I got my first job (front end dev)

Added update in comments- finished 1st week at work!

Thank you for all of the kind replies

Another update, someone emailed me asking for extra advice, I have send them this so I hope that it might be perhaps helpful for you guys

  1. google, google, google and even more google. Make google your best friend, it’s better to be independent and self sufficient. I think that when you google, you automatically pick up some extra information, you might not need it now but in future it will come handy. If google has no answer, don’t be afraid to ask questions, programming community is very kind (especially the one on FCC forums).
  1. Got no time? Don’t worry. It isn’t like I have been learning everyday for 5h. I did max 2h at most and it wasn’t even everyday. I think that consistency is a key, doesn’t matter how much you do in a day, be it 5h or 30min, as long as you do something everyday, you will keep your memory fairly fresh. That’s why I do 100 days of coding challenge.
  1. Don’t memorize syntax. Don’t worry I don’t remember much myself. The way to go around it is to practice, build your own portfolio website (the servers I made website for are dirt cheap if you are low on money). Start new projects.< you might have to prepare for interview though (unlike me!)
  1. Chances are that your future job will require: git hub (or something similar) or Linux. You can start using linux today for whatever you do on your pc and at the end of the day you can write in your CV ‘proficient with Linux’ or ‘technical experience: linux- 1 year’ whatever floats your boat. You can also use github as your portfolio.
  1. you don’t need any certificates, I havent done any IT in school except of how to make power point. Build amazing portfolio instead, these are real skills.

Dear campers,
I write it with tears in my eyes, I am just so happy and I just went through so much in my life and I finally got a job I am happy with + I will have something to eat next month because I am also in a dire financial situation.

My back story:
My entire life I wanted to be pilot but due to issues with my family and lack of their support and lack of friends I got depressed. I have passed my exam but university have said that there is another one for me to write next August as I have missed an opportunity to write it again. I had no money and contract on a studio flat to pay off so I just applied to whatever jobs. I got a job at McDonald’s within a week so I just took it because I meant to come back to uni next year. Meanwhile, my boyfriend broke up with me, I felt so broken. I have prepared for the exam when the university has notified me that I have been withdrawn from course because I have missed all of my opportunities. I was heartbroken. Shortly after my mum told me that in my childhood I was diagnosed with autism so my chances of becoming a pilot were very slim. I didn’t know what to do with my life anymore. Then I got inspired by one youtuber to start programming and it was incredibly scary. I tried it and I love it.

My interview
It was quite easy partially because Filip was quite nervous to discuss with me my suitability. Instead, I had an interview with Nathan. Nathan was back end developer and he didn’t know what questions to ask me. He hasn’t even seen my CV, just skim read it in front of me and decided that better idea would be to ask me instead. I had just one question on my interview ‘Tell me something about yourself’. I think I did well but I could have done better if I would know that there would be no questions beyond that.
Then I was taken to the office to meet Filip as he had a little task for me, he wanted me to finish a website with bootstrap, HTML and CSS. He was quite nervous and his only instructions were ‘Make this look like this. You can change CSS and also HTML if you want’.
Then I panicked because I have never done a website without googling. Code turned into hieroglyphs, I didn’t understand simple things. I went back to the design and website to see what differences there are. I have made quick notes in my mind of what needs changing and grouped it into 3 different tasks (there were 3 sections on the website) and I have started with easiest. Gears started rolling and with massive grim on my face, I have abused poor keyboard. Task done, Filip! Then he checks how responsive it is and makes a sound of disapproval which have echoed in my mind. I felt like jumping off window which was next to me. Out of stress I forgot to say ‘ops I forgot about that’, I didn’t know he wanted it to be responsive and I felt incredibly embarrassed. I couldn’t say anything else. I went back to HTML to play around with bootstrap. I have panicked again. I felt like crying because I haven’t done much in bootstrap and grid recently. The code which was already there reminded me a bit but at that moment I felt like crying and I couldn’t admit my defeat to Filip; it was just too embarrassing.
In the end, I have managed to write the website. I think stress and panic made the task harder than it actually was. When I got home I was confused about why I found it difficult in the first place.

About job + me - technical info
They needed front-end web developer which knows: HTML, CSS, Bootstrap, Javascript, a bit of C# and a bit of SQL. I know HTML, CSS and Bootstrap well. I know Javascript but I haven’t done anything with it yet. I don’t know any C# and SQL. I know Java and Python but it isn’t needed for this job. I did 1 freelance job and I am midway doing second freelance job (designing and making website).

My advice

  • Be prepared that you might be tested on your skills without being able to google (I know it’s obvious but it wasn’t for me then).
  • Don’t panic during tests. Split your task into smaller tasks and start with the easiest one.
  • Chances are that your interviewer is so petrified of you that he might not come for an interview. Remember that we are all human.
  • Write follow up email to interviewer thanking for their time.
  • Keep trying. Failed? Stand up and do it again! I believe that you can do it. Even if it’s things you haven’t done before. Remember that the moment you stop trying, you fail. If you make a mistake in code and something doesn’t work, remember that for me you are a winner, a brave winner which went against your fears as you tried your best despite all of your difficulties.

What I wanted to say most
I am so happy that I finally get to leave McDonald’s. There is a lot of bullying going on there and the system created there is very encouraging for such behaviour. I would come back home with tears in my eyes because a customer or manager have shouted at me or been rude to me. Despite being extremely physically tired, I still went on FCC or just opened notepad++ and continued learning, hoping that soon I will get out of that place. I am in McDonald’s for 1 year and 10 months now and I am extremely glad to be leaving now. I am extremely proud of myself that I have managed to study so much despite working there, I think more than getting that job. Don’t get me wrong, I am incredibly grateful to get this job as well. I think my employer doesn’t realise in how much tears I was when I have opened the email with good news.

Message to Free Code Camp team
Foremost I would like to thank the freeCodeCamp team. I would like to let you know that you are changing lives of a lot of people. An invisible helping hand to pull out people out of dire situations or just helping them to fulfil their dreams. Getting this job meant that I wouldn’t become homeless within 2 months as I was working zero contract hours with my savings running out. I have become a breadwinner in my family meaning that 2 other people will depend on my new income. You cannot imagine how grateful I am for all of the resources you have provided me and giving me a second chance in life. Before I was so poor I could barely afford living costs hence I wasn’t able to support FCC in form of donation however since I will earn 3 times as much as before, I would like to contribute to FCC. I have nothing else but utmost respect to Free Code Camp team. I wish you all the best and successes in life.

Message to forum members
I haven’t been much on the forum, I am not a very social person. There were some instances where the forum became an invaluable help to me. I have made some posts although I am a more frequent lurker and I read a lot of posts. I would like to thank all of FCC forum members for taking their time to share their knowledge and help others. It might feel like you are helping just OP but in fact, there might be thousands of people reading your response. I am very grateful for all your posts and comments. I wish you the best of luck and lots of successes in your careers.

Once again, I would like to thank you all for all of your effort and time you have put in FCC.

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GoodLuck and and all the best for future! May you achieve much more! :slightly_smiling_face::+1:

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Congratulations!
Hard work and perseverance always pays off.
I wish you the best of luck in your new endeavor!

Tonia

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How long did it take you to go from a newbie in coding to “got the job”? How many hours a day did you study/write codes?

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I started learning last summer. I think the reason it took me so long was because I didn’t know industry so well. I started with Java under slogan that so many devices use it = lots of jobs right? I didn’t like java much though and I have found out that there are not many jobs out there (at least in my area). Then I got influenced to learn python and went back to html and css (I used to make blogs in my childhood) and I got freelance job by connection to make a website with Bootstrap so I have learned bootstrap as I have built the website. Then I got persuaded to learn Django but I did not do so well and I finally did my own research and found that there is lots of jobs in JavaScript so I have learned that. I have nothing made in JavaScript in my portfolio, I have just learned it recently. In short: it could have taken me 6 months or less to get this job if I would actually do my research to begin with.

I try to spend 1h a day everyday but it doesn’t always happen. Sometimes I do more or less. When it comes to learning, I find it diffcult to focus (damn you depression) so I usually spend hour or less. When I am making a project I spend an hour or more.

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Hello! I was touched by your story… My life is it a bit similar to yours and make me feel happy that what you study by yourself is worth! Best Luck and be a loot proud of yourself!
And I wonder which project did you include in your portfolio? Do you use only fcc projects?

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That’s impressive the way you were determined to figure things out. Major good luck to you!

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Thank you.
I am sorry to hear that you go through similar situation. If you need help getting job (I am surprisingly good at writing CV) or improving your portfolio or just general programming questions, feel free to message me. No one should end up in such horrible life situations nor be alone in them.

I have just included my github (irys13) and my portfolio website irys-hub.com which is awful but I was learning html and css while doing that.

Good luck with your career :slight_smile:

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Thank you ! :smile: Now I’m learning javascript and some libraries… :sunny:

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Boom! So happy for you. Thanks for the lively account of your experience and i wish you all the luck in the world!

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That’s awesome! Thanks for sharing it.
I’m quite new to Free Code Camp and I’m really stunned by it’s community. Reading these stories warms my heart and I’m sure it helps people that are in a difficult situation realize they are not alone.
Best wishes!

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Congratulations very happy for you. I would like to see your resume very much !

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I am so glad that you got the job.

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Congratulations! Keep rocking and learning. Never stop, never give up! :wink:

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Congrats! Sounds really exciting for you. So would it be inaccurate to say that this job is mainly focused on HTML and CSS? I started last fall, but have also found it somewhat difficult to focus at times lol…Anyways good job on your portfolio, it’s really impressive and I also like your minimalist designs.
I hope I’ll be able to someday find a job like you did, where it’s working more with HTML and CSS to start, because that’s the part I really enjoy the most.

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Congrats!

Life can be hard, but with faith, hard work and hope things always turn out. Keep you head up and keep coding.

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Since it is front end web dev, yes it will be mainly html, css and bootstrap.

I am really flattered that you like my portfolio. It’s inspired by blogs I used to make pre- facebook and social media times.
Good luck finding job as well. I do recommend looking what sort of jobs are out there in your area and what languages they ask for. and perhaps start with that.

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Hello Irys13,

Your story is moving since I feel like you felt. I moved to the US and could not work until my work permit came and took a long time. The little money I have saved was pretty much stolen, but thanks God my wife was supporting me all along, although a couple of times it was hard to continue and the idea of going back to my country appeared as a sad solution.

I like web design/developement, but I have always taken it with some fear. I am still scared of JavaScript and even though I finished a couple of courses, I still don’t know how to use it appropriately.

Thanks God I got a job now where my wife works and although it is physically demanding for me (I am used to work in call centers), I do it gladly to give her back all she has done for me.

I watched a Youtuber talk about FreeCodeCamp, but I was not interested, I related the word “free” with “not good” and that was my mistake.

After a lot of courses I bought, I finally came here to give it a chance. I was surprised to see all the content it covers and how practical it is. I am not new to HTML / CSS, so I flew through those topics and still, some of the practices refreshed old concepts.

I wish I am lucky as you are and after completing all these challenges I can find a job as a developer or designer. I don’t mind the job I have, but what I like is web development.

I feel identified with your story and I hope I get to taste one day the victory you are now enjoying.

Cheers!

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Extremely happy for you. Your story will go on to inspire many more struggling to find their feet.

Wish you all happiness :slight_smile:

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A Big Congratulation , your story is super inspiring. Wish you a great journey forward.

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