When I started learning web development, I was basically broke. However, I still managed to learn this profitable skill, landed a job in 6 months and even got 4 raises within my 1st year.
The good part, I did all of that without spending a penny on paid tutorials. Not that they are bad, I just didn't have the privilege at that time. So if you are in a similar situation at the moment, in this post, I'm going to break it down and explain how you can learn any profitable skill step-by-step.
The 4-Step Learning Framework
1. Find a roadmap
One of the reasons why self-learning a topic is so difficult for many is that they don't know where to start. When you don't have a clear path to follow, staying consistent becomes impossible.
So in the first step, find a roadmap for learning whatever it is you're trying to learn. You can do that by asking experts in that specific field or just searching on the Internet, or even asking AI. I'll explain each one in detail:
- Searching the Internet (personal recommendation) When I started, this whole AI vibe didn't exist yet, so I went with searching on Google. You can simply just search "[The Skill you are trying to learn] roadmap" to get tons of roadmaps online. roadmap.sh was the one I picked due to its accuracy and elaborations. You can also track your progress there which is a helpful feature.Don't limit your search to just Google, YouTube is also an amazing source where you can also hear from others' experience.
- Asking AI
When you're trying to ask AI, it's important to give it enough context to receive the most accurate and helpful results. This is an example prompt I write when asking AI for learning roadmaps:
I want to learn [SKILL/TOPIC] to [SPECIFIC GOAL]. My current level: [BEGINNER/INTERMEDIATE/ADVANCED] Available time: [X HOURS PER DAY/WEEK] Timeline: [X MONTHS] Create a step-by-step learning roadmap with: 1. Main phases (3-5 phases max) 2. Key concepts for each phase 3. Estimated time for each phase 4. Prerequisites between phases - Asking other experts You can also achieve something similar to this when you search for learning roadmaps on YouTube. Yet it can be very helpful to speak with experts in the local market in person.
My last note on figuring out the path: Do not get obsessed over perfecting your roadmap. I'll explain why in step 4.
2. Find Resources
I found free resources on YouTube with 10 times the quality of paid resources! The competition between creators is what has made this quality possible.
While we can't argue about the quality of tutorials on YouTube, even among those great tutorials, here are some tips to distinguish between good and the best:
- Make sure you go with the most updated resources
- Preferably go with playlists that cover the whole topic
- Value practical tutorials over just theory
Try to look for practical resources that teach you while doing a real project that you can also follow along. However don't be satisfied with watching or even copying those tutorials. You need to gain real EXPERIENCE.
3. Define Real Projects
You might have already heard the term "tutorial hell." This is where you get stuck watching tutorials over and over again without being able to do the job yourself. To break this vicious cycle you need to take real action, and I mean REAL ACTION.
For each topic you learn, define a real task that serves your main goal. I'll explain this using a real world example. If you're trying to become a frontend developer, you need to be able to build a website on your own. That's your main goal. Now I'll break it into smaller tasks as you learn:
- Finished HTML, CSS, JS → Create a landing page
- Learned React → Rebuild that landing with React components
- Learned React Hooks → Make the page interactive
- Learned State Management → Add complex functionality
- …
This is a win-win-win process. First you build real skills, second you build your portfolio for job hunting, third you discover your knowledge gaps, which results in refining your path and iterating.
4. Refine and Iterate
Your First Roadmap Won't Be Your Last Remember when I said don't get obsessed over perfecting your roadmap in step one? Now let me explain why. As long as you are outside the game, you never get to actually understand it no matter how hard you try.
You Have to Play to Understand The best way to understand the game is to simply play. Take Action. As you do, you'll come across things you do or don't like about it. You'll find other opportunities or spaces you decide to explore, or gaps you need to fill.
As you do, you'll come across things you do or don't like, find new opportunities to explore, or discover gaps you need to fill. After refining your final goal, it's time to turn back to step one: "Finding a Roadmap."
This is the Learning Cycle: Learn → Execute → Struggle → Learn (repeat). And no matter what we're doing my friend, continuous improvement remains everything.
My final take on this
When I finally started job hunting, I did not feel ready at all, yet I did it (because I was pressed for money 😆). Even if you're not, I still recommend you act at 80% ready. Because your imposter syndrome and perfectionism will never let that number go any higher.
And never forget that continuous improvement mindset. I was able to get 4 raises because even after landing my first job I was still learning. I improved my skills and became a more valuable asset over time. To the point that when I left after one year I was worth 4x as much as when I had started.
So start with step 1 and remain consistent. Don't hesitate to reach out if you have any questions. I'd be happy to help.
"Recruiters are not looking for experts who have years of experience (even if they say so in their job ads). They are looking for someone who is skilled enough to do their job"
So if you can prove that you're skilled enough to do the job, there's nothing between you and your dream job. I say this confidently because I've already done it and still doing it myself.
Do you have any questions about the learning cycle? comment them bellow 👇🏻