When you’re a fresh-faced web developer, it might be difficult to find your first job, whether you’re self-taught, a bootcamp grad, or have a college degree. You’re confident in your abilities to complete the task. The difficulty is, how do you tell hiring managers about it? How can you make an impression during the interview? How can you ensure that you are even considered for an interview in the first place?
Get relevant work experience
It’s a common stumbling block for job seekers and career changers. Many companies want you to have work experience, but how can you earn it if you don’t have a job? There are lots of opportunities for web developers to put their in-demand skills to good use. Here’s how you can gain some programming experience before you’re hired:
Volunteering is a fantastic method to obtain real-world experience while also building a portfolio of fascinating initiatives. You’ll not only acquire great experience, but you’ll also be giving back to the community. Win-win!
Freelance work will help you establish your credibility as a legitimate developer. Ad-hoc assignments may be found on sites like Upwork and Fiverr. It’s also worth reaching out to smaller local businesses to see if they may benefit from your services. This may not be the most financially rewarding endeavor of your career, but it sends a strong message to employers: you have real-world skills and are eager to put them to work!
Open-source projects are made up of publicly available source code that may be modified by anybody, and they’re ideal for beginning developers. Open-source projects allow you to collaborate with other developers while also allowing you to put your talents into practice. On GitHub, you may find a wide selection of open-source projects.
It’s all about getting hands-on and putting your talents to work when it comes to convincing companies that your job-ready. As a result, it’s critical to continue learning and growing. The more projects you work on, whether open source, volunteer, or freelancing, the more you’ll have to discuss in an interview.
Get to know about the best places to hunt for a job
You must develop a sound job-search strategy while getting as much real-world experience as feasible. The Lilo Web Design Company told us that Web development is a huge area with a lot of various paths you may go. Before you start looking for employment, think about what you’re looking for and how you’ll utilize that information to narrow down your search.
Your job search should be geared to your current talents as well as your long-term objectives. Applying for frontend positions makes sense if you want to focus on frontend development. However, if you want to expand out into backend development in the future, look for jobs that will allow you to do so. Simultaneously, consider the type of environment in which you would want to work. Consider the following questions before you begin your search:
- What aspect of web development do you wish to concentrate on?
- Do you think you’d be happier working for a small business or a large corporation?
- Do you like to work in a small or large group?
- What are your favorite industry and products?
- Are you willing to relocate or travel?
We’re not advising you to be picky. Having a clear notion of what you want, on the other hand, will make your job search lot more efficient.
Job boards for web developers that are useful.
It will be much easier to identify appropriate positions now that you know what you want. Web developer employment may be found in a variety of areas. The following are some of the most prominent internet portals:
- LinkedIn
- Indeed
- Glassdoor
- Stack Overflow
- Authentic Jobs on AngelList
- CyberCoders
Aside from the internet, there may be opportunities in the offline world as well. Don’t be afraid to ask your friends or contacts in the field if they know of anyone recruiting. If you haven’t yet built a network, we have further advice in section four.
Make your application stand out
Getting an interview is the next step in securing your first web development job. While it’s very unusual for experienced developers to be recruited (programmers are in great demand, after all!), those who are new to the field will need to persuade others.
So, how can you distinguish yourself from the dozens, if not hundreds, of other applicants? Let’s have a look at some of the most important methods.
Job seeking takes a lot of time, and we’re all guilty of sending out a bunch of generic applications all at once. Recruiters, on the other hand, will notice right immediately, and this one-size-fits-all strategy seldom pays off. If you’re serious about getting a job as a web developer, you’ll need to personalize your resume and cover letter for each position you apply for.
How can I make an impression at an interview?
You’ve obtained valuable experience, worked hard to build your network, and submitted an amazing application. You’ve finally gotten an interview! Now comes the most difficult part: nailing the interview and landing your first web development job.
When it comes to presenting a decent interview, you must persuade the interviewer that you have acquired the necessary abilities and are ready to jump right in. At the same time, you must show true interest and desire for the position.
As part of the interview process, you’ll almost certainly be asked to complete a coding challenge or a technical exam. Employers want to see that you know HTML, CSS, JavaScript, and jQuery inside and out, so be prepared to show them.
Simultaneously, be open and honest about what you know and don’t know. You are not expected to know everything if you are applying for your first web development position. While you may not know XYZ yet, emphasize that you are a quick learner who is eager to learn it. Rather than appearing to be an expert, this will give you a lot more credibility.
Follow these tips and you can easily get hired for a web designing job.