I’ve spent about a year on freeCodeCamp now, I completed all the advanced front-end projects, half-way through the Data Visualization course, and half-way through the back end course. I got a PhD in biomedical engineering about a year ago, and then took a job as a R&D engineer in the bay area. And then I moved to a little town in the middle of nowhere for my husband’s job.
I was lucky, I found a web development intern position immediately, which turned into a full-time position after three months. However, even though I enjoyed my projects, the experience with the boss was a nightmare - he literally just stared at my screen from behind all day,
only to make sure that I was working. So I resigned. And suddenly, it seems that all my luck ran out - my application for every single job get rejected, no matter it’s the mini-startups in town, freelance work on UpWork, or even an application for a coding bootcamp.
Everyone just wants senior, experienced developer. I’ve never been this depressed before, and I started wondering weather or not I should have switched my career, and whether or not I’m smart enough to be a developer. These thoughts became particularly strong when I’m home alone, unemployed, suffering from a headache from doing projects.
I know I need to move on, one way or another. I will finish my journey on freeCodeCamp first, since I decided to try this out a year ago. I hope one day I can come back, with an announcement that I’ve been waiting for so long - I’ve landed a developer job, finally.
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If you’re smart enough to get a PhD and work as an R&D engineer, I wouldn’t question your intellect or your drive. Perhaps it would help to work on some open source projects in the meantime? Finishing the non-profit work here would certainly help as well. I fully understand your pain, but trust that if you’ve come this far, you can go further.
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Have you tried going through a recruiting firm? Often times, GOOD recruiters have a strong connection with their clients and can speak well of you and your personal portfolio of projects.
Thank you so much for your kind words, I appreciate that a lot. I’ve not unlocked the open source projects yet, but I will be there. And I found working out every day helps - at least it seems to have given me a more peaceful mind when trying to figure things out. Your comment was really encouraging, and it feels great to have someone understand my pain and frustration, THANK YOU!
Nope I’ve never tried a recruiting firm, that’s a new thing to me. I will look into that, thank you for your advice! Do you have any recommendation on the firm by the way?
@qzhou1607 Thank you for sharing this. Keep your head up - I’m in awe of you for obtaining a PhD in Biomed Eng…that’s incredible!! I think it’s great that you have made so much progress on FCC and glad to hear that you are nearly finished. I’m only just really getting started and have a long way to go.
Are there any coding meetup groups in your area? It might be helpful to link up with others to make connections and learn new things. Often times when it comes to finding a job it’s who you know and not what you know that’s important. So meeting others could open up some career opportunities for you. You might also check to see if there are some organizations in your area where you can volunteer teaching programming/web design to others. There is no doubt that you have a great deal of valuable knowledge that you can share, and this could also help you learn in the process. This too could open up some new opportunities that you may not otherwise have access to.
Keep moving forward - I’m confident that things will work out for you. All the best!
Thanks for sharing your thoughts. I think you did hthe right thing. Because it was your decision and you were right! Just dont give up and remember you will get antoher and better chances. I wish you luck!
I edited your post for readability 
Sometimes a string of bad luck can make it so that we perceive only the empty part of the glass. However, from reading what you have to say, I think you have many qualities that are attractive as a web developer. Having a PhD in biomedical engineering and going through freecodecamp for a year shows dedication, persistence and a scientific/logical mind which would seem very appropriate for a coding career. I think you are definitely smart enough for web development plus can’t you apply for both coding and biomedical jobs? In any case, I think your decision to learn to code is wise because the demand for this skill is projected to increase well into the future and you can access remote jobs easier. In the meantime, maybe try contributing to open source, working linkedin connections, craigslist, recruiters etc. or learning some of the bleeding-edge tech like microservices or serverless where senior devs are very limited. The playing field is in a constant state of leveling and it is an exciting field to be in!