I started developing software professionally, i.e. for a salary, about 20 years ago. I didn’t have any education beyond high school. Today I’m a freelance software consultant, currently working for a central bank in Europe. You know how I got here? By studying. Learning to use SQL, C#, PowerShell, bash, JSON, etc. I never learned computer algorithms and to this day I can’t write an efficient quick sort in either language. Along the way I learned the value of human interactions and efficient communication, vital to a freelance consultant wanting to be successful.