From Accounting to Junior Developer in 6 Months

The Starting Point

Jasmine had a stable accounting job and no coding background whatsoever. She'd tried free online courses but kept stalling — too much choice, no clear path, and no way to know whether she was learning the right things for actual employment.

The real problem wasn't ability. It was structure. Without a roadmap built around a realistic goal — employed as a junior developer within 6 months — she had no way to prioritise what to learn next.

What We Built Together

We started from zero and built toward a portfolio that could get her hired. No shortcuts, no skipping fundamentals, and no wasted time on things that don't matter at the junior level.

Python fundamentals — Variables, control flow, functions, data structures. We spent the first few weeks here because everything else depends on thinking like a programmer. Jasmine needed to stop thinking like an accountant — precise but sequential — and start thinking in terms of systems and logic.

Web development foundations — HTML structure, CSS layout and styling, the basics of how the web actually works. We built real pages, not toy examples.

JavaScript — DOM manipulation, events, async basics, how JS fits into the frontend. This is where most beginners get lost; we went slowly and deliberately.

React — Components, props, state, hooks. Built two portfolio projects from scratch: a personal finance tracker (familiar territory from accounting) and a simple task manager.

Job application prep — CV, GitHub profile, and how to present projects. A portfolio without context doesn't get interviews.

Technical interview coaching — Whiteboard problems, talking through your thinking out loud, the specific questions junior roles ask. Most candidates fail interviews they're technically qualified for because they've never practised explaining their reasoning.

Outcome

• Hired as a junior developer at a Singapore startup within 6 months of starting
• Left with a portfolio of two real projects
• Negotiated her first developer salary from a position of preparation, not desperation

Quote

"I was a career switcher from accounting with zero coding background. Six months in, I got hired as a junior developer at a startup. I genuinely didn't think that was possible." — Jasmine, Career Switcher, Singapore