How to land a developer job?
Are you wondering how to land a developer job? Great! You came to the perfect article then.
During the next few minutes you will learn the exact steps you have to make to finally land your very first software developer position.
If you prefer video over text, we have created a video for you here:
Ready to get started? Let’s go.
Step 1: Forget what you have learned (yes, really!)
I know that this sounds harsh but everyone who starts coding usually starts with one of those three programming languages:
Python, C# or Java.
The problem? Well, I like those languages too but you are a junior software developer and those programming languages are made for SENIOR work.
That leads us to…
Step 2: Scanning the local job market
This. is. so. underrated. Like seriously.
Take 5 minutes of time, go to any job portal online (like Indeed) and search for “junior software developer” then skim through the results and get a better understand of what kind of developer jobs and technologies are in demand CLOSE TO YOUR POSITION.
You want a hint? If you want to get hired fast. Go with web development. Chances are that you will find many jobs that include “Frontend”-Development or jobs that mention Angular, React or Vue.js.
Yeah, that’s what you are looking for. Some low-hanging frontend developer entry jobs.
Step 3: Learn a framework. IN-DEPTH.
Okay so now you have picked your “local in-demand” framework. That might be react or angular. Next up you want to dive deep into this framework. Follow along with the official tutorials in the documentations, take an online course from our library or visit a local in-person bootcamp.
Once you learned the more advanced things about those frontend frameworks like state management etc. you’ll be ready to move on.
Oh, and Im honest here. Digging into a frontend framework is EASY in comparison to diving deep into backend development with spring boot (Java), Django (python) or ASP.NET (C#).
Step 4: You want to work? Apply for jobs!
Now that you are in the position where there are many jobs out there where you can bring true value to the table it’s time to actively apply for those jobs. I mean you came here to learn how to land a developer job, right? As for any other job, you need to actively apply for it, especially if you are a career changer.
Craft a resume and CV that is really focused on that specific framework or technology stack. In that way you can guarantee that you are relevant for the job application and stand out from other competitors.
But wait. It’s not over yet.
Step 5: Build a resume WHILE applying for jobs
You will probably not get hired by sending out a single application. It might take a few days or weeks until you receive a job invitation. In the meantime…
Craft comprehensive applications with your selected framework.
But what makes an application a comprehensive one? I’m glad you asked!
A comprehensive frontend application for instances implements a unit test suit, an API, any kind of user authorization and is hosted anywhere online for people to try.
Take your time a craft a great and compelling application that shows that you truly have In-depth knowledge of your framework.
Step 6: Get hired
That’s it. If you follow step 1 to 5 you WILL be able to deliver value. And that’s the only thing that companies are looking for. Employees that can deliver value. No matter if you want to measure it in the amount of lines of code or revenue.