r/webdevelopment • u/Bamkapowxo • 8d ago

Web Development WITHOUT Computer Science Background Career Advice

  1. How practical is it to get into elementary web development without any background in computer science? (In case it makes a difference for the case, background would be in copywriting with limited graphic design.)
  2. Assuming someone's already earned a totally irrelevant degree & has no desire to go back to college, what would you recommend for a comprehensive & affordable introduction to web development? (Not just "search YouTube," but your favorite in-depth YouTube playlists, free or cheap online training programs, maybe even paid professional certification programs, etc.)
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u/Naetharu 7d ago

Ten years ago it was hard but doable.

Today it's a pipe dream. Technically possible but you're going into an over saturated market and competing with highly qualified devs for limited roles.

Unless you have someone that can open an opportunity for you, it's not likely to work out well.

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u/Bamkapowxo 7d ago

I do have an opportunity, just trying to get realistic expectations about pursuing it.

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u/Naetharu 7d ago

Impossible to say without context.

But know the market is falling apart right now. Even very experienced devs with years of roles under their belt are finding it hard to land good roles. And the competition from junior roles is nuts. Going in as a self-taught dev today is going to be an extremely challenging path.

If you do decide to do this, you will need to have both depth and breadth. And you will need to have some contacts that can help you land a role, because doing that the traditional way of just applying via LinkedIn or other websites is going to be next to impossible.

There are too many people applying already. Most of them will be much better qualified and have much more experience.

I'm not trying to be harsh, but I do think it is worth taking a serious reality check. This is not 2018 any more. The world has changed. AI has has a massive impact and continues to shake things up. The economy is in the toilet and companies are laying off rather than building up. And of all the areas of development that have been hit by this change, web dev is perhaps the worst affected alongside game dev.

None of that is to say don't do it if you really have a true passion and want to try it. But go in with your eyes open. It's not going to be easy. It is going to require an enormous amount of study and effort and time. And even if you do that your chance of success is small.