Should I start applying for jobs?

I’ve built all of the front end projects on FCC (I did the speedrun challenge and that’s when I finished them). I could have finished all 3 certificates by now, but I’m taking my time to learn things well. I’m actually following this guide by P1xt, and almost done with Tier 1.

Here’s the thing, P1xt insists that I should finish Tier 2 (or at least the back end section, which is about halfway through Tier 2), and then start applying for jobs. I would listen to P1xt’s advice any day, but it’s just taking literally forever, to the point that I’m finding myself just rushing through the book I’m currently reading (JavaScript Allonge). I’m not trying to complain or anything, but I’d rather have a developer job yesterday. Here’s why:

  • I can’t, I just can’t, take my current job any longer. It’s becoming unbearable in term of the environment, the work conditions, the salary, basically everything. I’ve considered quitting a while ago, and some of you may know, but this is not really an option for me unless I can be sure I have another job waiting.
  • I’ll be 26 soon, and once again I’m not trying to complain and I know some people might relate to this, but I’ve never really had a real full-time job and I’m worried I might miss my chance and employers will start to question why I never have at this age.
  • I honestly think I’m ready for a junior position, but I might be wrong, there’s no way for me to know as I have no experience in the industry, obviously.
  • Obviously it goes without saying that in the end, I would like to do a job that I love.

I would really appreciate some opinions. On the one hand, I really, really want to listen to P1xt’s advice, but on the other, I don’t think I can afford to spare many more months just studying and not applying at all. Plus, there’s no way to know how long it would take me to find a job. So what do you guys think?

Honestly dude, this is the same question you’ve been asking since Dec 2016. You’re asking the same questions over and over again, just in different ways and you’ve gotten hundreds of great advices and opinions just within the last few weeks.

People have told you to apply for jobs now, early, as soon as possible, but you keep insisting on finishing this P1xt course… as if you’re expecting P1xt will give you a diploma and that’s the magic ticket.

Q: I want to find a developer job, right now I’m working at a pizza joint.
A: Start applying now while you continue studying.
Q: (ignores advice) I want to finish P1xt course first
… a few weeks later …
Repeat again

5 Likes

Honestly I’ve kinda been getting conflicting advice, so I’m a bit confused. I can see this is annoying so I’ll stop doing that. The thing is that I would like to take my time and learn as much as I can before applying, but then something happens at my job that pisses me off and then I reconsider and come here to ask about it. If my job wasn’t stressing me so much, I wouldn’t be asking this question and instead I would choose to focus on studying first and then applying.

Again it’s not that I’m ignoring advice, but apparently it’s just a bad habit I have that I’ll need to get rid of. Sorry if it’s annoying. I’ll stop it. The point is that I feel stuck at a crappy job that I hate. The forum should have a functionality to delete posts when they’re not received well, as it’s happened to me a couple of times and I would hate to bother everyone else.

You have to get on the train if you want to reach your destination. Dreaming about it doesn’t get you there.

2 Likes

What’s conflicting about printing your resume/CV, and mailing it to companies or filling out online job application forms? … WHILE you continue working, WHILE you continue studying. But thing is you’re not even applying to anything, and just wish you have a developer job.

That’s not the conflicting part. I meant that some people have told me to apply now and some have told me to study more first. I’m just not sure if the front end projects are enough. And honestly I’ve tried applying for a few jobs, but haven’t heard back from any, which made me think I might need to study more and do more projects. I might have jumped to the wrong conclusion though as maybe if I had applied more, I might have heard back. And to be perfectly honest I think my resume might use an update. Actually, I believe I need to write a new resume entirely, but I’m still not sure how to go about it.

I know it may sound harsh and try not to take it personal but if I was an employer I’d rather hire a person with a half of your skills but with more confidence and guts to try their luck (and sometimes fail) than you with your “I don’t know what to do” attitude.You say you applied for a few jobs? Did you read this topic? Let me quote:

I applied to more than 100 jobs and only got responses from about 5%

And still he found the job. You really need to decide if you want to make pizza or webistes.

P.S. Not to offend anyone working in catering business. I myself worked 3 years in restaurant and I highly appreciate people working in this business.

2 Likes

The short answer is YES.

It sounds like you already have enough of a skillset for junior/entry-level Web developer jobs, and you have no idea how long it can take to actually get a job once you start applying.

The more you put it off, the later you’ll get a job, not sooner, which from all accounts you don’t want. As the expression goes, get the wheels moving or you’ll never progress further!

No offense intended but this video is for people like you: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6G3kQyqMFpQ