In a time where technology keeps on evolving, and the internet took over the world, being a developer is one of the best career paths. However, the tech industry is a competitive one. Whether you’re a university graduate or a self-taught programmer, when you’re new to a field, finding a job can be imposing. In this post, we’re going to break down why it is difficult at first when you’re a junior/entry-level, how to face challenges, we’ll help you with the interview, and where to find work.

Why do companies have little interest in juniors?

From a company’s point of view, hiring is based on skills. The problem is that most junior developers don’t have the skills to get the job done. Knowing how to program alone is not enough. Furthermore, one of the biggest mistakes made is aiming for big when you’re still a beginner. Big companies are willing to pay well yes, but only if you deliver the task fully. When you’re an entry-level, chances are you are going to make plenty of mistakes, and that’s okay, to be honest, but not for big companies. Another factor is that some companies don’t want to spend time and money training apprentices, they’d rather hire skilled and experienced developers.

Face the challenges!

Now comes the interesting part, how to deal with all of this, and can you really make it? The answer is yes, you just need to get your priorities straight:

The first most important is, DON’T GET DISCOURAGED.

It really seems obvious, doesn’t it? But to start off with a good and healthy mindset is the basis of it all. Know that you are going to fail at some point, maybe in being hired in that company you really wanted, or even if you got in, but still got fired. Every process of it is okay. Finding a good job where you feel comfortable and good is a whole journey.

Also coding itself requires a lot of perseverance and patience. You’ll try to explain ideas that don’t make any sense at all and make mistakes in your coding, meaning it won’t work or appear the way you expected it to be. What makes a good developer is embracing and solving these mistakes. And you need to know that mistakes are made by even the most skilled coders. It’s just part of it all.

Ability and willingness to learn:

Learning never stops, even if you’re past the stage of coding, being an expert in the most used languages and frameworks will get you far from what you expected from yourself, self-research, practice, and building projects can add to your experience, also training with websites like LeetCode, TopCoder or Coderbyte teach you ways to crack the job coding interviews.

The interviews :

With developers, the hiring process differs from other jobs, as you get through multiple steps:

The first consists in solving problems as a code, for example, to find the address of the form of application or the e-mail, now this might seem simple but a lot of job seekers give up on this step, and it helps the company finding the seriously interested people.

After resolving it, the employer asks the general questions that everyone goes through: “Tell me a little bit about yourself”, “What are your salary expectations?”..etc.

Then the technical questions for developers: “The languages you are proficient in”, “the projects made before”, “if you ever faced a problem in a software development”, “what about unit testing”.. etc.

To check your abilities, once again you’ll get through tests, could be fixing bugs, checking codes or making them.

Finally, if you succeed through all of this, you have the chance of being contacted for the job

A good resume is a key!

It’s no secret that having a good resume under the belt is what will get you hired, but how do you structure it when you’re a developer?

1- Use your skills as keywords:

the most probable scenario, is that the employer will only skim through your resume and search for keywords, make sure to mention every skill you have, and see if they match the job description, the more the better: e.g.: experienced with HTML, CSS… (make sure to write in bold or highlight the keywords)

2- Build a Portfolio

Along with keywords, your portfolio is the image of the skills you have, make sure to put relevant projects, it helps with showing off what you can do, it needs to be different, coded in a clean way, and nicely put.

3-Using Github

Creating your own Github account, setting it up, helping by making regular contributions, and using it for your own projects, do not only help you get experience but also help with proving your abilities. An important asset that won’t be overlooked.

After getting through all of these steps…

Where do you find jobs for Junior Developers?

Now, the best thing about being a developer is that there are plenty of choices, from freelancing to full-time being at home, you don’t have to limit yourself to office work. Searching for contracts is a good option too. Including remote work in your job searching journey is mandatory and helps big time! Working remotely not only allows you to have freedom but helps you with practicing code in your spare time. This link lists the best junior remote jobs with equal opportunities for everyone. As you gain more experience, you’ll find yourself dealing with direct clients to get them what they want.

That’s it, all you need to do now is a start. First with yourself, your skills, then you’d be ready for your job hunt!