AIBU? Wed developer/programmer as second job

[Ellesse44]

Do entry level programming roles that can be done as a second job or in your own time exist? I’m learning and enjoying coding, but also have a part-time job that I would like to keep. Ideally I would like to be able to do both. AIBU?

Definitely. You can go freelance and work whatever hours you want, or approach local software companies and ask if they have any part-time vacancies, and what kinds of skills/languages they're looking for.

Programmers are in demand, especially if you have a "willing to learn" attitude. Quite a few software companies now realise that it's better to employ someone who can learn than to employ someone who knows everything now but won't move their skills on - things become obsolete so quickly.

When I started out I built my portfolio by approaching a couple of small local charities who didn't have websites, and asking whether they'd be interested in getting one made at a reduced rate in exchange for it maybe taking a bit longer than an experienced person would take. I also produced a couple of "sample" sites for imaginary companies, so that I had something to show off to potential clients.

Thank you for your reply. I did think about freelancing, but I thought that would come after a lot of experience and being able to cover all the aspects of the project. I was wondering whether positions within a team, on smaller tasks were available on a part-time basis and on flexible hours; kind of choose your own working schedule as long as you meet your deadline, if it makes sense :)

It's definitely worth contacting companies to see what's out there. They're very often open to different styles off working, so it does no harm to ask.

Hi @BelfastSmile

Could I ask, did you take a course/formal qualifications?

Thanks!

Not a specific computing course, no, but I did maths at uni (25 years ago - there were no web dev courses back then!).

I do online courses every now and then - Udemy and Udacity are good for those. But I've mostly built up a good reputation by doing a good job, to be honest - people I've done work for recommend me to others.

Appreciate the response thank you and well done!

@BelfastSmile I am looking to do the same sort of thing. I can build nice looking and fairly complicated websites. But they take quite a long time to do. How much would you recommend charging when starting out? Thank you.