Some of the best people in tech are self-taught. Employers increasingly hire for proven skill, not paper. What you need is a focused plan, free resources, and the discipline to build real things.
Pick one track
Don't try to learn everything. Choose one path to start: front-end (HTML, CSS, JavaScript), data (SQL, Python, analysis), QA/testing, or tech support moving toward engineering. Go deep before you go wide.
Learn for free
freeCodeCamp, The Odin Project, CS50, and YouTube cover almost everything at no cost. The key is to follow a structured curriculum to the end rather than jumping between random tutorials.
Build proof
Knowledge alone won't get you hired — you need evidence. Build two or three real projects and put them on GitHub. A small, finished, deployed project beats a dozen half-done tutorials.
Get visible
A simple portfolio, a clean GitHub, and a LinkedIn that tells your story. Write about what you build — it compounds and attracts opportunities you didn't apply for.
Land the first role
Apply for junior, internship, and apprenticeship roles. Contribute to open source. Be active in communities. The first role is the hardest; after that, experience opens doors.