So if you consider that (1yr)x(70hrs/week)=3640hrs falls right into the (2-5yrs)x(20hrs/week)=2080-5200hrs bracket, then in theory I have 'paid' my dues.
Otherwise if you're the kind to factor in the notion that "it takes time for the concepts to sink in", that's another story.
Specifically focus on working with others. Find an OSS project you like and contribute to it significantly. Or, better yet, find an OSS project that companies in your area want experience with and start contributing to that.
If I saw "Active contributor to Angular/D3/Entity Framework/SignalR/Mono/Whatever" on a resume, I'd definitely be interested in talking to that person.
I went totally broke learning to code. Now I have to donate my time to OSS? Something is backwards
If I had the time to be writing code, I would be building out a backlist of ideas I personally have.
Thanks for the input though
If you don't have kids at this point, then I'd go with the Pat Rothfuss method: http://blog.patrickrothfuss.com/2010/02/fanmail-q-advice-for...
If you do have kids at this point, your situation is significantly harder.
That said, if you don't have kids, are you really working/commuting 90 hours a week and don't have 20 to spare?
You're essentially suggesting that I recluse myself even more than I did in the past year, in a low rent city (which in Canada will definitely have 0 tech scene) or far away in the burbs where the commute is long enough that I could code on it. Essentially, to become a full fledged renegade of society.
I prefer the more rational approach that involves being a city, and going to meetups, conferences and hackathons to meet other engineers that are actually working in tech.
If you really want to code, you need to figure out what libraries/frameworks/tooling/etc are popular in your area, and spend at least a year or two working on open projects which use them; learning them inside out.
The good news is that it's possible. I, and others, have gotten jobs without a degree. The bad news is you need to be damned good to do it.
It's a marathon. Not a sprint. You're looking at 2 to 5 years spending 20 hours a week on this. It will most likely not make you money during this time; so you need to love doing it.