Ask HN: How do I get into programming?

Obviously, there's a big difference between a static site and web app, and full time employers will know that. However, people hiring freelancers won't, so you'll get asked to build dynamic stuff that's relatively simple like an appointment manager and be able to add depth to your portfolio.

My email is in my profile - I'm a self taught programmer who now works full time in the field (though I admittedly had some advantages you don't), feel free to get in touch if you have any other questions. (Obviously goes for others as well)

So what is SCADA? It stands for Supervisory Control and Data Acquisition, and convers a wide range of control systems, from the factory floor to waste water treatment and data center power management.

You can search for the term SCADA or HMI (Human Machine Interface) in the job boards. A pure HMI position designing screens in a product like: Wonderware, Cimplicity, Genesis, FactoryTalk or RSView, will be much more entry-level than what most people consider SCADA to be, which is HMI plus programming PLCs (Programmable Logic Controllers).

HMI/SCADA are more niche positions than web developer, and as such you can find more reliable and higher paying work. If you can write VBA macros (especially with input forms), some SQL, and know how to set up Windows machines on a network, you can probably find an entry level job. This, plus a few CS classes is all I had, but then I got bored, worked as a web developer, and eventually found work writing an HMI system from scratch.