Subject: The nightmare scenario for new web devs
Most of us are here for one thing: a more fulfilling career and the better life that will bring.
You spend the money. You learn the tech. You know HTML, CSS, and Javascript. You can work on the back-end and the front-end. But you still can’t get a job. You may think this doesn’t actually happen, but unfortunately, it’s a common experience for freshly minted devs.
A developer friend of mine, Devon, was surfing the CSCareerQuestions subreddit and stumbled upon a thread about how many applications people have submitted. Here’s what he found:
Oof. That’s pretty rough. Surely it’s not all that bad, though. He also shared this success story:
Surely this isn’t typical, right?
According to this comment at least, it’s not unusual. This is not looking good. Maybe it at least pays well?
Low 40s? I’m not sure about you, but that doesn’t sound to me like anything even approaching a starting developer salary. This commenter says what we’re all thinking:
Not everyone’s experience is like this, but getting into the industry through the front door (that is, by submitting applications) is very much a numbers game, and most people have trouble handling so much rejection – or, more commonly, hearing nothing back at all.
Devon had the same issue when he was getting started. He learned his stuff and started applying but hit a brick wall. Even junior-level positions wanted 3-5 years experience. He couldn’t get the experience without a job and couldn’t get the job without the experience. A vicious cycle.
Mostly by accident, he found an alternative to this crushing cycle of hope followed by rejection. He didn’t play the numbers game, and he didn’t have to wait for someone to take a chance on him.
Just (today/this week/next week) he launched a course to share what he learned about getting started as a web developer. If your ultimate goal is a career as a web developer and you don’t like the idea of shotgunning applications for the privilege of someday getting hired for QA, you should check out his How to Start Earning Money as an Independent Web Developer video course. It’s a great alternative to waiting to get picked.