I’m brand new to programming, having just begun the freeCodeCamp curriculum.
I, like everyone, would love to acquire a position as soon as possible, but I also want to be practical: when is the best time to begin searching/applying for positions in programming? Would you recommend starting the search right away, or waiting until I have at least one or two certificates/projects under my belt?
I imagine it makes little (or no) sense to look for positions until I have some experience and bonafide training, but I see so many good opportunities and find it hard to restrain myself. I have a bachelor’s degree, but it’s not in computer science. I imagine a possible answer to my own question could be: “begin looking/applying as early as you want, but don’t expect to get hired until you have some training and experience to bring to the table.” Does that sound like a practical approach?
Are there any positions/companies that will hire you while you learn to code, or pay you to learn? If so, where might one find those?
Even getting the first two certificates is not going to have you job ready, and in fact even after the certifications here you will have to go out and learn more what curriculum did not teach. Then after the certifications you want to get a good portfolio set up, and show off your projects to potential companies you want to work at. So its going to be a while.
The good news is you dont need a degree for eb developemnt. Does it help? Sure, but there have been plenty of people to get a development job without one. Its more of what you can do that matters. As you said, it doesnt make sense to look for a job, but you can look at the job descriptions and see what companies are looking for. Then you adjust your learning to meet those needs to be a better fit.
Nothing is technically stopping you from applying, but without any real knowledge since you are just starting, no projects, and no portfolio to show then most companies are not going to bother considering you or giving you a second look. I don’t mean to sound harsh there, but that’s the reality of it. I think that works for any job not just development, so working on your learning knowledge is #1 right now.
I have never seen a company doing this, I mean this sounds more like an internship to me. Now, it might not be paid but it will get your foot in the door, and you will get some knowledge and experience of what its like to have a development job. I couldnt tell you what company is doing an internship and which ones are not. Thats more of homework for you to research and see what’s available near you
Thank you for your feedback: this is exactly what I was looking for.
From your input, I gather applying for jobs at this point would be equivalent to entering a marathon after just beginning to run…bold, but ultimately just a recipe for pain and burnout. Instead of wasting time (and heartache) applying for (and getting rejected from) positions, I’d be better off investing it in developing education, skills, and project experience. I imagine I’ll experience plenty enough rejection even when I am qualified, no need to walk right into it right now.
From your experience, what would be the minimum skill/knowledge set you would recommend someone develop before even considering searching for positions?
For me, I have finished 6 courses from freeCodeCamp and have done 30+ projects with my real effort. Even after those, I applied 2 interns and both rejected me.
So, I think getting a job is not really easy and at the same time, I feel like tech industry is brutal because they reject you with AI message and if you reply them that you appreciate them for considering you, their replies are all AI.
Whatever, Great things take Time, right. Just continue learning and nobody will be able to neglect your skills.
I’ve heard similar stories like yours, so I know I should expect to put in a lot of time and work, and still learn how to adapt to rejection…from both people and bots. That’s solid advice: great things do take time. All closed doors lead to better open ones.
Thank you for sharing your story, best of luck on your search.