Photo by Marco Gatttello

How to land a job as a Developer with no experience? How to gain experience in coding? Do I need a degree to be a Developer? If all those are questions that you ask yourself every day, then you're in the right place. Starting a new career as a Developer is hard, but not impossible.

Know your industry

Developers are required more and more because the world needs people that know how to code. According to the World Economic Forum, the first skill that the world needs is Complex Problem Solving. The main task of a developer is to solve problems.

In 2020 we saw an increase of +24% of new Developer professionals hired, only in the USA. In the UK there is a 45% increase in demand for Full Stack Developers, Cloud Engineers and Web Developers, according to EDC.

Just to give more perspective in 2020 the number of developers reached 24.5M, but the world needs them more than ever. According to Statista, the number of Worldwide Developers will reach 28.7m in 2024.

Having said that, let's see how to become a developer in 2021!

Degree or no degree, that's the question!

First of all, you do not need a Degree to be a Developer. Although it may help you during the process, having a degree is not compulsory to be a Developer. Companies are looking for people that know how to fix problems and code.

This doesn't mean that you shouldn't consider studying for a Degree. Universities are a good place to learn and give you the fundamentals needed to start your career. In Europe, having a Degree is almost be a must, on the contrary in the USA and the UK is not the case but that's for another topic. As you see situations could change from place to place.

Where to learn?

If you don't want to start a University course and prefer a more practical approach, there are lots of other options for you. When I first started to learn to code, I had to decide between paying £15,000 for a 6 months course or going Self-thought.

In the end, I decided to start FreeCodeCamp, a free online Bootcamp that had the same units and topics but without any mentoring or live support. By the time I was working full-time and studying during my spare time. I was so keen to finish in 8 months and to learn that I was always finding myself awake until night.

If you're not familiar with the concept of Bootcamps, basically is a course that you could do for free or by paying. Most of them are online and give you a lot of flexibility especially if you're working full time in another job. At the end of the course, you'll receive a certification that proves your commitment.

FreeCodeCamp is one of the many FREE Bootcamps out there, but I will strongly recommend it because it helps you create your first projects and build your experience while you're studying. Did I say that it's FREE?

How to meet the requirements?

When you first apply for a Junior position, you see lots of skills required and almost seems impossible to learn all of them at once especially if you just started or looking to start your career. Well, don't fall into the trap of not being worthy. Companies always look for people with high standards, that doesn't mean that you shouldn't apply for the job.

As Junior Developer, the first thing you have to prove is that you love what you're doing, that you have problem-solving skills and that you are willing to learn new things. Presenting yourself as a dynamic professional to learn quickly and to adapt under circumstances is the main reason why people might prefer your profile to others.

Choose your Branch

Being a developer could have a different meaning. As in all professions, there are different branches of development. Know which one is the perfect fit for you, it will give you a huge advantage in your career decision.

If You like building UI and delivering amazing UX, then being a Front End Developer could be the perfect fit for you. Or maybe you like to work on more technical problems; then go for Back End. Love both? Full Stack Developer. Do you like the idea of building Cloud Applications? Cloud Developer.

This is just the tip of the iceberg of what types of developers exist. Other examples are Security Developer, Mobile Developer, Game Developer, Data Developer etc...

And What to do if you don't know which path to take? Well, in that case, try to start as a Full Stack Developer, in this way you'll be involved in almost all the processes. Also don't forget that you could get some Career Advice from your University or if you're not a student, directly on the market.

How to Build your experience

Alright, now you just want to apply but you see that all the Junior Positions require at least 1-year experience. This is a catch 22 that will never disappear. How can I gain experience if I need the experience to start my career?

To solve this paradox, you have to differentiate the professional experience from personal experience. What's the common word used there? Exactly!

Starting your projects is a good start to gain experience, including research you've done or even better, code that you wrote to solve a problem. Collaborating on Open Source projects is one of the things that will help you improve your knowledge and experience.

If you want to be a Developer, you better start thinking like one. Reading is one of the habits you should have. Start to read technical books or articles that are related to the topics of the industries you want to work for. Remember though, reading will help you, but won't be enough.

Now that you have gained some expertise, it's time to show off.

Build your Portfolio

Having a portfolio is something that will let you stand out from the other candidates and is your proof of experience. You don't have to build the next Facebook or Linkedin, you just need to demonstrate that you know how to code. Also, you don't have to pay to host your portfolio, there are lots of free services you could use: Github Pages for example allows you to host your website for free.

Create your Github account. In general, Github is the platform to use for hosting your projects, allowing people to see your work. There are lots of other platforms you could use such as Bitbucket for examples, but Github is the most used overall.

Ask your network

Ask your network if you could be a valid candidate and ask for directions. Find the right person to speak with and try to see if they can explain to you the type of candidate and skills they're looking for.

When CTOs build a team, they try to hire people within their network. That's why it’s important to ask to be referred by someone that works for the company you like.

Let people know that you're approachable and easy to work with and demonstrate a genuine interest. No one wants to work with some grumpy guy that is faking interests just to land a job.

Write the perfect CV

It took me a while to perfect my CV because I learnt thanks to my mistakes. Writing a good CV needs the same amount of attention and efforts that applying for a job requires.

Don't write things just for the sake of filling your blank page. Try to keep it simple and don't write something that even you won't bother reading.

Keep it interesting. Write about skills that you learn along the way, even at school but that is related to the job. The job description is helpful here. Use the same words that the Company or the Recruiters used in the ad.

Keep it short and crisps. Remember that someone will read your CV and if it’s too long, they won't even bother reading it. A single page will be more than enough if you have just started. To achieve that you can use bullet points.

Keep it simple. Don't use too many technical words unless are needed to describe a project you've worked on.

Use your space wisely. Every single inch of CV must be used with a reason. If you don't know why to put that information, then don't do it!

Your CV must be Typos-proof. Ask someone to read your cv. Another pair of eyes will help you find mistakes and typos easily. Especially if, like me, English is not your first language.

Those are just some of the tips that you might find out there. Also, don't forget to ask for help. There are professionals that could help you write your CV. I decided to learn to do it myself and took more time than just asking someone to do it for me.

Ask for feedback

Asking for feedback is always a good sign because it means that you care about growing. I wouldn't suggest using emails because the likelihood that you will receive a response is very low.

Use the follow-up call or try a message on Linkedin. After 1 week, call the company to ask about the status of your application. At this moment if you haven't succeeded, ask politely why and in which areas you should work. Most of the time they will answer.

Unfortunately, you have not been selected!

Start to get familiar with this sentence, because it will torment you for a while. Accept failure as part of the game and don't feel a victim of the process. Companies receive lots of applications every day and the competition is very high. That doesn't mean you should give up. Keep going and don't stop.

When I landed my first job as a Developer, I applied for +400 jobs a week, sent +100 emails a day, did ~3 interviews a week. After 4 months I received my first offer. Determination and being relentless will pay off in the long run.

Enjoy the process!

That's right, starting your career is hard but that doesn't mean you shouldn't try to have fun. I know that applying for thousands of jobs is not fun at all but knowing new people and learning new things should be. Having a positive attitude will help you to stay focused and consistent with your search. Always keep in mind that your moment will arrive. Good luck!

Want to learn a new language? Read my previous article Top 5 Programming Languages to learn in 2021.