AanmeldenAre you curious about IT but not sure whether your background is appropriate for the job? You can become a programmer without an IT background, because I did it myself!
Are you curious about IT but not sure whether your background is appropriate for the job? You can become a programmer without an IT background, because I did it myself! Curious how? Then read on!
Choice after high school
After high school, like so many people with me, I “just” chose a study that was as broad as possible. Handy I thought, because with that I could “go in all directions”. I eventually graduated in business administration. Very broad and that naturally also resulted in the necessary stress of choice. Am I going to become a manager? And what exactly am I going to manage?
I couldn't quite find my way at my new job. I thought a lot about questions like, “is this what I've been studying for all these years?”. At work I was introduced to the IT world, but becoming a programmer still seemed a long way off. Those guys at those desks in the corner, they do “things with code”. To make the distance even greater, there was often little communication with the IT department. You soon communicate via “tickets”, which you “snap into”. To use some fancy office terms for: “Just write down what you want and we'll look at it later”. It didn't feel like an accessible world for a newly graduated business administrator.
Fascination with IT
Yet my fascination for IT persisted and I eventually chose to retrain as a developer. Best decision of my career so far! Now that I am the person who often says “just shoot a ticket”, I can better understand what qualities you need to be able to successfully retrain yourself without an IT background. I would like to share these properties with you!
Characteristics of a developer
Two things are important if you want to become a developer: you are curious and you are a problem solver. The two often go hand in hand, for example if you are the person who immediately starts exploring alternatives when a problem arises. These qualities show themselves differently in everyone, but if you have them you're good!
In addition, two other things to keep in mind. You have to be okay with not being able to explain exactly what you do at work on birthdays. And I discovered one very important characteristic that you must have as a programmer, one that should not be missing. You must be able to laugh at internet memes, or you will be lost!
