Why I decided to start a series of posts about how to become a programmer

The Challenge of Starting a Career in IT

It’s no secret that even today, in the autumn of 2025, almost every beginner starting their career would agree that it’s really not easy to find a job—the first position that becomes a springboard into a career.

Companies, especially in the information technology (IT) sector, hire carefully. They no longer waste financial and energy resources like they did just a few years ago, so it’s harder than ever to establish oneself.

My Journey From Hobby to Career

What helps me better understand—and at the same time advise—a newcomer? I have been traveling on my career development journey for almost 20 years, from programmer to manager.

Once, when I was only 16 years old, I began to be interested in programming. This hobby, which from the beginning was a hobby, later turned into work, and eventually grew into the agency PrestaRock—one of the most successful and best performing companies with “PrestaShop” and “Sylius” in Lithuania.*

Seeing Both Sides of the Journey

Since I have been on both sides, I understand what it means to be a programmer and how hard it is to learn. But now, as someone who hires people myself and leads a programming company, I see what mistakes newcomers make in this market—sometimes even before they begin studying.

I notice what shortcomings they leave in their CVs, how they present themselves to employers, and what challenges they face in their first job.

Training New Specialists

Not so long ago, after founding the company, I followed the belief that specialists need to be cultivated and then hired. That’s why at PrestaRock, I created almost three weeks of intensive courses to teach the PHP programming language for those who want to become “full-stack” programmers.

Later, I systematized the same course and applied it in our PrestaShop PHP programming academies, which took place for two consecutive years after the KTU Wanted events.

Mentorship and Understanding Newcomers

Even more valuable to me was my mentoring at KTU, where every year I guide at least one or two interns. These young people need practical advice, and mentoring them gives me a clear picture of:

the mindset of today’s beginners, the difficulties they face, how their expectations and general trends have changed.

Why I’m Writing This Series

I want to combine all this experience and knowledge with my hobby of writing, which I had set aside for some time. At the same time, I want to help newcomers—those applying both to PrestaRock and to any other company—to first answer the question: what kind of programmer do I want to be?

My goal is to help them recognize their strengths, properly choose a desired workplace, establish themselves there, and ultimately become the best programmer they can be.

Final Thoughts

I believe that despite ChatGPT and other available sources, my experience and these articles may help at least a few people take confident, time-tested, and clear steps on their career path.