This is probably not a good place to ask, but I don’t know where else to go.
Is there anywhere like freeCodeCamp for more traditional languages like Java or C++?
I have been working through the challenges here and I can honestly say I cannot stand JavaScript. I have no real interest in web development. I have earned an Associate Degree in Computer Science studying Java and C++ though. I loved the classes and those languages really make sense to me. I have not been able to find a job though. I have had 3 interviews but I have never once been asked an actual coding question.
I have created some Android apps, and I did develop some test engineering software using Java at an old job, even though my actual job was not a developer position. I saw the need for the software, asked if I could take a shot at creating it and was given the opportunity if I did it on my own time. I did it mostly just to have something to put on my resume.
The college I went to couldn’t care less if I find a job.
I have seen the bootcamps that have become so popular, but I really don’t want to sink any more money into something that will not get me hired.
Is there anywhere else to look?
Well, JS was designed by one guy in ten days, can’t expect it to be great . But you seem to be in a pretty good position for a junior job: you know two very heavily used languages, you have a few small projects under your belt. The languages are popular, highly sought after and map straight across to similar ones (so, a job that asked for say C# or Kotlin or similar shouldn’t be too much of a jump) which allows you to keep your search quite broad. I just think you need to temper your expectations a bit - three non-coding interviews just isn’t anything if you’re trying to get a coding job.
Someone else should be able to advise on forums etc - I think Coderanch is one of the big Java forums? Im not a Java or C++ guy though, so not really up on where has high traffic and fits what you want.
You’re going to find a lot of dud interviews. Some of those companies really don’t know what they want, so they’re looking for weird things. You want to work for a company who wants a good programmer, so just keep presenting yourself as such and eventually you’ll find one.
Simple question: did you buy and read the C book from Kernighan and Ritchie? See: The C Book
If not, do it.
The book only counts 250 pages and that really covers the basics of C, you really don’t need a online course for this. After finishing this book, look for a great book on C++ (read the reviews on amazone).
But wait, you can choose to learn Java after this C book. And then buy Head First Design Patterns: A Brain-Friendly Guide .
I really think this book makes OO understandable, it uses Java as demo language but can be easily applied to other languages.
But if you have already a little understanding of Java (including the interface keyword) you can finish this Head First book easily without a serious Java study.
It sounds like you already have studied Java and C++ in school and that you have created projects with them. I’m not really sure what a FCCish program would add to that (and no, I don’t know of any). Keep creating projects in whatever language you like. Make them good. Consider contributing to Open Source projects.
Java is used for a variety of things that you could get into, no need to worry about web development:
Android, as you already know (but it’s being phased out in favor of Kotlin)
Enterprise apps with JEE (for distributed systems via frameworks like Spring)
Machine learning / data science / data analysis / big data (through the Apache ecosystem)
desktop applets through the JVM
The main thing that C++ is used for today includes performance applications, like operating systems, or low-level hardware interfaces (like robotics), or games.
If you’re not into any of those things, C# could be an alternative, since it’s extremely similar to C++ and Java. You can use C# with .NET to create either Windows apps or even cross-platform apps now, if you’d prefer to deploy for Windows, Mac, and Linux (via .NET Core).
You didn’t mention Python, which follows the same OOP methodology as C++ and Java, and has further applications for back-end web development (via Django), or other areas like AI and ML. Python is sort of an odd language though in that while it does follow the OOP methodology, it resembles JavaScript syntactically a bit. You didn’t say why you can’t stand JavaScript though, so depending on why that is, Python might not be for you.
. But you seem to be in a pretty good position for a junior job: you know two very heavily used languages, you have a few small projects under your belt. The languages are popular, highly sought after and map straight across to similar ones (so, a job that asked for say C# or Kotlin or similar shouldn’t be too much of a jump) which allows you to keep your search quite broad. I just think you need to temper your expectations a bit - three non-coding interviews just isn’t anything if you’re trying to get a coding job.