So I've started trying to find internships, trainee and junior roles for front-end development.
Majority if not all require years of experience, even an internship requires 2 years of experience, many different languages learned (JavaScript, React, Node, PhP) on top of stuff like Wordpress or Shopify.
It definitely seems hopeless and very disheartening that I'll even find a job, let alone a job that I will enjoy, fit in and learn from. I've worked for a job that ruined my self-esteem as well as took a toll on my mental health, I refuse to work in such an environment again but seems like that's something I would need to put aside if I am to start my career in tech :(
I'm just ranting and sharing my thoughts
Top comments (4)
Getting that first break into tech isn't always that easy. I did contracting for a few years as a junior, had a full-time job and then moved thinking I'd pick something up in a few weeks in my new city.
I was out of work for 6 months.
In the end, I took a job as source control admin because I thought if I could get my foot in the door that way, I could wow them with my other skills and get some additional project work that way. It only took 6 months, but I was back to coding full-time.
There are many paths that can get you there. It's hard, but thinking long-term is what helped me get through it.
Yeah, there are some meat grinders out there, definitely stay away from them - sorry to hear your experience has been tough so far.
Thanks for this! Definitely appreciate the tips here - I just have to stay optimistic and keep trying, even if I can get my foot in the door in another role :D
I feel ya on this!
That definitely can be discouraging. But hopefully, if you're able to participate in a community like this and potentially do a bit of open source work in the interim, you can show that you're becoming more experienced on your own time, and not just via a job. Sometimes, I feel like that can be just if not more impressive.
Participating in a developer community and writing about what you're learning can really show your personality, determination, and reveal how you go about self-teaching. While employers may stress experience, I'd suggest thinking outside the box about how you can show that experience. Experience doesn't have to be limited to just your past job experience, but can include your activities outside of work as well.
Not to say that any of this is easy. I do think it's particularly hard to find a job when you're just starting out. Again, I feel ya on this one!
Thank you for this! Definitely getting more involved in the developer community, it's not easy as an introvert but needs to be done. Just the job search is very disheartening, I appreciate this