

Ask HN: Economics student looking to get into web development - kmack

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.<p>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.<p>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?<p>Thanks in advance!
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kkoppenhaver
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.

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kmack
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.

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lifeisstillgood
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

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

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ksikka
do what you love

