Ask HN: Economics student looking to get into web development

https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=5287851

by kmack • 13 years ago

1 5 13 years ago

news.ycombinator.com

Hey guys, I am just finishing up my university degree in economics and over the last few months have become obsessed with web development, the start up world, and everything that comes along with it.

I've been working through the obvious resources like codeacademy and such, and am now looking at applying for devbootcamp or a similar web development program.

My question for HN is, will my degree in Economics be able to benefit me, should I continue to pursue a career as a developer?? Aside from working on projects to build my portfolio, which seems to be the general consensus of making yourself more hireable, does anyone have any pointers for a new university graduate?

Thanks in advance!

kkoppenhaver• 13 years ago

I'm in a very similar situation. I'm a Junior Economics major who got into web development last year. Basically, a friend and I had an idea for a project we wanted to build, and we just decided to start building it up from the basics. We looked up resources as we went, and I got a good grasp of HTML/CSS and even some PHP from it. This led to us getting asked to work on a project for one of the professors here, and those two projects helped me land a web development internship for the summer.

The amount of resources that are online and all around you is enormous. I would say just keep kicking around ideas and try to put a few of them into practice. I've always found that learning through doing is the best way to learn, at least for me. In addition, ask your professors if there's anything that they could possibly benefit from having technology-wise. You might find an interesting way to combine your economics knowledge with your web development aspirations.

Just keep making stuff! You never know what could come of something until you try. If you have some time after you graduate, use it to try a bunch of different projects. Set a deadline for a very basic version of your idea, code it, test it out, get some feedback from people and just see where it goes.

kmack2• 13 years ago

Yeah wow this is almost exactly the same thing that has happened for me over the last few months haha. Such an awesome feeling to find something totally new that you are super interested in.

lifeisstillgood• 13 years ago

You can be in the top 1% for one vertical, or the top 25% for two and top 33% of three (google Scott Adams on this)

Basically learn to code, yes, but the degree in economics is going to give you some edge somewhere - probably behaviour economics - so if I were you I would look at means to develop behavioural exercises into web services - it's like Growth Hacking, horrible term.

Essentially, can you use behaviour economics to allow scalable experimentation on consumer behaviour. An example might be prospect theory and pricing, or use of prospect theory in bids for government contracts?

Don't drop the economics is my advice - it's two arrows in the quiver. Go looking for your niche

kmack2• 13 years ago

Great! Thanks, I'll be sure to check out the info you referenced

ksikka• 13 years ago

do what you love

Ask HN: Economics student looking to get into web development

Related Stories