So, I’m here to share my story. The third time. I’m a self-taught web developer, and until now, I had a job, I’ve worked there for 6 months. Then I had to leave. After that, I was looking for jobs and refining my skills, I taught myself Vue.js and started appling, after two weeks of unluck , I got an interview and got hired on the spot. However, when I started there it wasn’t what I was expecting. The tech they were using was really old, like Angular.js (1.6 to be precise), my job there was to ‘re-write’ the whole code-base in Vue.js(for a salary not that great, but I was willing to trade money for experience so that wasn’t a big deal, I don’t really care about money).
So i started trying to do that with no one in the company knowing Vue, and me, didn’t really knew angular, so i started to look up into it, got used to it, and started to write… fast forward a few hours I had to make an API call to our server and SURPISE, it returnet HTML instead of JSON, no big deal, we have v-html in vue, so that wasn’t a problem, however, the API returned HTML with AngularJs directives, so at this point I’m pretty stuck, I had to ask the back-end guy to re-write the API which he refused. That was it, I wouldn’t go up there and write bad code, so i just quit that week. Fast forward a week later I got a job offer from a company from another country that was opening in my country too, so , I took an interview with them(with the CEO, on skype) he was really nice, seemed like a kind guy, I liked him on the spot. However, they gave me a React.JS test(which i had to turn in the next morning, I didn’t know react almost at all, only a little bit) so i started panicking but I really wanted the job, so i took a crash course on React, and stayed up until 5am and got it done(they gave me an offer the next monday, [I took the assignment friday]) . Now, for this job, I really have to work my ass off because it’s a lot of new tech I don’t know yet, including Node.js but I’m starting to get pretty comfortable with React.js ( I’ll work mostly in react native but a little React.js will be required, so to better understand react native concepts, I’m learning React.js first). This is my “third” job in tech in the year of 2018( well most like second job because the last one didn’t go really well, I only lasted one week ) . Whatever you do, do not quit, you’ll get there. You don’t need a degree. I barely passed highschool, trust me on this one, i really hated school but i was really interested in programming.
Feel free to ask me anything you wish, I’ll be replying even though I might not know a lot, I could be helpful here and there!
Man congrats, I wish that far. Can you tell more about how you got your first job. Do you have a portfolio I can look at? Thank you.
First of all, congrats on your new job. Now, I have a few questions:
1 - How long did it take you to land your first job?
2- What skills did you have when you landed your first job?
3 - How was your job hunting method?
Hello!
I’ve got my first job at a start-up, since they were a startup i spoke directly with the CEO and they needed someone on front-end to help the senior, they gave me a little coding test on the spot to see if i actually know the basics and that was it, I aced it.
Yes, I do have a portofolio but I have some personal stuff on my GitHub which I would not like to share, don’t worry, I don’t have that many projects either, I can name you some. I have a RGB game which gives you an rgb and you have to guess the color, I have a patatap clone( you press keys and there’s a certain sound and animation for each key) , a matching-cards game where you have to flip card over and match symbols , a game where you fight a monster, turn based and a script that adds people on linkedin for you 
Read the answer above.
It took me around 6 months,
When I got hired I only knew HTML,CSS, JavaScript, jQuery, Bootstrap and a little bit of MySQL. I also learnt a little bit of PHP on the job because i needed it, but the Vue.js and now React.js are side-learning I did.
My job hunting method was just apply everywhere, linkedin, indeed, and other website for jobs exclusive to my country.However, this third job I found , I found it through a start-up platform “talentbrowse”, exclusive for my country at the moment, it’s like Tinder for developers(atm, they’ll add new jobs too) where you post up your profile and knowledge and they ‘like’ you and you schedule an interview when you’re available
Thanks for the answer, BTW, did you use a cover letter?, and were you randomly apply to every position you thought you’d fit?
I used a CV, yeah. And i’d apply to junior roles, but sometimes to middle too because they might be in need of a junior here in there, why miss out, the worst thing that could happen is that they reject me
Congrats on the job! Did it take you 6 months of learning BEFORE you landed the job?
It took me 6 months to get my first job, while learning. I started applying after like 4 months, while still learning as much as possible
So after 4 months of some intensive learning you began job hunting?
Congratulations, sounds like you know your stuff and interview very well.
In which country/city are you based?
Are all the opportunities you have had in this area? or have you had to relocate?
Yeah, around after 4 months of studying on multiple platforms( Google nanodegree, udemy courses and fcc) i began job hunting , but i got really confident when i went to my first interview and i saw i could answer questions for juniors with ease
I’m based in Bucharest, all the oportunities were in my city, I didn’t had to relocate , but i’m planning to when i get around 2years fo experience
Congrats!!! Your story is very encouraging!Thanks for sharing and for your advice.
Thanks
If you don’t give up you can achieve anything you put your mind to
@GummyGod congrats on your new job… and about your story, that is how you become good in anything and specially in programming
Congratulations…I am always optimistic that winners never quit… I am glad you shared your recruitment experience and this will be a pointer to us all that continuous learning is the only true way to achieve greater height and remain relevant
What is it feel like to become God of Gummies?
Does a Front End web developer a very promising career for 5 years ahead?
It is awesome if you ask me. I rule all the gummies. If you have any in your house I can make them all attack you at once. I strived 45 years for this power, now, I finally got it.