want to make a difference. I've been in IT for 20+ years I can say, it's been great to me. So my suggestions are for you to 1. Learn more than one programming language. 2. Learn all aspect of how to and support your web stack (Web Server, Database, OS, Network). 3. Get an understanding of Cloud Computing (AWS, GCP, AZURE) . Books to Read 1). Clean Code -Uncle Bob Martin. Actually everything by him. Also 2). The Phoenix Project.
Thank you so much for your Book recommedions! I´ve trying to start and now i know where. Greetings from germany
Thank you!! I really do want to to dive into the tech world but I’m a bit lost and the numerous advice I see online kind of overwhelm me on which to follow or where to even start from. The motivation itself sometimes isn’t always there. Please can you mentor me? Teach me a lot of things and direct me if possible? I can drop my email or if you could drop yours so we’ll be in contact. It’ll be very much appreciated, thanks!
I want to do something new...but I want to forgo the reading (currently studying for an MBA). I just want hands-on practice...kinda like an apprentice.
I have CS degree due to family of computer ppl. I hated programming and would never practice programming. I was forced at age of 15 to take CS course in high school. 20 years later I have been doing programming at work for 10+ years already. I picked up VBA due to work purposes. However my job mainly uses SQL which is what I learned in university. Recently I am into data science so just started to learn R and Python. Yes totally agree you have to keep learning if you want to stay competitive.
My suggestion to everyone, find something that's interests you, create a small project and create a GitHub account and post it there. It could be something small, it doesn't matter, you have to sell yourself. That will show some initiative. Many companies, including my own, want passionate people in IT. I will take that over a Masters or Bachelors in CS any day. Also there is more than just being a programmer. I switched from coding to DevOps and I love it. Look at all different fields.
I am a software developer, and maybe people are not telling you this enough, but remember to make some time in your working hours to always learn some new technology (software library, framework, language...), even if it is about whatever product you have to use for work anyway. Even if it is not obvious in your current position, trust me you need to do this all the time. I would generally suggest investing your time in open-source programs for more freedom later, but really whatever suits your situation is fine...
well she is an engineer not a coder per-se; there is a big difference on being an engineer as being a coder and i know this because im a student in programming but i agree with the learning thing in computer science it should never end.
Mr Blonde yes, if you're an "engineer" you need to spend most of your waking hours honing your craft. Being an "engineer" just basically works out that you are expected to work in any technology stack that is thrown at you.
@@nycfpv that doesn't mean coding though; engineer != coder.
Do you need to code to be an engineer? probably not, is it good that you know how to code as an engineer probably yes.
Mr Blonde you absolutely need to be able to code if you’re a software engineer. It’s best to be language agnostic and be able to be comfortable coding in any language and style. Maybe you’re confusing architect with engineer. Either way, no one is gonna let you architect anything if you aren’t a competent programmer first
TBH engineer is kind of a bullshit term
I really hate the hiring process where they ask you to solve dumb puzzles and trick questions. Now that I'm in the position to hire devs I just send out a super simple task, ask them to spend 2 hours on it and then we talk about how they approached the solution. Gives me way more insight into if the person will fit the team. I also learned a thing or two from junior devs doing it this way.
I studied Poli Sci at Berkeley and am transitioning to software engineering too!
Thank goodness. Our son is currently in 3rd year computer studies at uni and there are only one or two girls per class, in classes of 35 students. Hardly any girls seem interested. Why are there not more?
Goodluck!!
Aren't computer science and engineering majors at UCB (and all UC campuses) "impacted"? I.e., you have to apply for the major and there's no guarantee of acceptance due to limited enrollment.
Yikes poli sci at Berkeley seems like a woke sjw mess lol 😂
NPC007 not only that, the course material is dry as fuck.. I’m a 4th year @ Berkeley too and I’m seriously considering on moving the hell out of this dry career-field
points:
1. Learn Data Structures & Algorithms
2. Learn Python
3. Build Projects
4. Network
Resources in the description
Data structures and algorithms is a huge part. I can’t stress it enough. It’s literally the bread and butter especially if you’re going to be dealing with the backend where all the data is.
Not only these. Also Learn Computer Architecture and Networks. Operating Systems. It is hard but possible. All it will make you incredible programmer.
5. Be black
6. Be a woman
ThePabs213 wow sounds like someone is butt hurt for no reason.
@@ashish6128 dumb af
So on Nov 24, 2020, I found this video after I was thinking to go back to college to get my CS degree, I'm 30 y.o. never got through college and always was considering it just to prove to family and friends that I can do it. Ever since I watched this video and a bunch of others right after I decided to do it myself and be a self-taught developer, I'll come back to visit this comment and update everyone on my progress. Thanks for sharing your journey
Yes please do! I'd love to see your journey!
How's it going so far?
I think you should just go to college tbh.
@@nibirue stop being a hater
No update
Yes my dear, Nigerian parents will tell you what you will be lol. Doctor or lawyer. I started out in nursing to make my Nigerian parents happy. In the end, I chose cyber security lol 🇳🇬🇳🇬🇳🇬
Do you have a degree in CS or are you self taught?
@@bambam6231973 To be honest college didn't make me feel as prepared as I hoped to be. A combination of self teaching and college worked for me. Everyone is different. However, some individuals enter the field with JUST certifications (self taught) and no college. It's up to you to make the decision on what best suits you. God bless and goodluck 😊🙏
So what does it take to become good in cyber security.
Same! Switched from nursing into cyber security and I feel super lost, but I’m going to stick with it lol
Omg me tooo cyber tech found a job with no experience
But seriously, you still look like a lawyer. You have the hairstyle, the black shirt, the expression. But still it's so cool you switched sides. Thanks, Learned a lot.
Lolol😭😭
Lol
Hahaha
Honestly, I just stumbled across your channel and I’m speechless. I’m a freshman at College majoring in computer science. I’m Nigerian as well! I’m just so inspired because you’re everything I’m hoping to be when I’m done with my career. A female Nigerian programmer?? Phew. Thank you so much for this 🥺🥺 you’ve got a new fan 🥰
Keep in mind guys... she went to Columbia so she was already extremely intelligent and had that background
She is intelligent and also she is a black woman so companies want to hire her to fill diversity quota.
@@neberboi It couldn't possibly be because she's good at what she does? So tell me why do they hire non-black people? Because they're racist?
@@Leedah8 Companies want to hire best performers. When a law require they have to hire certain percentage of certain group, they have to lower their standard and hire whomever is the best from the group.
@@neberboi The law is there for a reason, and y'all love to ignore that. There wouldn't be a need for quota filling if people weren't bias to begin with. Too much black talent out here being ignored because people love homogenous work spaces. You can deny it all you want.
@@Leedah8 Laws are not always good thing. There was a law that only allowed white property-owning male to vote.
You have no idea how this has helped me. Thanks. I’m taking Self studying serious this year and it is so overwhelming, but I’ll get there. 💪🏽
If you just beginning, start with cs50 harvard lecture. Its completely free. And there is an udemy course that offers 95 percent discount for new users. It covers all the basics from html, CSs, php. Also freecodecamp gives you practice. GL sis.
Me too seriously!!! Can you help me ??
Bitty Buyy oh my! Thanks.
tbh algorithms is important for the interview process, but for the actual skills there are other things that are probably more important. Like web technology.
Really I don't see how you can be an engineer without some familiarity with database, web technology, and I'd add in computer networks for good measure.
And to really have some clue of what you're doing, computer organization / architecture / operating systems is necessary.
But you could easily buy a textbook on each of those topics and read them all, it would probably take you a year or so. My recommendation is really that you research what the best textbooks on each of these topics are - like go onto stackoverflow and try to find the recommended textbooks, buy them... and read them. You will be fine if you read them all.
Also you should learn C++ before Java... Java is a C derived language, as are numerous other languages including javascript.
Really I'd learn javascript along w/ HTML5 instead of Java, after C++ .
I am also a black woman. I’m 28 and wanting to transition careers as I hate working in healthcare and my field has been cutting jobs since Medicare changes happened. I want to learn a skill that will be forever in demand and that will also pay the bills 😩 I feel like I’m starting so late at my age but I’m not going to give up. I just started self studying and it’s so hard but yes we will get there. Everything new takes time. I’m giving myself a goal to be an engineer by the time I’m 30 if it be God’s will. I’m ready to change my life
Keep learning. Don't ever stop. This is what kills people in their job, they get stuck doing the day to day.
This is crazy. My degree is also in Political Science and I graduated from
College in 2016. I did a coding Bootcamp and now I have a job in tech 😂😂. Are we the same person???
C Knight which boot camp did you do?
Please tell us
C Knight 😄
Mary One popular bootcamp is The Fullstack Academy, they are actually offering the pre-camp BootCamp for free now, it’s usually $100.
vizcacha5 One popular bootcamp is The Fullstack Academy, they are actually offering the pre-camp BootCamp for free now, it’s usually $100.
Congrats. I took the same route and took me 7 months. Now I’ve been a Software Engineer for since April 2019.
Lazarus what language are you learning ? Depends on the route you take. Me personally where I live in Tampa area I learned C# .NET stack
Lazarus good start with the basics and after that try to start building websites and launching them live on servers.
@Lazarus yo, I'm taking web development class. Eventually planning to become software engineer, but for now I'm junior web developer.
@Lazarus yo there is also udemy courses. For new users they give 95% discount $10. And there is harvard cs50 course completely free.
KING I’m learning C# .NET stack too! It’s the language I want to specialize in. It’s really impressive how you learned after 7 months. I was expecting more than a year before I get a job. Much respect to you!
I have Nigerian Parents, I felt that wholeheartedly 😂. One of the reason I'm at mechanical engineering now
I can relate. Also have african parents. I also started off pre-med then moved to pre-law then I switched to cybersecurity. Now I am a cybersecurity analyst. I actually like my job for the most part and technology is a really good field to be in now a days and the money is good too. In 2020 tech is the move. Law isn’t really a diverse field cuz if one decides to move out of the country, the law degree is only applicable in America, whereas technology is global.
Smart! lets get married.
BLHH I changed my major in my last year and also watched courses on Udemy and did a lot of self study
@@SandyLaVogue Good job.
Lol the classic immigrant parents. “Doctor, lawyer, or disgrace”
Or engineer.
Classic!!
In Asia, It's Engineer, Doctor or disgrace.At least in my country.
@@typicalprogrammer3542 You must be from India?
@@donjohnson8120 Nope.
"How I Became a Software Engineer Without a Computer Science Degree". Pure brains. This is not easy to do.
Ikr...my brain overheats Everytime I program lmao
She earned her degree from an Ivy League college. So she is very smart.
@@anitasengrath3135 lol
How can you become an engineer without a degree?
Having Columbia University on your resume must've helped a lot. But i'm sure it's been overstated in the comments already.
Theo NYC yes it does. Don’t underestimate the prestige of a degree. She can literally switch to an career field and have a better chance than those have relative major but no name schools.
@@theonyc9061 did u find another job?
At the age of 50, I am looking to change my career now after this virus has turned this world upside down. This is a big help. Thank you for sharing your experience and advice in becoming a software engineer.
Awesome 👏
I’m nearly 50 as well.
I really admire you. I'm self taught software developer since I was 18, currently in my 30's, and lately have being wondering what's goin to be my future in the industry. I really like to code, not so much the analysis and architecture part, and honestly, I haven't met many coders older than 40, usually they take roles as project managers, or team leaders. I don't want to say there's age discrimination, but yeah...
I hope you can make it!
You can do it, just start researching and trying things out. The fallout from the financial crisis from '08 is the primary reason why I went into I.T., never looked back and I haven't felt any 'shock' from this disastrous pandemic.
I am approaching my 40s, did not have my head on my shoulders in the past. Now, I am stuck with limited income, need a change too.
She's a hustler!!! Much Respects!!! She willed this to happen. No accidents or luck here! Thx!!
As a young Nigerian myself I’m so proud of you. you are my inspiration. I will be graduating soon and I’m so excited. Although my parents were to poor to help me I joined the Army national Guard and got free schooling. Phew it has been a journey but it sure will pay off. Stay blessed
Parents are so old fashioned these days, there actually isn't as much jobs for law graduates these days and hundreds of thousands of jobs remain unfilled in the tech industry. Most parents do not know this because they are not with the times.
Exactly.! Like there are many jobs in tech and pay way better than most degrees
Excellent advice, i had the same experience and to add, I work in top companies and still yet even experienced cs graduates failed interview tests, then later after we get the jobs we learned, the people who tested us, code worst then us in the real job. let me also add if you really wanna prosper build real projects that you can monetise so that you can profit from it, not just so you can get a job. what you have is a blessing. so you are gorgeous and intelligent and your previous studies are not waisted, they give you an added advantage. Stay blessed and stay n the blessing.
I was so inspired by your "how I spend my money" video I decided to check out your personal channel. You have a subscriber in me! I love the content and helpful advise. Keep up the good young Queen.
I'm an immigrant mother and I am soooo proud of you!!! Sharing your videos with my 15 year old who has very similar interests. Nothing would make me happier than to see her turn out just like you! Beautiful, resilient, brilliant and gracious.
Dee Dhlamini That’s amazing! We definitely need more women programmers
Thank you so much for your videos. I'm a young black female from the Caribbean about to start my CS education in NY and its really amazing to see role models like you who have already been through the journey especially someone who came from another country. You give us hope and encouragement to accomplish anything.
You are now officially my hero. Your courage and focus are amazing.
HA! My dad is from Nigeria and wanted me to be a doctor soooooo bad growing up. I cracked up when you talked about the 3 routes. I'm so glad I didn't listen!!! And I'm so proud that you took the leap on your own with the self learned route. I went to General Assembly's bootcamp back in 2014 and had a crisis even after taking the web dev class because there was still a lot of uncertainty if I would get a job. I ended up becoming a UX Designer which I still do today and I love it. But when it comes to working in tech, I definitely do think being self motivated and improving your skills through self initiated projects is the way to go. Along with building your own community. You're so right! Thanks for sharing.
You are beautiful! I am trying to become a self taught analyst by learning SQL, Tableau, and Python by taking udemy courses. My background is in mechanical engineering. I just want to have the flexibility that software jobs offer.
yep. Mech eng is heavy duty and not so flexible
Your on the right track all industry trending fields
@@lafondawilliams we love her
how is this going for you? I want to take udemy courses but not sure if they are worth it
Viviana Barrett Yes girl! I highly recommend them. However, make sure to have a plan because it’s difficult to be self disciplined when you don’t have a teacher keeping you on check! That’s the major downside of being self taught.
I've been trying to get a job as a software dev (opting for a few CS classes and a $10 Udemy web bootcamp) instead of the $10,000+ commitment of either path. I've had no luck whatsoever at even GETTING the interview and have been pretty down because I couldn't figure out what the heck was wrong with me. Honestly, I almost came to tears after watching your video and looking up interviewing.io and pramp.com. Your video has given me hope that I can get a job and I'm going to use these resources to land the job! Thank you very much!
Edit: thank you all for the great advice! Still working away but not nearly as discouraged as I used to be. Thanks for the encouragement!
Gava don't give up... There even more resources out there to help you with the interview process and as she said after a while of interview you can see the patterns, repeat questions they are asking. Just make it your mission and most importantly let and look for others to help u on getting better at interview s.....
Go to networking events. Build some really cook projects. Know ur tech and talk about it.... Have some genuine conversation with recruiters. Connect with them on linked in. Show ur interested. This should get u a interview. Next grind ur algorithms, know ur tech.. good luck bud u got this.. I am a cs grad. U dont need it.....
@@joeblack8375 thanks for the encouragement and the advice! I'll focus on improvement and keep looking for more resources
@@al.e123iis7 thanks! Yeah I've been working on a few projects and ive been nervous to go and network and socialize but you're absolutely right. I'll be focusing on that over the next few months
I'm currently taking web development course. To become junior developer at first. Then I plan to move up to software engineer eventually. Btw if anyone play fortnite, reply to this comment for my user name.
Congrats on becoming a software engineer! It's a breath of fresh air to hear how you committed yourself to the career transition and put in the effort to achieve it. Keep it up
You’re stunning! ❤️ Thanks for this video, I just started in my job in tech and it’s lovely to see someone older than me give tips on the industry. Thank you sharing !!
I love when people are honest about themselves and their journey. Thank you and I definitely can relate with being in college and not knowing what to major in.
I love this, I can relate with you so much. My parents are Liberian/Jamaican and they wanted me to become a doctor so currently I am a “disgrace” because I left my premed major and am now searching for a new career.
Love ‘the come up’ story and resources you shared! A lot of value especially for someone who doesn’t have the money laying around ✨
Thanks guys! There are so many free CS educational resources online, that i think its possible to become a SWE without spending a lot of money!
Amazing! It´s always the same story - you get to a job that you hate, and soon you are looking for something that motivates you from 9 to 5 instead of something that burdens you. Congrats for having the courage! How does it feel to get paid to do what you love?
For any job there are two pathways. The standard one (with the right degree). And, the circuitous route which requires self-directed hard work and some luck.
I taught myself to program just for the hell of it. I went to university to study philosophy and dropped out. I would have preferred Computer Science but didn’t have the maths. I ended up on a free (to the unemployed) part-time course on programming C on Unix (it was a long time ago) and from there got a job teaching the same course. Then I applied for a programming job at a tiny software house. I was fortunate that I was hired by someone who was also a self-taught programmer. Then that company was bought by a bigger company and I was kept on because by then I had the real experience to offset the lack of a CS degree.
So, if you don’t have a CS degree but want to be a software engineer then you have to make sure that you learn as much as you can about your chosen language and look around for a company that has a more relaxed hiring strategy than most.
As I said earlier, hard work and a big dash of luck.
Just showed up on my recommended, congrats on NBC. What an outstanding young lady, this is drive right here 💪🏼! Big big respect
I love what you said about failing at interviews. The first few interviews are not the best. Interviewing is a skill and takes practice. I recruit for techies on the daily. I also agree with what you said about NETWORKING so important. Great video.
Please explain me exactly what do you all mean by networkingg? Am I supposed to go out and befriend engineers?
Nadiya ahmed That is a great question!
In my opinion, networking is really just about building connections with other people. (This can be really fun!)
In connecting with others, you will meet people inside and outside of your field, but the overall goal is to build long term relationships and find ways where there can be some exchange of either knowledge sharing or other mutually beneficial things.
Also, networking should not be forced, you may not connect with everyone and that’s ok.
Over time by being open and putting yourself into settings where you can meet and learn about other people then also share things about yourself you will begin to grow your network and build a good amount of relationships.
This can help you pursue new careers interests, find a new job or allow you to learn or teach others new things.
I hope that helps dear! 😊
For an introvert it's really tough to hold onto people for long(especially when there is no emotional bond); If I do reach out to someone after a long time It would feel as though I'm compelling a conversation with them. Thanks for taking your time to reply🌸
I agree with you baby. The personal network is very important.
This is great advice, and I have gone through a similar process as a self-taught software engineer. A lot of the information and resources you provided have also helped me a lot in my journey as well (e.g. leetcode and interview prep, Python being a popular language (especially in the data field), learning data structures and algorithms, and not having to do a CS degree or shell out a lot of money for a bootcamp).
I just want to say that this video is super inspiring and is exactly what I need to see right now. I'm going for my bs in software engineering and i just feel so defeated and like i cant grasp it. It's gotten me so down that i have honestly not been trying. You have helped me to refocus and really put in the effort because this IS my dream and what i want to do with my life. Sending much love 💕
ITHEREONETHATHASNT wait what
You got this sis ❤️❤️❤️
Just wanted to drop a little advice and encouragement here for folks looking to get into coding. When the pandemic hit I bought a computer and took two terms of community college CS classes and then entered into a 6 month full stack bootcamp. 3 months after graduation I am now an Associate Software Engineer. IMO, I think a proper education is the way to go if you need structure + you get to ask questions which is priceless. Sure you can do it all self taught but that’s lonely and really hard and takes an extra incredible amount of dedication. Good luck 🍀 keep hacking away it you’ll get there!!
What courses did you take?
I'm an old head systems and security guy who is always trying to sharpen development chops and this is one of the best breakdowns in breaking into a coding career I've ever seen.
Thanks for sharing your college confusion story! I can relate. There should be a process for apprenticing before we even go to college for a few weeks at different types of careers to see if we are even suited for them before putting in all that time on one path. and so often "trade schools" or courses outside of college are so much more appropriate and so much more fulfilling than getting a degree.
100%
Your story is very inspiring. I’m also a self taught engineer! I started my new job at Facebook a few months ago. I’m planning on making a video about it :)
Any plans on releasing that video man? 😂
You're not an engineer my guy.
@@cosryuu3900 lol hating ass. He may not have the paper but if the industry hires him for the same role as an actual engineer, guess what? Lol get your head out of the matrix
Your story reminds me of my change from a degree in business administration towards learning coding to get into the IT-industry. I was motivated by the demand within the IT-industry in Sweden rather than the saturated and broad entry jobs you can get with a BA-degree. Exactly one year ago I applied for a program that included: a free 3 months boot camp (JAVA) + a guaranteed job as an IT-consultant. I thought it was a very good deal and I was highly motivated to get admitted to the program. After extensive screening and interviews I got admitted! Since then I just needed to focus on programming and I am now working on a project and am the owner of a subsystem within this project. Meaning that I make design decisions, am accountable for bugs and that the system fulfil the requirements. It is crazy to think about how fast everything went. I guess, by focusing your mind obsessively on a goal, unthinkable outcomes can happen.
Where can I find programs like that in US ?
THANK YOU FOR THIS!!! I just started to teach myself Python and this is so inspiring!!
Wow..just started it..what materials are u using pls?
@@richarddrai2750 Udemy
I love how clearly you speak and explain things! So glad I found your channel. I have a English Degree with an emphasis on copyediting but i’m interested in coding... but not interested in paying for a four year degree again!
This is so wonderful! I am 50, have a PhD in math yet almost no programming background ... I left my teaching job bc of COVID, but I don't want to go back; I want to switch to something else. I've just got a simple parttime job and like you, I am worried about time and money. I love that you tell specific resources you used, and a timeframe that was possible. It is surprisingly hard to find that kind of advice. Thank you so very much!
But you didn’t tell us anything about your new job!! I was totally looking forward to it the whole time- lol.
(I am a former lawyer who has decided to learn to code as a career change- so yeah loved your story)
I graduated with a degree in political science too (also was planning on attending law school), and am looking at bootcamps right now! Haha. I'm so glad I found your channel! :)
Good luck with boot camps! Im looking at NYC ones
Nigerian, Asian and Indian parents form the Holy Trinity of strict parents
@Jason Young No my man, in the Western world, unfortunately, Asians are only perceived as Korean, Chinese, and Japanese. Indians fall into South Asians, so I just wanted to mention them separately.
So why are all of those countries in such bad shape that so many feel the need to escape to the west. That's the main motivation of your parents being strict and demanding you study,....so don't have to return.
Don’t forget Caribbean parents
India resides in the continent of Asia. Indian=Asian. The more you know!
Indians are actually dark europeans like gypsies in europe but we are not in EU
I think Nigerian parents style of parenting is what makes their kids stay focused no messing about. You are beautiful and smart thanks for this video
This has to be the MOST motivating video on TH-cam. I’m a newbie to tech and currently in the process of changing careers. You’re video has really lifted up my spirit and girrrrl you have given us a lot of applicable nuggets!! Keep the videos coming pleaseee, we really appreciate it! ❤️
This is crazy. I’m a poli-sci major wanting to cross over into tech. This shows me that it can be done, and I WILL do it
Our stories are sooo similar 😭
Add me to the club 😩 I’m fkn stressing
Omo Naija! 🇳🇬🇳🇬🇳🇬Currently in a bootcamp and will be joining you in the industry soon! Thank you for this video!
Chale 🇬🇭🇬🇭🇬🇭 Love to my Naija fam!
Thank you so much for this video. I have a degree in IT and it was slightly CS focused but after graduating I got stuck in an IT support role because of the great culture and experience I had during an internship but my dream is to become a software engineer so I’ve been getting back into the swing of things on my own. You’ve really inspired me and your story has been incredibly motivating Thanks for showing that it’s possible to do it!
Literally thinking about a career change and coding bootcamp. Your videos came up.... it’s a sign. Bout to binge watch your channel!
I’m 30 years old. I really wish I would’ve gotten into programming much sooner. My biggest motivation is the money which might not be the best for this kind of work...
34 contract network admin. trying to learn python programming(to be able to use for network automation and doing basic data science projects. ). But still struck in basic syntaxes of functions and variables.
I'm turning 34 soon in a month, it's never too late! I'm learning Java and Mongodb right now. Just have to make sure to correct your posture when sitting for long periods of time!
Your presentation was impeccable. Thank you for a totally comprehensive and informative walk through the intricacies of dealing with career choice and career change. It is possible to become a coder if one commits to do the work. As a former instructor I would venture to say you have excellent teaching skills and could charge for your instructive insights. Again, thank you!
I recently dropped out of college due to multiple reasons, then I had the opportunity to start working full time in the marketing field. I recently got fired and had no idea where to go with my life, but I just decided that I’m going this way, thanks for sharing all your experience!
yassss girl love this! We can do anything we put our minds to and you are proof of this!! How I chose Computer Science as a major was extremely random so you inspired me to make a video similar to this! P.S. I'm Nigerian too! 💕✨
Ohh no way!! I'd love to see a video about your journey too!
@@Bukola1 and Maya Bello. Yep, would like to see it too.
This was so motivational. Thank you so much for making this video. It really helped give me some direction with what I need to do and how I need to prepare.
Thanks for sharing your journey. I too graduated with a sociology degree and only found out at the end it qualified me to teach only. I then applied for a masters in information management and attained this after one year. I never really used it for another 10 years after which I got into data analysis utilising microsoft business stack tech. It has been a journey. But self learning is a must for any starting point followed by instructed learning. Turn off your TV and get reading check out online intructural sites. God luck
I have Nigerian parents and I’ve so far fallen into the disgrace category.
same :(
I ve got albanian parents and I'm in the same position
I literally am living your story. I’m so confused rn and i hate being a chemistry major but my gpa is so low i can’t change my major and everything is so frustrating. You’re an inspiration sis !
hi! my name is Jules and i’m a first year computer science student at Penn State. i just wanted to say i loved this video and i subscribed immediately! you’re super encouraging and all around just an inspiration. thank you for your content and i can’t wait to learn more from you! heaven knows i’ll be watching a lot of you through my college career. :) have a lovely day!
I'm cryingggg sis said doctor, lawyer, or disgrace LMFAO I was expecting an engineer
How are your parents now with your decision?
She is now a software engineer
Where I come from it's Doctor or Engineer. Becoming a Laywer means you either are in constant fear for your life or you are corrupt.
It is supposed to be DOCTOR ENGINEER OR LAWYER!!! In that order!
I used to do Political Science for almost 10 years (Bachelor, Masters, and Ph. D.). During my Ph. D., I learned R and Python to apply in my researh (Python mostly for Web Scraping, R for statistical analysis), learnt mostly on my own by just doing things. Turned out my Python, although not great at all, was good enough to get hired as an analyst, so, now I'm doing Python 80% of my time (the rest is mostly SQL) :) So, hi five! :)
Also, uploading your projects to Github is a great piece of advice, the only reason I got hired is that my employer actually had a look at my Github page.
Thank you for this video! It is the most relevant one I've come across. I also have a B.A. in Political Science. But, instead of realizing law school wasn't right for me, I actually went to law school, graduated, and have been working in the public interest legal field for several years. I don't dislike my job because I help people most in need of it, but it's not my passion. I would rather do part-time pro bono work and full-time software engineering. Like you, I took an into computer science class as a pre-req during undergrad and it was my favorite course during my entire time in school. Now, I'm learning Python while also taking plenty of time to figure out my next steps.
The longer the video went, the more our lives felt like mirror images.
Nigerian parents, can't live with 'em, can't live without 'em
Wow! This is my exact story before I switched into the field! Thanks for sharing your story! It's nice to see someone who looks like me who made it through to the other side!
I realized while watching your video that the thing that will probably motivate me most to continue learning how to code on my own is being able to say I have that grit that programmers have.
Now I feel like I’m wasting my time at school when there’s people like this out there. Just kinda makes question my decisions.....
She went to college. Was a lawyer first. Might have helped her mentally.
Sometimes we have to stumble around in the dark a bit before we figure it all out. A degree definitely helps though, so don’t dismiss it entirely.
I have 6 years on a career and am very frustrated with it. Trying to set businesses and studying coding on the side. Shit happens.
Please make sure to get as many internship opportunities while you’re in college!! I graduated a couple of months ago nd I feel completely unprepared for the real world. While I have many years of work experience, finding my place in cs industry has been impossible. I’m very discouraged nd am struggling mentally because I feel like I wasted so much time in school with the same outcome as if I had no degree...
It feels extremely good hearing your story as I’m doing research of the field I always come across men reviews and perspectives but is so different hearing from a women because we faced a lot of different struggles I had been interested in computer software but after having problems with male teachers and see how they really didn’t care for you as a women in the field I felt discouraged and I went into graphic design I know the foundations of css and html but now knowing that self teaching and commitment can work I’m really excited thank you for your story 💙
it's not that the male teachers don't care about girls, it's more so that these types of teachers have zero social skills. I hated my undergrad in engineering, all my teachers just brushed me off as well.
I just found your videos! I love it! I'm Nigerian currently in my 5th year of medicine and I know it's not for me. I've grown an interest in computer science and your video is amazing! Thank you sooooooooooo much! It spoke directly to me!
I have a CS degree and am already a software engineer so I don't know why I'm watching this. But you're awesome, love your content!
Hi, what would you recommend? I’m in my junior year as computer science student. Does the name of the school matter? I’m going to Texas A&M - commerce, which is a small town.
@@chiikaflor1489 hello! May I ask how you are doing and feel about being a computer science student? I am considering majoring in that field.
Girl I studied economics and i regret it so much. I also worked in a financial services firm as a risk analyst and ended up quitting. I hated it so much. I wish I would have studied marketing or computer science.
Ugh, I wish I did Financial Mang!!
Finance or Marketing? I'm still struggling
I wish stuff bla bla bla..
Stop complaining and do it!! 👍
I have a finance degree so a little exposure to economics and marketing, and now I am a CS student. I can tell you that economics and CS are at least related in terms of math, but marketing is not even in the ball park as rigorous. I assume that in economics you had to at least learn to code a little - MATLAB at least - right?
MSneberger Hey, Thanks for your comment! I actually work in digital marketing now and I absolutely love it!
Thank you, Bukola, for sharing. You are an inspiration for many, not just software engineers.
Thank you for this video! Was looking for practical advice and you gave it. I"m definitely going to be looking into Recurse center!
Insightful video Bukola! Proud of your progress 👏
Thank you!
This was so completely random that your page was suggested to me (Although not really random just heavy cookie monitoring smh) but for the entire weekend I have been revamping my resume to apply for a new Software Engineering position so of course I have spent all weekend taking some refresher courses offered through TH-cam. I just opened my LinkedIn Account about an hour ago and this was recommended, but I am so glad it was. I definitely ain't mad at Google for this haha. Great content and you definitely just got a new subscriber! From one black engineer to another, and simply one young engineer to another young engineer, keep doing great things!!
Thank you for your inspiring story. I’m on a similar path but more towards machine learning. I love what I’m learning but unsure if I will be taken seriously without a degree. Thank you for you recommended resources and spreading your love for coding!!