Self-guided learning — A survival guide

You’re just getting started, but where exactly do you start? Should you freelance or head for corporate cover? How soon should you qualify your experience as, well, experience? How much advice should you take from so-called mentors? Is it possible to love too many things at once? Why hasn’t school made you the programming wizard you’d hoped to become?

Admit it: you’re a little intrigued. I’m going to tell you my story—the bumps and scrapes and occasional victories experienced over my nearly twenty years as a web developer. I’ve learned a few things that can hopefully help you succeed on your new self-guided journey.