Here are Our Top Resources for IT Newbies

Change is good — having a plan is better

As if making a career change isn’t hard enough, doing it alone can really make you wanna pull your hair out (please don’t). Many IT newcomers, from web developers to data scientists, struggle with answering the onslaught of questions that come with their decision: “How do I get a job? Do I know enough to really start coding? Who do I talk to if I need advice?”

But don’t fret. Entering a new field doesn’t have to be the end of the world. And we certainly wouldn’t leave you hanging! (You didn’t doubt us, did you?)

Below, we’ve compiled a list of top resources for IT newbies! It provides useful info on job searching, web development, and data analytics.

Job Search & Career Advice

1. Career Karma

So you’ve set your sights on IT, but haven’t chosen a role to pursue? Here’s a great starting point!

The Career Karma platform (and app) creates a roadmap that can help you land your dream job. Providing extensive guides to all popular tech fields, CK connects you to all the best boot camps where you’ll learn the hard skills you need to shift careers! It also offers detailed tutorials, salary reviews, personal coaching, and live events on Zoom that’ll support your learning. Don’t miss a chance to join a lively community of 100k+ members to discuss your projects and learning track!

2. How to escape tutorial purgatory as a new developer — or at any time in your career.

Here’s a good place to begin your journey into programming, especially if you’ve decided to study online. Many online students find it tempting to watch one tutorial after another until they deem their knowledge of the topic “complete.” But instead of bringing you closer to a tech job, this approach may actually set you further back.

In this article, a web developer explains why it’s a good idea to put the tutorials away and get your hands dirty, even if you don’t have a clue how to finish your project.

3. Junior Developers Checklist for Landing a Remote Job

Making a career change, moving abroad, and finding a remote job sound exciting in theory, but what is it really like? A hardware engineer-turned-software developer describes his path — from making the initial decision to landing his first remote role.

4. Things I Learned to Become a Senior Software Engineer

If you’re just getting into web development and want a clearer picture of what your future career will entail, this article’s for you. Neil Kakkar reflects on his journey from a junior to a senior position and describes how you can gain some useful soft skills that will aid your professional growth.

5. mintbean.io

Need a platform that brings together junior and senior web developers from all over the globe? Look no further. Mintbean hosts online workshops, masterclasses, and hackathons where you can level up your skills, find new pals, and improve your portfolio. It also gives you access to a welcoming community of devs who are eager to mentor you, give advice on your code, or just have a chat about games and music. Did we mention it’s free of charge?

6. Hatchways: Get your next job at a startup

Hatchways is a platform that helps people land IT jobs, so it’s something worth exploring if you already have some skills and a portfolio.

Upon signup, Hatchways assesses your skills then gives you feedback on how you can improve. Once you’re ready to meet with potential employers, they connect you with the best-suited companies from their talent pool. The platform works on a “freemium” model, and most of its options are free.

Software Engineering

1. Practicum by Yandex

Do you need a crash course on software engineering? Do you want to make sure it’s something you’ll be interested in for the long haul? Then Practicum’s intro course may be a great place for you to start! It gives you access to the basics of software engineering. You’ll tackle software engineering theory in manageable chunks and immediately apply it by writing your own code on Practicum’s interactive platform.

2. FullStack.Cafe

This website is a real catch for beginners developing a keen eye for detail or experienced devs preparing for technical interviews. A collection of answers to tricky questions (such as “what is scope in JavaScript?”), FullStack.Cafe is a useful resource whether you’re already interviewing, are a seasoned pro, or still learning. The topics are divided into 3 sections: full stack, coding & data structures, and system design & architecture. Within each topic, you’ll find tags that will direct you to individual interview questions.

3. DevDocs API Documentation

Here’s a comprehensive and detailed reference book for programming languages. It covers most languages including JS, Python, and more. Great for both beginners and experienced developers.

4. Learn to Code With Me: Get digital skills, be happy

An insightful and friendly blog run by self-taught techie Laurence Bradford, this site is the “bee’s knees” (i.e. it’s highly admired). Here you’ll find coding books, recommendations, reviews of software engineering tools, useful how-to guides, career insights, and interview tips. Also, Laurence hosts a podcast where she talks to people who decided on a dramatic career change and succeeded.

5. codeburst

Codeburst is a blog with a rich collection of useful articles on a variety of web-dev-related topics: how-to guides, code examples, developer tools, etc. Updated frequently (several times a week), this tool may prove a useful addition to your online courses and resources.

Data Analysis & Data Science

1. Awesome Data Science | GitHub

Awesome Data Science is comparable to a chest of hidden gems. The all-encompassing, open repository has lists of all the resources you could possibly need to become a DS powerhouse. From a useful data science glossary to a registry of open datasets, it covers every corner of DS education: popular algorithms, the best college and online DS programs, books & podcasts, toolboxes, publications, visualization tools, and so much more.

2. Awesome Machine Learning | GitHub

Awesome Machine Learning is another open repository. It has lists of various ML frameworks and libraries — from C to TensorFlow and more (with explanations!) You may find it helpful if you have some experience in this field and are looking for new tools (or inspiration).

3. Learn Machine Learning

Though mostly made up of discussions, this subreddit hosts various ML-related materials, including tutorials, instructions, and even book recs. The newbie-friendly resource may be a great aid if you need learning advice or want to discuss a project with peers or seniors.

4. Analytics Vidhya

This data science community is where you can find a ton of useful ML-related information — Introductory ML and Deep Learning courses, data science library recommendation lists, skill tests, and much more. AnalyticsVidya is the perfect resource for those who need a friendly guide.

5. DataTau — Data Science Newsboard

DataTau is a board that aggregates ML- and DS-related news from across the web. You can use it if you want to stay updated on industry news without the hassle of checking several individual resources.

So what’s next?

While this list of resources will help you on your way, practice is still the best way to learn how to code. If you’re looking for a comprehensive, practice-oriented software engineering or data science course, you’re always welcome at Practicum.

We provide way more than just an online course and interactive platform: our courses give you access to a community of students and instructors and 24/7 live support to make your learning process as seamless and comfortable as possible.

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