• Original: www.freecodecamp.org/news/landin…
  • By Jonathan Sexton

Yes, you read the headline right! A company generously offered me the position of developer!

I was so excited that I couldn’t believe I was going to start writing code as a real programmer!

A lot of people suggested that I write an article about my experience to share and maybe help others. Now, let’s get started!

start

I’ve always been interested in computers, technology, etc. Like many of my peers, I started out by creating a GeoCities site and then personalizing my MySpace page with some basic CSS styles.

I didn’t know it at the time, but it was development. It was crude, but it was development. At the time, I didn’t know I could make money doing this kind of work, otherwise I might have stuck with it. So I went to college and got a non-technical degree in psychology. It’s not a completely useless degree, it’s just that I’ve never used it in my subsequent work.

Discover and pursue what you really want to do

Back in the summer of 2016, I had a lot of free time after work. I had always wanted to teach myself how to program, so this was a great opportunity for me, and there were many free resources online, so I started my programming journey wholeheartedly.

I started researching resources online and found CodeCademy, where I hand-copied the questions, ideas and results into a notebook. I will write down everything that I think is important and then review it from time to time. It’s interesting to finally go back and look at these things and compare what I found difficult then to what I find now.

A friend told me about freeCodeCamp because he knew I was teaching myself, and there were a lot of people like me on the platform. I was just going to look around. A lesson or two would be enough. That night when I finished the entire HTML chapter, I was hooked.

In the process of learning, I found that the more I learned, the more problems I had. I always felt driven to find answers to these questions. So I moved on to the next class and project. I completed 2 projects before the curriculum reform at freeCodeCamp.

Usually, I will seize all kinds of opportunities to study or do projects. For example, when I am waiting in line, I will not turn on my phone to browse my various social networks, but watch some articles or videos related to Web development.

Now I how to arrange the rest time had the very big change, not like before spend time on some “mindless consumption” (if you like social media, or see some interesting video, I’m not saying you are “no brain”, I’m just saying that this kind of behavior is usually don’t need you, you only need to open the phone, it is ok to look at the screen. Actually, I do it from time to time).

During this time, I browsed through various learning resources and kept trying to decide which one was right for me, like a kid staring around in a candy store. I used to have a folder with about 300 links to things I planned to learn. Now I know that finding what’s right for you and sticking to it is far better than picking and choosing, looking here and there.

As I write this, my daughter and wife are asleep. I often stay up until 12.30am, sometimes even 2am, and then have to get up at 6am to do my daily work. At first, when learning things was easy, it was ok for me. But as I started learning JavaScript, learning the basics of networking, servers, accessibility, etc., I noticed that the later I waited, the harder it became for my brain to concentrate.

After persisting for several months, I had to change my study plan.

Of course, I didn’t want to stop my studies or my projects, but I just made some adjustments to my schedule.

Every morning, I get up at 4 o ‘clock and don’t stay up late as before. Then study and work on projects, hit the gym, and the day begins. I have to say, in my learning process, this was very critical, because I remembered more things, did more projects, and eventually moved forward.

At the same time, I started buying various web development-related learning resources (mainly Udemy courses and books). But this is not a wise choice. If you find a resource that you like and that suits you, stick with it until it’s finished. Don’t jump from one to the other like I did.

Growth – Google & Udacity Scholarship

In January 2018, I applied for and won a scholarship to Udacity’s Front-end Nanodegree program. It was not only a great opportunity to help me move towards my goals, but also a great experience for me.

When I started this project, I only had a basic knowledge of HTML, CSS, and a little JavaScript. In the course, I learned jQuery, Functional Programming, Object-oriented Programming (OOP), Test Driven Development (TDD), accessibility, Servers, API’s, Basic Networking, React, AJAX and other Web development technologies THAT I have never been exposed to before.

To be honest, studying is not always interesting or easy, sometimes I think it is wrong to give up. These were concepts I thought I would never learn, and my mind was in a fog.

I’m glad I didn’t give up. Quitters never make it — the only cliche

In the course, I created many great projects, such as Card matchgame, Arcade Game Replica, Restaurant Review App, Neighborhood Map App. But beyond those projects, I’ve made a lot of friends, and working with other developers has been a valuable experience.

Suffice it to say, without this course, I wouldn’t be where I am today. During the 9-month course, I gained a lot of valuable things.

To apply for a job

I had been studying hard (and slacking off sometimes) for about two years before I started looking for a job in earnest. But I still didn’t feel ready, and a friend who became my mentor told me that you never feel ready. He said I should give it a shot, and if I got an interview, let the interviewer tell me whether I was ready or not, and don’t close the door on any opportunity.

So, with extreme fear, anxiety and doubt, I decided to start looking for work.

At first, I just applied for positions that I met most of the criteria for, but that wasn’t the right approach. Yet I was terrified of getting a phone call for an interview. Then I started applying for any job I was interested in. I have applied for advanced development, front-end React development, AND API development with SQL experience. Do this because you never know what will happen with your application. Maybe you didn’t get offered a senior position, but they probably liked your personality and asked you to interview them for a lower-level position.)

After three months of applying for jobs. Finally I got my first interview call! I was happy and scared. It’s very stressful.

I read articles, learned interview techniques, read books, had my wife quiz me on questions, and tried to imagine scenarios I thought would come up during an interview. I also prepared some questions for the interviewer because I wanted to know what it would be like to work for this company.

So I convinced myself that this was the perfect job, that it was what I wanted most, and that I had to get it. I shouldn’t have thought that.

On the day of the interview, I couldn’t describe myself as nervous. I was sweating like a pig. After answering all the questions, I asked the questions I had prepared. After the interview, I feel that I can play.

In the end, I didn’t get the position and I was very upset. I thought everything was going really well, but for some reason, I just didn’t get hired. I later learned that this was all too common in interviews.

I decided not to let these negative feelings dampen my confidence. So I began to work harder, study harder, and turn my anger into motivation. I will do whatever it takes to make sure that an interview leads to an offer.

Here are some statistics for my job search:

  • Submitted job applications through application platforms: 271
  • Since submitting it, I’ve received some form of response: 28 times
  • Phone interviews: 7
  • Interviews: 8
  • Got offers: 3 companies (one is a full-time offer, but it’s a long shot; One is part-time; Eventually I got a full-time job.)
  • No news: too many to count

If you’re looking for a job, don’t let these numbers discourage you! Yes, it’s frustrating and makes you want to hold back. It sucks to fill out an application and send in your resume and never get a response, but don’t give up! You will succeed! Just like me.

On finding a job — my advice

This is not very comprehensive, but I have summed up a little experience in the process of finding a job, to share with you:

  • Have a thick skin, which is a must, because many companies may not hire you
  • Apply for any position that interests you
  • Even if you don’t meet the requirements for certain positions, apply (that’s how I got my first development job)
  • Take the time to polish your resume
  • Don’t feel like a loser because some company turned you down
  • Show the company that you can build a project without a tutorial
  • Ask for help when you need it (hard for me)
  • Apply for jobs on various platforms, including GitHub Jobs
  • Pay attention to your body, health is the capital
  • Take breaks from time to time
  • Don’t compare your work to others. Technology, etc.
  • Don’t care how long it takes, 3 months or 3 years (like me), it’s not a race
  • Study hard and never give up

Finally, I wish you all the best. If you need advice or help, get in touch with me on Twitter or LinkedIn. I like helping people and meeting new people.

On my personal blog, I write articles related to Web development. I’ll update it once a month with stuff I think is great, so you might want to subscribe.

Hope you have a great day, Happy coding!