Sarah Greer | Web Developer
As the mom of four homeschooled kids, time is a prized commodity in my world. But educating my kids actually motivated me to pursue a career of my own. A big part of my homeschooling is saying, “Find something you love and learn more about it!” This natural curiosity is what drives my kids to pursue and study topics that suit them. But one day it occurred to me that I was teaching my kids this precious skill, but I wasn’t practicing it myself. I realized it was time for me to find something I loved and start working on it so that I could be a good role model for my kids.
I have always loved the Internet, so I signed up for a Skillcrush course. Part of what was great about the Skillcrush experience was having to work at each project rather than having all the answers given to me at once. The projects aren’t just laid out for you. You have a TON of support and resources at Skillcrush, but you have to figure the answers out. I was Googling questions like crazy and would visit coding websites like Stack Overflow and W3 Schools to research how to do what I needed to do. I didn’t know if I could do it, but I knew the answers would be out there, and that someone out there would be able to help me if I couldn’t figure it out.
Just as in my courses with Skillcrush, I wasn’t sure if I could do it—but I said yes anyway. It snowballed from there, and today I make my living building websites for small businesses.
When it was time to put my new skills into practice, my first client came before I was even done with my first class. It was a friend who needed a website for his golf instruction business. I was learning JavaScript at the same time as I was building a website using JavaScript! Just as in my courses with Skillcrush, I wasn’t sure if I could do it—but I said yes anyway. It snowballed from there, and today I make my living building websites for small businesses.
People often ask me how I fit it all in or if I get any sleep. My family has a pretty laid back schedule, and we homeschool year round. After dinner is when I’m able to get to work and put in 3 or 4 hours before it’s time for bed, taking a break to get everyone tucked in. For me, the secret is that you have to pick what’s important to you. I’m not that active on social media, and I don’t watch TV. I don’t have time for everything, but I make time for this.
The “end” of my Skillcrush Story is really just the beginning. When I started with Skillcrush I knew I wanted to code. But what I didn’t expect was how much I enjoy and how much I continue to want to do it all the time. Looking back, I don’t think I was prepared for how much I would love what I do. I did it to be a good role model, but my career became so much more than I anticipated. Learning to code was truly one of the best decisions I’ve ever made. If you’re interested in a career in tech, my advice is don’t be afraid to try something you’ve never done before. Push your boundaries! You’ll be happy you did.