Time to Transition
Tags: veteran, webdev, javascript, programming
Published: 2023-06-14 22:28:58

"Don't limit yourself. Many people limit themselves to what they think they can do. You can go as far as your mind lets you. What you believe you can achieve." — Mary Kay Ash

**Changing** paths and embarking down an _unfamiliar_ territory is something that a lot of veterans know all too well, myself included. **New beginnings** can be terrifying, and often a lot of work. Usually, the _easier_ option is to continue doing what is **comfortable** and stay the course. On the other hand, reaping the benefits of a positive change makes all the **struggle** worth it in the end.

Jump to Section

- [New Beginnings](#section-1)

- [Self-Teaching](#section-2)

- [Find a Group](#section-3)

- [Learning in Public](#section-4)

- [Resources](#section-5)

#### New beginnings: We all start somewhere
<a id="section-1"></a>
If you know me, then you probably know my **passion** for programming started at a young age. I had hoped to be doing something with computers in the Air Force, but was **not** so lucky. 

Coming up on the end of my enlistment, I already knew which path I wanted to follow. I was so excited to be onto my next adventure, and immediately took to the internet to start seeing where I should begin. 

![pair of shoes standing on a forward arrow symbolizing taking steps forward into a new beginning](https://dev-to-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/uploads/articles/pnu7fk04vhpncu5ioadt.jpg)

The world of programming is vast, with **many different** programming languages and uses and paths that I could travel down - which path was **right** for me? This choice was all personal preference, but if you are unsure where to begin - **JavaScript** is always a good starting ground.


#### Self-Teaching: Successfully
<a id="section-2"></a>
I started out learning with **online courses**. I was working full-time and also full-time studying after that (my wife forgives me). I was putting in a lot of hours and **learning** so much.

With that being said, it is easy to get lost in the sea of it all. There are so many **different** sites, _everyone wants you to buy their course_ - where do you go? 

I personally used:

- **CodeCademy** - Informative + Interactive, 10/10 recommend ⭐

- **Coursera** - Informative + slightly interactive, 8/10

- **Stack Overflow** - You will spend majority of your time here, 20/10 ⭐

- **AI like ChatGPT** - Can be useful for edge cases or basic knowledge questions

- **Youtube** - Tutorials/lessons/Good for visual learners
*Note: Please don't fall into the trap of only following tutorials. While they are great, make sure that you are relying on your own skills and building with your own code to really excel. 

- **LeetCode** - Interview prep questions

![clipart image signifying self improvement/teaching](https://dev-to-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/uploads/articles/3021mfjh444hartuwjj5.jpg)

#### Find a Group: Fitting in somewhere
<a id="section-3"></a>
Becoming a part of [Vets Who Code](https://vetswhocode.io/) was a **turning point** in my **learning**. While I was **learning** a lot teaching myself, I was not **learning** the best I could be. I was lacking the _leadership_ and _guidance_ from a **mentor** - someone who works in the field already. 

**Vets Who Code** accepted me as a member of their _first_ online cohort. Since I have joined, I have created lasting relationships in the development community (**very important**) while building on my skills even more.

The cohort consisted of creating a professional **portfolio**, based off of [Jerome Hardaway](https://www.linkedin.com/in/jeromehardaway/)'s (_founder of Vets Who Code_) [portfolio checklist](https://vets-who-code.notion.site/Portfolio-Checklist-for-Javascript-Engineers-44e9b849bf6d4c5db8273993dfd748c3). It started off with using [Figma](https://www.figma.com/) to draw up a _UX flow_ and _wireframe design_, and ended with a **NextJS/React/TypeScript/NodeJS** stacked web app. Along the way, I gained experience with **migrating** technologies, utilizing tools like **bundlers/tree shakers/frameworks & libraries**, and even interacting with the **file server(FS)** using **Node**!

There were many **challenges** along the way, but that is one of the things I love about this career. **Solving** a complex issue, or one that you have never encountered before, is a very **rewarding** feeling (to me, at least). Two of my larger **challenges** that I faced were setting up & using [Parcel.js](https://parceljs.org/) and **NodeJS** to write to the **FS** with _server API's_. 

On the other side of **challenge** is the outcome. Being faced with all of these **challenges,** I learned a lot as well. Some of the most useful information I picked up (in my opinion) was learning how to leverage **TypeScript** & **GitHub**. I believe that both of these technologies are essential to _real world_ development, and will stick with me as I continue my journeys. 

![Group of developers conversing while working](https://dev-to-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/uploads/articles/6kqrrjz6geekk6cnrthq.jpg)

#### Learning in Public: Thinking out loud
<a id="section-4"></a>
As I continue **learning** and **building**, another _key_ takeaway that was taught to me was **learning in public**. I first learned of the benefits of **learning in public** on the [Front-End Happy Hour Podcast](https://www.frontendhappyhour.com/). Being active in your community sets you **apart** from those that are not. You can also **inspire/help** others by **learning in public**, which has value in itself. 

Ways to learn in public: 

- Blog posts

- Youtube videos

- Podcast

- Live stream coding

- Attend events

- Be a voice on LinkedIn and other social platforms

I have currently been creating blog posts both for myself, and others, as I continue to **learn in public** as well. In the future, I could see myself hosting live stream coding days potentially. 

#### Resources
<a id="section-5"></a>
Thank you for reading through. Below you will find a recap of the important links from this post, as well as a few others that I am sprinkling in. Enjoy

Learning:

- [CodeCademy](https://www.codecademy.com/)

- [Coursera](https://www.coursera.org/)

- [LinkedIn Learning](https://www.linkedin.com/help/learning/answer/a700789/linkedin-learning-overview?lang=en)

- [LeetCode](https://leetcode.com/)

- [Stack Overflow](https://stackoverflow.com/)

Tools mentioned:

- [Parcel.js](https://parceljs.org/docs/)

- [Node.js](https://nodejs.org/en/docs)

- [React](https://react.dev/)

- [TypeScript](https://www.typescriptlang.org/docs/)

- [Next.js](https://nextjs.org/docs)

- [Figma](https://www.figma.com/)

- [Netlify](https://www.netlify.com/)

- [ChatGPT](https://openai.com/blog/chatgpt)

People:

- [Jerome Hardaway](https://www.linkedin.com/in/jeromehardaway/)

- [Mary Kay Ash](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mary_Kay_Ash)

- [Front-End Happy Hour Podcast](https://www.frontendhappyhour.com/)

- [Vets Who Code](https://vetswhocode.io/)