How to Land A Job As A Junior Web Developer
In the world of tech, one of the most popular and in demand jobs for a fresher is that of a junior web developer or also known as an entry level front end developer. Like many young enthusiasts, if you have learned web development then kudos! You have chosen a great career path. But, how do you kickstart your journey and get your first job? Well, that is what this blog is all about.
Here are some pointers on how to land a job as a junior web developer-
Building A Relevant Portfolio
Personal portfolio and sample work projects will be the first and foremost thing potential employers will see before hiring you. Make sure your portfolio contains a wide range of things which can showcase all your skills as a web developer. Try to make it as diversified and unique as possible in order to stand out from the competition.
Doing Freelance Projects
Working as a freelancer before landing a job is a great way to establish trustworthiness with your potential employee as well as having some real world experience that will help in your selection process. It is not necessary to have huge clients. You can start off even by doing some unpaid work, then going forward with small paid clients and so on. Some good websites for freelancers are Upwork, Fiverr, PeoplePerHour, Guru, 99 Designs and so on.
Put Your Code On GitHub
Creating a GitHub account is a must for web developers since it serves as a great repository for your projects. GitHub sets the industry standards for things such as version control and regularly contributing to it via your best code shows your dedication to potential employers in terms of uplifting the entire community for web developers.
Work On An Open Source Project
Open source projects are those kinds of projects where the source code is publicly available and can be modified by anyone. Getting involved in good ones such as Ruby on Rails, Linux, MySQL and JavaScript frameworks will definitely hone your skills. Such a type of hands-on experience will benefit in your interview too. You can find these open source projects on GitHub Explore itself and can start out by small things such as debugging, beta testing and better documentation.
Participate In A Hackathon
Hackathons are a modern, exciting and innovative way of learning new skills. It is a team event where you meet like-minded people who share similar interests as you and try to hack a code as a team. These hackathons are generally sponsored by good partners and recruiters. Your performance makes recruiters notice you and some even get job offers on the spot! To participate in one, try looking at sites such as Devpost and Angelhack.
Polish Your Skills & Resume
Learning new, relevant skills and updating your resume regularly is a great way to keep up with the latest trends since this is such an innovative field. If you do not evolve and keep up with the trends, it will not reflect in your resume and potential employers will not want to hire someone with old skills. Continuously refining your resume, learning new skills as well as sharpening existing ones is key.
These tips will only work if you have already learnt the skills of becoming a web developer and are now aiming to land a job. If you haven’t already enrolled in a web development course then now is the best time to do so. The job opportunities, career prospects and salary packages are soaring sky high!