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Wanjiru Kamau
Wanjiru KamauGeneral
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Switching into tech from a non-tech background, where do I start?

I'm currently working in customer service at a small shop near town, but I've been thinking about moving into tech for a while now. I don't have a degree in anything related, just my KCSE cert and some short courses I did online. I keep hearing about people learning to code or doing design and getting remote jobs, but honestly I don't even know where to begin. I tried watching a few YouTube videos on web development and got lost in the jargon pretty fast. Things like "frontend" and "backend" sound like bus routes I've never taken. I have a smartphone and I usually buy small data bundles when I can afford them. I'm not looking for something that needs a powerful laptop right away. For anyone who was in a similar position, what path would you recommend for someone like me? Should I try learning design first, or jump straight into coding? I just want something practical I can start with on my phone, even if it's just figuring out what all these terms mean. Any honest advice from people who've been there would mean a lot.

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Grace Wambui
Grace Wambui3d

Hey, I totally get that feeling of being lost with all the tech terms - I was there too, sitting in a cyber café in Thika wondering what on earth "frontend" meant. Start small: grab a basic phone-friendly course like freeCodeCamp's HTML pages or a simple Canva design course on YouTube (search "Canva basics beginner"). You don't need a laptop yet - just focus on understanding what these things actually do before jumping into coding. Design might be easier to start with since you can learn on your phone, and it'll help you get comfortable with tech tools. Once you can build a simple webpage or make a logo, the coding terms will start making sense.

Switching into tech from a non-tech background, where do I start? | Elimu Africa