How I got out of a dead-end job and became a software developer
Have you ever felt stuck in your career?
Have you ever felt like you want to become a developer but you don’t know where to start?
Trust me. I know how you feel. I was on the same boat a year and a half ago. I was working as a configuration specialist helping clients troubleshoot their software through specialized software. I graduated out of Cal Poly and this was my first job after graduating college.
At first, I thought this was the best thing that happened to me. I was employed by a Fortune 500 company. I was employed straight out of college instead of spending months looking for my first job.
Two years later. I found myself very unsatisfied. After working for two years in this company, I did not learn any skills that were essential for my long term success as a developer.
I did not really get a chance to learn and write a lot of javascript for my job. I was not happy for the fact I don’t really get to code. I tried looking for other development jobs but not one company considered me because of my inexperience.
So how did I figure out my first development job?
One day, I met a new coworker from another office. We were talking about how to improve the CSS of our existing platform. We developed great chemistry as colleagues and also connected outside of work. So I asked her to see if she knows anyone who is willing to be a mentor.
Alright. I know my story has been long. So I was introduced to my current mentor, Hemil. He was one of the most brilliant developers and mentors I have met(and yes I meant mentors).
I asked him: “I am stuck with a dead-end job. I don’t have any coding experience whatsoever. What can I do?”. Here’s what he said: “Well start somewhere. Don’t go all over the place trying to learn everything. I can teach you all the basics of javascript and I will teach you all the basics to create a react application.”
We spent several weeks learning basic javascript concepts such as strings, arrays, objects, closures and so. He told me: “You don’t need to dig into too many details for all the key points. Focus on the core fundamentals.”
I spent weeks learning how to implement custom methods of arrays and strings so I learn how to use them better.
Eventually, I learned how to build a basic react to-do-list app. But I never forget to go back and all the stuff I learned. I created a GitHub account and put up posts to explain how to solve some common algorithm problems such as checking to see if a string is palindrome or not.
After months of hard work, I felt like I was finally ready to apply as a frontend developer. Before I applied for jobs I asked Hemil what to include on my resume. I did not really have any real development experiences even though I spent months learning javascript under his tutelage.
Ok. Now I am stuck.
Wait a minute. I actually did some UI and CSS work customizing platforms for clients. I also did a small side project on the size in React and I realize that’s something I can put on my resume. What also did matter was I had 2 years of professional experience when I decide to apply for new jobs.
So I start submitting my resume to several entry-level frontend developer jobs. It was challenging due to my lack of experience but for every interview, I always noted down what they asked. For the interview questions that are frequently asked I try to spend time answering them and then share on my GitHub account.
In fact here is my Github with some sample work:
A lot of you are probably asking: how the hell are you supposed to get all these interviews when you don’t even have programming experience?
I went on my LinkedIn and start searching for frontend jobs. Sometimes you might find recruiting agencies actually posting jobs for their clients. They will usually tell you and I used it as an opportunity to ask a lot of their colleagues to look for jobs for me.
One thing we must note here: networking is essential. Yes, I know I sound cliche over here but all these recruiters are hooked up to different opportunities. It’s hard to get an offer based on a few interviews. The key point is to interview with as many companies as possible so you can learn from these interviews.
Interviews for frontend development jobs usually work this way:a recruiter will usually give you a phone screen as to whether your skills fit into what the job description asks for. Afterward, they will schedule for a 45 minutes to an hour interview. That’s the hardest part of the interview process because they will usually ask you javascript concepts or using javascript to solve a technical problem. I highly recommend going to leetcode or even hackerrank to practice doing coding challenging using javascript.
Once you nail the initial stage, what comes next is the final round or the onsite interview(sorry, I know companies can’t really do onsite interviews because of covid19 but let’s pretend we are not quarantined). They will generally ask you some questions about what you value the most as a developer and some technical questions as well.
It’s very hard to prepare onsite interviews because it’s hard to narrow down what they will ask you. Just be yourself and showcase your strengths and skills and you will do just fine. Things tend to get better after you nailed the 45-minute interview.
Everything I said sums up as to how I got out of my dead job. Scared of making the change? Me too. I was very scared.
But the moment you are willing to take the risk and finally reap the benefits of all the hard work you put, you will realize how amazing it is to be able to code every day.
Happy coding, guys.
If you would like to find me on LinkedIn feel free to connect me here: https://www.linkedin.com/in/michael-tong-024475a5
