Where to start - development ?

[smg22]

They upload the videos. You watch it and do the exercises when it suits you.

I just got interested, but my plan is to get MCDP certification this year and I want to start with it in February which is literally beginning this weekend...

 

[Ghost02]

Thanks, I'll probably not pay for one then, just do it to gain some skills in addition to my university courses

 

[gkm]

To be honest if i interview someone and see a coursera course i really would not hold it in a great light. Shows some work on their behalf but that is about it.

I also think you would change your opinion once you have done one yourself.

 

[semaphore]

I also think you would change your opinion once you have done one yourself.

I have, and i am doing ones not related to computer science, but chemistry and biochemistry. But thanks for jumping on the bandwagon, before actually asking if i was doing any

I still however do not believe its a awesome accolade to add to a CV. It does however show a keen interest to keep learning and that is all i would take from it.

 

[gkm]

I have, and i am doing ones not related to computer science, but chemistry and biochemistry. But thanks for jumping on the bandwagon, before actually asking if i was doing any

I still however do not believe its a awesome accolade to add to a CV. It does however show a keen interest to keep learning and that is all i would take from it.

Yes, I completely agree, sorry. For me it is the difference between a candidate that will learn how to do the job and the one you have to explain how to do even the most basic stuff. Aka, is the person keen to learn. But still as you say, just one aspect amongst many.

 

[AWD]

hands on experience counts - get that under the belt with references and a portfolio

 

[Other Pineapple Smurf]

I just got interested, but my plan is to get MCDP certification this year and I want to start with it in February which is literally beginning this weekend...

Rather look at Udacity then. Not time based but its easier to fall behind. Udacity and coursera actually share some courses (same team, same videos, etc)

 

[Other Pineapple Smurf]

I have, and i am doing ones not related to computer science, but chemistry and biochemistry. But thanks for jumping on the bandwagon, before actually asking if i was doing any

I still however do not believe its a awesome accolade to add to a CV. It does however show a keen interest to keep learning and that is all i would take from it.

So you admit your unable to offer any valid contribution towards this thread with your opinion and experience with coursera.

 

[semaphore]

So you admit your unable to offer any valid contribution towards this thread with your opinion and experience with coursera.

You mentioned coursera, and my comments are towards coursera not each and every single individual course. And i know a few companies off the top of my head which would not care about the coursera "credits".

That being said i did algorithm design and principles last year, but learnt more in varsity to be honest.

My entire point is its good to do these coursera things for pure learning that is it.

 

[jackblue]

No 1: Ensure that this is the thing that you really want to do

I also agree on this. It makes your chosen career easy.

 

[CheekyC]

I also find that I no longer need to explain what is coursera (and if I do then I'm not interested in the company).

Stupid attitude

 

[noob_saibot]

Learning to code is one thing, learning to code for the SA jobs market is another.

In SA, most varsities still teach Java and most corporates still buy Windows R500-R1000 licenses (I don't really know how much windows costs for them, but should be there somewhere) per PC.

So if you are awesome Perl guy who learns how to code a triangulated smartphone tracker that tracks down to the nearest square meter area, you might get a job.

However, if you are self-taught beginner, your best bet would be to choose: Java, .NET or C# (or maybe even PHP - if you're a Joomla or WordPress kinda guy).

Also, try getting a degree or diploma of some sort. I've read a thread just now that says that the employer was struggling to teach the grad how to code stuff for real projects, but for some reason, degrees/diplomas still matter (especially if you want a job at a big firm where IT isn't their core business, but a big part).

So either enroll in a UNISA degree, or get an MCSE or something related to Java or Microsoft.

If you are the rest of the world, then maybe you should look into Ruby on Rails (known as RoR), which is quick(er) to learn and you can build interesting web applications with it (I think the Ruby language is based on the philosophy of programmer productivity).

 

[AngryFeet]

I think any job interview will involve a software test, and you will need to be able to talk practically about projects you've worked on. I don't think a formal course is the best way to start. Rather find a project you're interested in and work on that to learn, or it can turn into a slog. Depends on your motivation really.

 

[EtienneK]

Where to start? If you are using Google chrome:

- Press the F12 key
- Go to the "console tab"
- Type this: console.log('Hello World!');
- Press enter
- Give yourself a pat on the back, 'cause you just wrote your first program
- If you enjoyed that, go here for more interesting challenges: https://www.khanacademy.org/cs

 

[scrappy_coco]

No 1: Ensure that this is the thing that you really want to do

This.