The problem with being self taught is that you're competing with applicants that have degrees. As someone who is self taught and making 6 figures in tech within 2 years of studying, the way I got interviews was to have a good portfolio of projects that demonstrated that I knew what I was doing. Good cover letters and applying for clear entry-level positions are also the way to go, and try to target mid-sized companies. For projects, try something that you are genuinely passionate about and can be published and easily seen by the hiring manager, like a website. The best project is a real profession product that is easily displayed, like a website for a local business. As someone who does interviews for the company that I work for, if I was interviewing an entry-level applicant, and that applicant clearly knew what he or she was talking about, had the initiative to learn, and wasn't a scumbag, then I would give my approval to the hiring manager. Web development is, in my opinion, the most easily accessible point of entry for new developers. I suggest learning HTML, CSS, and JavaScript, then moving to frameworks, like React, and then SQL and Git. According to a friend that went to a 4 year university, SQL and GIT weren't required courses, and many graduates don't know what they are. Also make sure you understand APIs and how they work, which you would presumably tackle when you study SQL. Automated testing, such as Jest, is also very important and can give you a very strong edge over almost all entry-level applicants. As you make Git repositories, also make sure to have a good Readme file, which you will learn later. Finally, know that your Python and Java studies are not worthless, as the core object-oriented concept is very important and can be translated to almost any programming language.

Also diversity hires are 100% a real thing. I have seen and been recommended positions from recruiters that explicitly call for a certain ethnicity and/or gender (even though I'm white and have a blatantly white name, a lot of recruiters are retarded). However, if you are a genuine good applicant, then very few companies will ignore your application in favor of "diversity." I know both a man and a woman from my previous job that were very solid software engineers, and went through a coding bootcamp, following these similar guidelines. There are companies that will give you an improved chance of getting hired at on the basis of diversity, but I work for a very large company and they don't give AF about diversity in their IT departments.

Good luck; Just don't give up and you can do it :)

You gonna be working with abunch kf blue haired trannies and Indians lol.

You want to make a lot of money without much work? Look into SCADA, specifically n3uron or wonderware/aveva.

1. Look through job openings now to get an idea of the pay and entrance requirements that are expected. See if you can handle that pay and the requirements.

2. Don't think you graduate from college or some certificate program and get the big bucks. Except for rare exceptions everyone has to pay their dues doing the shit work for shit pay, even if you have a degree/certificate. You're an unknown to your employer so they're not likely to be willing to risk a high-responsibility, high-pay position on you up front. You have to prove yourself first.

What a coincidence to come across this thread while on a small break from watching a CS50 lecture. How far along into the course are you?

I see other comments regarding competing with degrees. I have been working in the field for decades and never bothered getting a CS degree. To find work in the field of your choice start by looking at various job websites in your area, monster, career builder, indeed, linked in, etc. Find out what field has a surplus of work available around you, and base you learning schedule around that target position. Once you feel you have learned enough to be able to pass an exam on the subject, contact a head hunter in your area. Many tech companies will outsource their hiring to contractors, who they find through a head hunter company. If you don't have a degree these companies will give you an in house exam to ensure you know the subject matter. If you pass the exam and took my advice to learn a skill that has a surplus of work in your area, they will put you to work. Good Luck.

Follow the Comptia course outline to be a cyber security professional. It's industry recognized and gives you credibility with employers that you have practical understanding.

Getting an ethnic indo Paki name works if it's not a muzzie name. Something like Roger Singh or whatever your actual first name is with Singh at the end. Just apply with your made up name but tell HR the real name and say you identify as an indo Paki. You'd be transracial for HR purposes.

If you are self taught, let me know how you became employed in tech, if not, tell me what I should be doing/looking for/working on to make a break into tech.

Well I guess that's me. Spent a great deal of my 20's being a fuck-off, but on the side I was self-training (actually just entertaining myself). No way I would have got a job at some big corp with no credentials.

How I got to my current spot was getting into the bottom floor of some small company that makes a particular kind of instrumentation. Spent a few years assembling instruments for them, then handling the servicing department. After awhile I started doing things with the product for fun, like wiring up an 80's synth chip to one of the instruments (totally out of place for what the instrumentation is used for, but it was cool). Really just showing off those guys that hey I can do stuff, you know...

What got me in the door was I spent a summer writing some software in C# to communicate with one of our instruments and provide a visual representation of the data output. Small company, so didn't have the manpower available to write it. But it was a serious hole that needed to be filled. Company pres asked for the source code, and sent it off to the engineers to have a look at. Those guys said "hire him." So they hired me.

The first project they asked if I could complete was quite major. Honestly wasn't quite sure if I was really up to the task at first. Not gonna say exactly what that is to spare myself the risk of being doxxed. It took me a year to complete, by myself. "Manufacturing equipment", still being used today for production. Increased output ten times. It took every single skill I had at the time... firmware programming, software programming, fabrication, digital circuit design, and a shit-ton of soldering to build the prototype. Even has an FPGA at it's center, which was a first for me.

There's ways of attaining the career you really want. If you can do it, someone out there is willing to pay you to do it. You just have to show them you're not full of shit. Trick is getting someone to hear you out. I did that through infiltration, more or less.

One of the engineers who really put in the good word for me one day told me he didn't have a degree either, but didn't stop him from being the lead mechanical design engineer... he's good at what he does.

Just say your black on an application

No one has pointed out the most important part. Once you look good enough to get an interview you have to prove you can code. Prep by doing like 500 leetcode problems.