I want to get into software development

I want to get into software development I’m 20 years old working full time in retail I want to learn to become a software developer but don’t really want to go uni I have a btech not in IT or anything but the grades weren’t really all that I was thinking a level 3 apprenticeship but can’t really find anything for software development I wouldn’t mind going uni but I’m going to have to do a foundation any suggestions I’m open to anything

Reply 1

Hoc est Bellum

18

Original post by Banaanabutton

I want to get into software development I’m 20 years old working full time in retail I want to learn to become a software developer but don’t really want to go uni I have a btech not in IT or anything but the grades weren’t really all that I was thinking a level 3 apprenticeship but can’t really find anything for software development I wouldn’t mind going uni but I’m going to have to do a foundation any suggestions I’m open to anything

You can go to a coding Bootcamp or teach yourself. Doing this can set you up for a junior position and you can work your way up from there. An apprenticeship (particularly level 6) would be ideal, but there are alternatives.

Make sure you teach yourself the right things though. My advice would be to find a few junior positions on indeed that you are interested in, look at the entry requirements and teach yourself what the companies specify. For example - HTML, CSS and JS/React for a front-end position.

Reply 2

Banaanabutton

OP

5

Original post by Hoc est Bellum

You can go to a coding Bootcamp or teach yourself. Doing this can set you up for a junior position and you can work your way up from there. An apprenticeship (particularly level 6) would be ideal, but there are alternatives.

Make sure you teach yourself the right things though. My advice would be to find a few junior positions on indeed that you are interested in, look at the entry requirements and teach yourself what the companies specify. For example - HTML, CSS and JS/React for a front-end position.

Thank you for your reply however after googling some junior jobs they all require some experience or a degree which I do not have

Reply 3

O_O.

9

Original post by Banaanabutton

I want to get into software development I’m 20 years old working full time in retail I want to learn to become a software developer but don’t really want to go uni I have a btech not in IT or anything but the grades weren’t really all that I was thinking a level 3 apprenticeship but can’t really find anything for software development I wouldn’t mind going uni but I’m going to have to do a foundation any suggestions I’m open to anything

Your options are really just uni, apprenticeship, job.

You don’t want uni so that leaves you with apprenticeships and a job. Jobs that require no experience are hard to find but not impossible. There’s a platform called otta that’s good for tech jobs and you can set your settings as no experience.

Idk where you’re looking for apprenticeships but there are loads in software dev at all kinds of levels. Ig if you’re looking for local ones, depending on where you live that narrows things down a lot. If you really can’t find a level 3 apprenticeship then do a boot camp as the other commenter said and try to fill up your cv with projects.

You’ll get rejected a lot for not having a degree but if you can at least get into an interview room and speak to someone you can more easily convince them you’re worth it.

You should use indeed to find companies offering jobs then apply directly through the company website. When companies ask for 3 years of experience for example and you say you haven’t got it, indeed automatically doesn’t show the application to the employer. So you might check all the other boxes but you can’t get into an interview cuz you don’t have experience. More time these jobs that say x years of experience either don’t require that many years or aren’t junior positions in the first place.

Reply 4

Blue_Cow

22

Original post by Banaanabutton

I want to get into software development I’m 20 years old working full time in retail I want to learn to become a software developer but don’t really want to go uni I have a btech not in IT or anything but the grades weren’t really all that I was thinking a level 3 apprenticeship but can’t really find anything for software development I wouldn’t mind going uni but I’m going to have to do a foundation any suggestions I’m open to anything

Why do you want to go into software development? Have you explored your interests properly? I'm just saying, it's not for everybody and not as glamorous as people make it out to be.

Keep looking for apprenticeships. You might have to relocate depending on where you are in the country. Some places just have more opportunities than others in this field. E-mail local software houses and see if they can offer anything.

Reply 5

Banaanabutton

OP

5

Original post by O_O.

Your options are really just uni, apprenticeship, job.

You don’t want uni so that leaves you with apprenticeships and a job. Jobs that require no experience are hard to find but not impossible. There’s a platform called otta that’s good for tech jobs and you can set your settings as no experience.

Idk where you’re looking for apprenticeships but there are loads in software dev at all kinds of levels. Ig if you’re looking for local ones, depending on where you live that narrows things down a lot. If you really can’t find a level 3 apprenticeship then do a boot camp as the other commenter said and try to fill up your cv with projects.

You’ll get rejected a lot for not having a degree but if you can at least get into an interview room and speak to someone you can more easily convince them you’re worth it.

You should use indeed to find companies offering jobs then apply directly through the company website. When companies ask for 3 years of experience for example and you say you haven’t got it, indeed automatically doesn’t show the application to the employer. So you might check all the other boxes but you can’t get into an interview cuz you don’t have experience. More time these jobs that say x years of experience either don’t require that many years or aren’t junior positions in the first place.

I don’t mind going uni it’s just that I don’t have the grades for it so I’ll do foundation which again I don’t mind doing all also I’m 20 so I don’t know how it all works in terms of finance and stuff

Reply 6

Banaanabutton

OP

5

Original post by Blue_Cow

Why do you want to go into software development? Have you explored your interests properly? I'm just saying, it's not for everybody and not as glamorous as people make it out to be.

Keep looking for apprenticeships. You might have to relocate depending on where you are in the country. Some places just have more opportunities than others in this field. E-mail local software houses and see if they can offer anything.

Ideally I want to program games I’ve been doing some self studying reading books watching vids using udemy and taking online classes

Reply 7

Hoc est Bellum

18

Original post by Banaanabutton

Thank you for your reply however after googling some junior jobs they all require some experience or a degree which I do not have

They require experience, not necessarily professional experience. My point was to do some self-training or a BootCamp to get your first position. The fact of the matter is that software engineers without degrees absolutely exist. And the fact that they exist means that they got their first software job without a degree or experience.

(edited 2 years ago)

Reply 8

k1tsun3

12

You can go the apprenticeship route, level 4 or 6 will do. A degree is not a prerequisite to get a software engineering job, but it does help get you an interview. That said, there are loads of apprenticeship opportunities out there. A little late for the big ones (Sky, Arm, etc.) right now as they have all closed. They all tend to recruit for Sept/Oct starts and places are filled by April. There are some places that work with Makers and these are level 4 and opportunities come up all year round. If you get an offer for a Software Engineer position you attend the Makers bootcamp and then join your team, and if you get an offer for DevOps then you attend a second bootcamp for DevOps and then join your team. Both pay you from day 1. But the Makers route is highly competitive as you'll be competing with career changers and people with non-CS degrees.

If you want to just do a bootcamp. Makers are running to government funded cohorts. You have to be eligible though. From their site:

Am I eligible to apply?

At Makers we are passionate about making tech an accessible career for all, regardless of background. We want to make tech as representative and diverse as the community it serves.

We’re looking for people who can 100% commit themselves to completing a 16 week full-time skills bootcamp, have a genuine willingness to learn new skills, a passion for tech and the drive to build a new career. Further requirements are listed below:

•

aged 19+

•

live in London or within commuting distance.

•

a British citizen and have lived in the UK for at least 3 years prior to starting the bootcamp.

•

ability to commit to a full time 16 week programme and subsequent job hunt

•

can support yourself financially over course duration and job hunt.

•

employed, self-employed, recently unemployed within the last 12 months or returning to work after a break. Preference will be given to applicants who are currently unemployed; and/or score highly on our social deprivation index.

Makers Government Funded Bootcamp: https://apply.makers.tech/tech-skills-bootcamp-in-software-engineering
Makers Apprenticeship Pool: https://makers.tech/become/apprentice/

(edited 1 year ago)

I want to get into software development

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