Justin wanted to start a business and every business needs a website, so he thought: why not learn how to build my own? He began learning from books and attended a community college, but to keep up with competitors, he needed to rapidly become an innovative and adaptive developer. Then Justin began learning with Treehouse.
6 months later, Justin felt comfortable enough with his web skills to take the plunge and embark on a career in tech. First, he quit his job as a waiter, then began to do freelance web design and taught a high school HTML and CSS class. Once he was confident his skills were optimized, Justin applied for and landed a Front End Developer position. Today, Justin couldn’t be happier with the work he’s doing and is looking forward to his career evolving into the future.
We caught up with Justin to hear more about his learning experience with Treehouse and the process of transitioning into his first career in tech.
Learning from Treehouse seriously gave me job freedom, I feel as if I can apply for a position anywhere in the world or I can be my own boss.
What first drew you to the web industry?
Around the end of 2013 I was interested in starting a business and I realized every business needed a website. I thought to myself creating a website couldn’t be that hard, could it? Then I ordered a basic HTML book from Amazon.
What work were you doing when you first joined Treehouse and what encouraged you to learn with us?
I was launching a Crowd-speaking platform with my friends. Our only competitor in the industry was already well established so we knew we had to become really innovative developers, quick. Luckily we found Treehouse and tried to complete as many courses and tracks as possible.
After 6 months of learning with Treehouse, you landed an awesome new programming job. Tell us a little about how your career has evolved since learning with Treehouse and the work you’re doing now.
After 6 months of learning with Treehouse, I enthusiastically quit my horrible Italian restaurant serving job. I began to do freelance web design, taught an HTML & CSS class for San Clemente High School and once I was really comfortable in my skills I sought out a Front End Developer position. I got the job which in Hollywood Blvd, Los Angeles, and I couldn’t be happier.
What are your plans for the future, and what’s up next on your learning path?
Well, after I finish all the Treehouse tracks I expect I’ll be ready for a career upgrade. So I’ll either ask for a more senior position at my place of employment or look for a better opportunity. I’ve been hearing a lot of good stuff about coding bootcamps so I want to attend one of those.
What has the value of a Treehouse education meant to you?
At my community college, I felt like I was acquiring knowledge that wasn’t applicable in a real world environment. That’s what I think is the biggest value in Treehouse, Treehouse provided me with the skillset to create applications that sell in the business world. Learning from Treehouse seriously gave me job freedom, I feel as if I can apply for a position anywhere in the world or I can be my own boss.
Is there any advice you’d like to share with new students who are just starting out?
- My advice to new students starting out is to be a copy and paste guru. Eventually, you’ll understand the code you copy and paste, haha.
- If you believe that coding isn’t for you, you’re wrong. It’s applicable to everyone because you can literally discover a job in every field in the modern world that uses computer science. For example, I absolutely love medicine and one day hope to create graphical user interfaces for biochemists to view and manipulate chemical structures.
To read more student success stories, check out the Treehouse Stories Page.