They told me:

1. Learn by doing. Find a small project you want to build and just get started, probably with Python.

2. When you get errors in your code, type them into Google and they will often be answered on sites like StackOverflow.

3. Start a github account (an online profile where you can store your code). Keep adding your projects here. Employers can look at your profile to see what and how often you build stuff.

4. Contribute to open source projects. You can find these on Github or by googling around. Help solve issues in open source code and build relationships with other coders that way.

5. Get involved in Reddit and Discord communities for software projects. This lets you find small projects, including many paid.

Things not to do:

• Long software courses

• Reading about coding instead of just going ahead and coding

• Building stuff you don't think is fun

Right now, it's a builders market. There is a lot of money out there - not just salaries and contracting - but even grants from community funds (e.g. Celo Community Fund [I got one!] or Gitcoin).

Lastly, I don't think you can be too young or too old to code.

Lastly lastly, here is a 10 minute video covering some more detailed tips on learning how to code:

And please do comment with any other tips or ideas.