When I first started learning to code, I developed a habit of listening to podcasts. It's a habit that I still maintain today, although some of the podcasts have changed!
I was working a full-time plumbing job at the time and with a young family at home, I didn't have much time to sit down and actually code. However, what I did have was a commute to work of upwards of an hour, either way.
Wanting to immerse myself into my chosen pursuit as much as possible, I started looking for alternative ways to further my learning. Soon, I discovered that there were other people out there as passionate about web development as I was becoming. And they actually sit and record themselves talking about it! Hello podcasts!
I've been asked a few times about which podcasts I liked and which I would recommend. So, in this post, I thought I would share some of the best that I've listened to, past and present.
Podcasts for new developers
When I was starting out, I listened primarily to more newbie friendly, generic web development podcasts that weren't overly technical. I really enjoyed listening to the motivational stories of career changers like myself whilst also getting some context and insight into the industry. The best of these were:
Start Here - Web development
In this series the host Dain Miller takes you step by step through the process of learning to code. The first episode starts at the very beginning, talking about what web development is, then moves on to cover HTML, CSS, back-end languages and frameworks, and finally on to career advice and landing a job in later episodes. Start Here - Web Development is a little sporadic with it's current release schedule, but I'd recommend that for anyone just beginning your journey into web development, start at episode one and listen to the first 20. By then you will be hooked anyway! Dain's enthusiasm and passion for helping others really shines through and now, looking back as a developer myself, I agree with pretty much all the content and solid advice that this podcast gives.
CodeNewbie
The CodeNewbie podcast takes a look at programming from a slightly different angle. Each podcast episode is basically an interview with a current developer and documents their journey from code newbie to proficient developer. The people interviewed are from a diverse range of backgrounds and most have taken a non-traditional route into programming. I find this podcast especially motivating and its great to here about some of the obstacle's that people have overcome on their journey from beginner to competent developer.
Learn to Code With Me
The LTCWM podcast is similar to CodeNewbie in that it features interviews with current developers. All these developers have generally been self-taught. What makes this podcast great is that it focuses on exactly what steps they took in order to make that transition into tech. I find this podcast a really diverse, refreshing look at the industry and its packed with tips that you can use to actually make that step into coding and start getting paid.
Simple Programmer
If you haven't heard of John Sonmez and Simple Programmer, I'd be suprised. The guy is everywhere. Software engineer, turned entrepreneur, author, YouTube star and podcast host! The Simple Programmer podcast is relatively short at about 10-15 minutes, but it is released daily. Each episode John will address a topic or answer a question that someone has sent in. John's a really passionate, enthusiastic speaker and what I like about this podcast is how it covers programming topics, but also business, learning and lifestyle. Simple Programmer is all about becoming a better person as a programmer, and not solely focused on technical code.
Developer Tea
Another short podcast, Developer Tea covers a wide variety of topics related to the career of being a developer. Some episode's are more technical than others, some answer listener questions and some feature interviews with other developers. Overall, this show has a great format, it is really easy to listen to and host Jonathon Catrell presents really well. Developer Tea is a perfect opportunity to grab a cuppa, a few cheeky biscuits and have 10 minutes to yourself!
Want More...?
There are so many great podcasts that I can't possibly list them all in one post! These are my recommendations for beginners. I'm going to follow this up with my favourite business and niche web development podcasts. Keep and eye out for that!
If you enjoyed this post and are interested in similar stuff, check out my next post: Sheffield PHP.
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