Gaming was the gateway to frontend development for Murtada. Today, he combines a full-time job, family life, and part-time online studies at Noroff, with a clear goal of working as a developer.
Murtada Ingvaldsen Al-Obaidi (37) is studying frontend development as an online study program part-time at Noroff Vocational School. Alongside his studies, he works full-time in technical customer support for an internet provider, while also being a father of young children. Murtada’s interest in technology started early.
- My first encounter with technology was when my dad bought our first computer, a Commodore 64. Eventually, we started building PCs together, and that’s when I really opened my eyes to technology, he says.
Still, it took time before he envisioned a career in development.
- It’s only in recent years that I realized this is actually something I can work with, he explains.
From Gaming to Frontend Development
A turning point came through his interest in gaming.
- I started writing code for some of the games I played, and that’s when I realized this might be something I should pursue as a job instead, says Murtada.
Eventually, coding took over from gaming.
- I discovered that I enjoyed coding for the game more than actually playing it. To me, coding doesn’t feel like a job, which makes it even more enjoyable.
He explains that his experience from working in technical customer support has also been useful in his role as a developer.
- I’ve brought troubleshooting experience from my job into my role as a developer. It often requires the same mindset when writing code—you have to debug when errors occur. It’s a step-by-step process, and sometimes the solution is quite simple. That’s why it’s smart to try the simplest things first.
A Study Routine That Requires Planning
Combining studies, a full-time job, and family life requires structure.
- It requires planning, and it doesn’t always work out. But I’ve learned to make the most of the time I actually have available.
Most of his studies take place in the evenings, after the children have gone to bed.
- I do most of it in the evenings when the kids are asleep. Some days it’s just a bit of reading in the school’s mobile app, other days I sit down with a specific problem and debug until I find the solution.
Flexibility was also crucial when choosing a study program.
- Part-time online studies simply suited my life situation best, since I work full-time alongside my studies. I didn’t have the opportunity to study full-time or attend physically, and Noroff offered a program that covered what I wanted to learn within web development.
Learning to Work Like in Real Life
Through the program, he gains experience with the entire development process, from design to finished product.
- We learn everything from design in Figma to project management, coding, and version control. It’s quite similar to how things work in a real company.
He also highlights the teachers as an important part of the study experience.
- The teachers stay up to date with what’s happening in the industry, and we’re informed when something new comes up that’s important to know. You’re not left alone to figure things out—you actually get help when you need it, as the teachers are active and available on Teams.
One of the most positively surprising aspects has been how well digital collaboration works.
- I was a bit skeptical about how group projects would work when we’ve never met in person, but the collaboration has exceeded all expectations.
He believes the experience from group projects will be useful in working life.
- We’ve worked using Scrum in group projects, with sprints, daily standups, and retrospectives, which has given me a solid understanding of how a development team actually works in practice. You learn to break down tasks, prioritize, and deliver in small steps instead of trying to finish everything at once.
Motivated by Problem Solving
What he enjoys most about frontend development is seeing the results of his work along the way.
- You can either start by creating a design and then write code to build a finished product that matches the design, or go straight into coding where changes are shown live as you work. Here, it’s really only your imagination that sets the limits for what you can create.
At the same time, the studies have given him a new perspective on technology.
- I see things more systematically now. Frontend is just as much about user experience and accessibility as it is about code, and that has changed how I approach problems in general.
His goal after completing his studies is clear.
- I want to work as a developer. I’ve already started to see coding as more than just a hobby, and there aren’t many things that feel as good as creating something from scratch and seeing that it works.
For others considering studying frontend later in life, he has a clear message:
- It’s not too late. It’s about taking that step. And if coding is something you enjoy, you’ll find that learning it doesn’t feel like hard work.
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