I got my feet wet in programming in 2001 with help pairing, but there are better tutorials now. I then did my own thing for years on the side. Like build tools

I got my feet wet in programming in 2001 with help pairing, but there are better tutorials now. I then did my own thing for years on the side. Like build tools and sites I could use. I built a crappy site or tool for a few folks over time. Sometimes for free. Eventually, all this playing around got me to a spot where a recruiter saw me and sent me on interviews and I started becoming a real dev. You have a good opportunity to learn and practice enough to get your foot in the door at an accelerated pace. You can always pair with smarter, more experienced people when you are a "real" dev.