So I have been learning how to code for a few months now and I can say I know the basics of HTML, CSS & JavaScript I have also gone over some jQuery however I have not used it for any of my projects. I honestly feel as though I have no confidence in my technical skill set.
I am getting imposter syndrome even though I do not have a developer job yet.
I just wanted to know if I am ready for a junior web developer position, I have been going through a few of the other posts on this topic and I have seen some technical tests on the internet and my heart literally sank, it feels as though I need to know everything when going for an interview.
I would really appreciate it if anyone can take a look at my GitHub and tell me where I stand.
I can understand you are anxious but you need to present yourself as potential attractive employee to employers. First, look at descriptions of job listings for your local junior developer jobs. If you feel bit comfortable and think you can carry descent conversations about tech stacks listed, I would say you are ready.
Work hard at it and build projects. There is currently lots and lots of competition for entry-level front-end dev jobs out there and you need to really stand out.
@shimphillip thanks mate, I have built various projects using HTML & CSS with JavaScript however when I look through the job descriptions they make it sound like you need to know everything even as a junior.
That’s because they are written by HR and Execs who generally have little clue what they are talking about.
Rule of thumb: apply to jobs when you think you have 60% of the qualifications.
I would suggest you have a good handle on Git and, the technical test will depend on the actual industry, but study algorithms. Sites like Codewars and Interview Cake can help with this.
No one is ever 100% ready for any developer job. There is definitely some stuff you will need to learn once you get any job. Now how much depends your current skill-set.
I personally recommend looking at what they want, and go out and try to to learn as much as you can. I’m not saying go out and become an expert in everything the job requirement asks for, but at least become familiar with it, try it out. If anything you can walk into an interview and mention you know at least what they are asking for, but haven’t gone to deep into it yet. This will make you look like your at least curious and not “scared to learn”.
For example, git is usually listed on most jobs as a “nice to have”. I believe you should do all your work on git, and host it on github. This gives you a pretty common skill-set of knowing how to use git, it also gives you a way to show off your programming since it’s on github. Just going out and doing development will give you most skills you will need. You can go out and learn specific technologies for jobs, like React, or nodejs to tick off more checkboxes when applying to jobs. It’s not an overnight skill, but experience with technologies are what employers are looking for, but anyone who is willing to learn new things is what they hire.
It’s very very easy to get imposture syndrome since there is always things to learn. I usually take this feeling and go out and try to learn what I can. There’s always more to learn, and you wont ever know all of it, but what you do about this fact, and how you feel about it is what matters.
You could roll into a ball in the corner and give up, thinking “I can’t learn all this, I’ll never be a developer!” Or you can roll up your sleeves and start building things with stuff you have no idea how to use. You will probably run into issues and spend weeks trying to solve it, and learn a hundred ways to do something wrong before getting it right. That’s where you get the experience, and the foolproof way to get out of your current state of imposture syndrome.
Everything is a learning experience, as long as your up to learn and keep learning you will be fine. You can go into an interview and fail every single thing, as long as you come out and start trying to update your skill-set, and learn what you didn’t know, you will get there eventually. Failure is a temporary state of mind, not an actual position So don’t be afraid to fail, embrace it as the starting point you will jump off from and go out and learn what you need to know!
Here’s the best quote I’ve ever gotten in terms of searching for a job - “Apply…even if you only check one out of ten boxes, apply. Don’t worry about if you are ready or not, let the company decide that.”
Also, there are some jobs (none that I’ve encountered thus far in my 3 months of applying) that will bring junior developers on based off their attitude and willingness to learn.
Unless you are extremely lucky, you’ll go through many interviews before you find the right company/job for you but in the meantime you are learning, growing, and getting more confident in the interviews.
What are some examples of standing out? Also, are we competing with people who have more relatable transferable skills with regards to web dev? I see others with some sort of engineering background or have some exp with graphic design, but I come from accounting which is totally unrelated. Just being real here and seeing if my learning curve is higher which might take me longer to get there. Those people who say they found a job after a few months, they tend to have some related experience already?
