Education · 1 of 4

The path

Learn the tools, build things people can click on, get hired on those things.

1. 1

   High school

   Grades 11 and 12

   Take computer science if your school offers it, and every math you can. Build a site for a club, a band or a family business.

2. 2

   Pick a route

   0 to 4 years

   A 2 to 3 year college diploma (Algonquin, Seneca, BCIT (British Columbia Institute of Technology), SAIT (Southern Alberta Institute of Technology)), a 4-year computer science degree, a bootcamp, or self-study. All four lead to jobs. The degree opens the most doors later.

3. 3

   Learn the core stack

   Ongoing

   HTML, CSS, JavaScript, then a framework like React and a back-end like Node or Python. Git and the command line are not optional.

4. 4

   Portfolio and co-op

   During training

   Three to five real projects online, with the code public on GitHub. Co-op terms at Algonquin pay about $7,000 to $10,000 a term.

5. 5

   First job

   Weeks to months

   Junior roles are competitive. Apply widely, including agencies and non-tech companies that need a website person.