I have tought several people how to become internship ready in software development without any prior knowledge on the topic. My methodology revolves around creating several projects that will build up your portfolio. By the end of this guide, you will have what is required to get an internship in either web development or app development.

Whether your goal is to develop apps or websites, I recommend learning the basics of Python. Python is a general purpose programming language which means it can be used in many different situations. You can develop desktop applications with it like a word processor (think Microsoft Word) or a calculator. You can also use Python can also be used to build websites. Some big examples of this include Instagram, Pinterest, and the NASA website.

To start learning the basics of Python, I usually refer people to this free course on Udacity:

https://www.udacity.com/course/programming-foundations-with-python--ud036

It is a very good introduction to programming for people with no background knowledge. The course also walks you through a few small projects that you can add to your portfolio such as:

1. a program to draw shapes on the screen
2. a program that sends texts to your phone
3. a program to display your favorite movies in a website that also allows you to watch the trailers

1. Write a script that tells the user which number is greater. The project should run like so:

Enter number one:
>132
Enter number two:
>93
Number one is greater

2. Try building a calculator in a Python script. The project should run like so:

Enter number one:
> 17
Enter number two:
> 3
Add(add), Subtract(subtract), Multiply(multiply), or Divide(divide)
> add
20

Now that you have learned the basics of your first programming language, it's time to move onto the foundations of website building.

If you want to dive further into Python, check out this great book that walks you through building several major projects in Python:

https://www.amazon.com/Python-Crash-Course-Hands-Project-Based-ebook/dp/B018UXJ9RI/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1491667373&sr=8-1&keywords=python

As with Python, I think HTML and CSS are important skills to have as a software developer regardless of whether you want to build apps or websites. HTML and CSS are the foundation of any website you see and as a developer, you are expected to be familiar with them.

If you were to think of a website as a house, HTML would be the structure of the house (the walls, doors, roof, etc) and CSS would be all of the things that decorate the house (paint, pictures, decorations, etc). HTML lays out the underlying structure of a website while CSS adds style to the site.

When it comes to HTML and CSS, my favorite reference site is w3schools.com. They have everything you might need to know for basic web development and the site works as a great cheat sheet.

To start with HTML, I recommend starting here and completing w3schools tutorial: https://www.w3schools.com/html/default.asp

Note: W3schools mentions text editors in its tutorial. Personally, I would recommend installing Sublime Text 3 as your go-to editor. It is made for programmers and allows for easy readibility of many types of programming languages: https://www.sublimetext.com/3

And once you have a basic understanding of HTML, go ahead and start the CSS tutorial as well: https://www.w3schools.com/css/default.asp

Note: Do not feel discouraged if you are not able to absorb everything when going through the tutorials. The purpose of going through them is to get a basic understanding of how the two languages work together and not to retain every piece of information you read.

1.Build a website that displays your favorite movies and tv shows. Each poster should link you back to the movie/tv show's IMBD site.

My personal favorite book on HTML and CSS would have to be:

This is a great book to have for reference no matter your skill level and it provides almost anything you could need in HTML or CSS with easy to read examples.

Javascript is reponsible for all of the moving parts of a website and knowing it is a requirement for any web developer.

If we continue with the same house analogy I used to explain HTML and CSS, Javascript would be all of the moving parts of your house such as your lights, electronics, temperature, etc. Almost any website you come across on the web will contain at least some Javascript.

As with HTML and CSS, I always use w3schools for most things Javascript related. You can start by going through their tutorial at: https://www.w3schools.com/js/default.asp

The makers of the HTML and CSS book I had recommended also made a great book on Javascript and JQuery (We will get to JQuery soon):

Github is a website that people upload software projects to in order to share and/or work collaboratively on. If you upload a project to Github, other developers can view your projects and your code. If they think it would be a good idea to change or add something, they could pull down your code, make their changes, and upload it back up to you. From there you can either accept the changes or deny the request.

For our purposes, Github will act as a portfolio page for potential recruiters and employers to see your projects. Every project you work on will be uploaded to Github for people to see.

I recommend checking out this video for learning the basics of Github:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SWYqp7iY_Tc

General Commands to Know:

cd  *destination*

Change your current directory

Example:

cd Desktop/WebProjects 

Change the current directory to Desktop/WebProjects

cd .. 

Go back one directory (if you were in Desktop/WebProjects and input "cd .." you would then be in Desktop)

pwd

Shows current working directory

Git Commands:

When you first upload a repository:

git init 

Initiates the current working directory with a git repository

git add . 

Adds all files in this directory to your repository

git commit -m "Commit message" 

Creates a commit with the current changes to upload. Anything in the parenthesis is a commit message describing the changes

git remote add origin *github repository url* 

Sets the local repository to look at the repository on Github you created

git push --set-upstream origin master 

Pushes the changes to your online repository

When you make changes to a current repository:

git add . 

Adds all files in this directory to your repository

git commit -m "Commit message" 

Creates a commit with the current changes to upload. Anything in the parenthesis is a commit message describing the changes

git push

Pushes the changes to your online repository