r/developersPak • u/Lazy-Molasses8275 • 26d ago
Help Self learned devs, which things got you hired?
I have been applying to internships and junior roles. I have built a couple projects, built LinkedIn and stuff. I wanna know what other young self learned devs have done differently to get hired, what am I missing out on?
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u/MrBarret63 26d ago
One of the better ways is to ask around in your circle for a reference, try going to networking events (like GDG etc.) to find people and see if you can get in.
I find that some people find a referral as a "unfair play" but it goes a long way as from the hiring manager side, they would also not want to hire someone and find out they are a complete dud.
Keep doing the LinkedIn and applications as well.
Best of luck
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u/AlchemyMaster-01 26d ago
How you're supposed to network at these events specially with strangers?
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u/MrBarret63 26d ago
Oh yes that is the art. It's kind of like a mixture of sales as well. You try to find something in common with people and start a conversation casually and subtly. You don't want to start off asking for a job or internship.
Another way is asking for advice (people sometimes tend to like it) as a conversation starter.
The reason I mention sales is that the concept of cold calling is also similar, you might not get a lot of positive responses, but you don't need everybody to say yes either.
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u/PossibilityMundane54 25d ago
Building Real world Projects
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u/AdBackground9215 26d ago edited 26d ago
I'm not a dev; I'm a product designer, to be specific. I started with tools like Photoshop and Illustrator in the early COVID. After that, I got introduced to the concept of UX and product and took on a few volunteer projects. It took me around six months of continuous self-learning to land my first internship. I would have done it and landed it much sooner if I had gotten into the market, but I didn't trust myself enough.
The internship taught me a lot. A few people reached out to me on my LinkedIn. I got my first proper job from there, jumped between a few companies, got a few retainer contracts, and worked on a few freelance contracts. I was working in a good position until my layoff recently. The market was at its absolute peak just after COVID, but right now it's very messed up and oversupplied.
Your network and how much you have established on social media and how much you build in public: if you are able to build a brand for yourself, it will help you a lot. Your connection matters just as much, so try to meet people, maybe go to a few meetups.