The easiest way is to participate in conversations.
Reddit, tech forums, Facebook groups, Stack Overflow, Medium, Qoura, your own blog— ask questions, answer questions, become active and leave a digital trail for when we Google you up.
Help others even when you don’t feel qualified.
Ask for help even if it feels silly.
It’s also a way to get yourself connected to the community.
Who knows, you might even get recommended for a position by someone you interacted with.
It sounds cliche but it does happen.
Applicants who come to us through word of mouth and recommendations often have higher standings than anonymous resumes.
That small bit of background makes it feel like we already know and can trust you — even if you’re still new the game.
Pack in the FoundationsThere are certain foundations in programming that need to be learned but are not often talked about in beginner circles.
Learn the thinking behind SOLID principles, along with object-oriented, functional and procedural paradigms.
Practice applying it in your code as much as possible.
Learn to use Git.
Learn how to use databases.
There’s more to programming than just HTML, CSS and JavaScript.
There are certain ways to think, write things, and use code as a communication tool to transmit your thoughts to other developers on the team.
Here’s a comprehensive guide if you’re stuck and need some guidance.
To Get Good, You Need to Get CodingIf you’ve been searching around for a while now and still haven’t landed that first job, keep coding.
The more you code, the more experience you’ll actually have and eventually, you’ll unlock a certain invisible badge of achievement based on your cumulative output.
When you’re new, the amount of code you produce does matter.
In fact, the more you produce, the better it is for your growth.
It may sound like the opposite of what intermediate and senior devs are saying (less is better), but sometimes you just need the volume to understand and notice the mistakes, pitfalls, bad patterns, and inefficiencies.
It’s a personal process that everyone goes through as a developer — a sort of rite of initiation that can be experienced on and off the job.
When employers hire, they’re generally looking for a junior that requires the least training with the maximum potential for output and growth.
You will always think that what you create now is perfect — but it’s not.
Over time, code decays and your knowledge expands.
It might be the difference between a week or a month that gives you the ability to see the horror stories you’ve created, laugh at your naivety and feel a little bit better as a developer for it.
Final WordsSmaller companies are more lenient when it comes to experience.
However, you still have to prove yourself worthy — just like any other job out there.
Try and think about it from the employer’s perspective and ask yourself — “Would I hire me?”If not, why?.What are the gaps?.Where are your ‘experiences’ lacking and what can you do to fill the void?.This isn’t a catch-22 situation.
You are the catalyst to move yourself out of the potentially annoying and paralyzing scenario.
Don’t complain about it.
Don’t talk about it.
Don’t think about it.
Don’t even visualize it.
Rather, do the opposite — keep coding, keep creating, keep learning and keep applying.
Don’t have any experience?.This is your chance to create your own.
The point is to keep creating and keep knocking.
Eventually, you’ll find yourself knocking on a door that’s willing to let you enter the game in no time.
Let’s stay connected!.Join my awesome web digest newsletter list.
Thank you for reading.
❤Aphinya.