Ask HN: How do I get a job as a web dev?

1 points by speedylight 1y ago ↗ HN

So basically I’m a self taught webdev and a CS student and I want to get an entry level job in the industry. I made a website for myself to showcase some of the work I’ve done but the problem is that most of the web apps/sites I’ve built weren’t meant to be shown off, they were tools I made to help me do things but I still learned quite a lot from those experiences.

Backend development is my element, but I’ve gotten really comfortable with front end work lately, particularly when I am using Tailwind and Sveltejs… I find that I don’t even need to use component libraries for most things because I’m good enough to design from scratch—even though that may not the most efficient solution. I still struggle here and there but nothing a quick session of Googling can’t fix.

Backend wise I’ve worked with Flask, Django, SvelteKit, and Laravel.

I will admit that my knowledge is very spread out, there isn’t any one web technology that I understand on an intuitive level but I definitely have a solid grasp of the basics.

To be honest any kind of job I can land in the tech industry will be life changing, I’ve been stuck working in retail for way longer than I should’ve been and if I can get a job in tech that pays something $20/hr as a starting point, I’ll be content with that knowing I’m advancing my career I just don’t really know where to begin.

If you were in my shoes and lived in the western United States, what would you do?

3 comments

[ 3.3 ms ] story [ 16.1 ms ] thread

_pktm_ 1y ago ↗

Thanks for posting this. A few thoughts come to mind.

1. What have you tried so far to find such a job?

2. Do you have a degree? I don’t personally believe they should be required but many employers hold a different view.

3. Are you open to a startup or do you prefer something more corporate?

speedylight 1y ago ↗

Hey, thanks for the reply. To answer your questions…

1. I haven’t applied to any just yet, I wanted to get my website up and running and clean up my GitHub and build a couple of projects specifically meant for a recruiter to look at — I figure that’ll give me the best chance, I also made a LeetCode account a couple of days and I’ve been working on problems since I’ve heard that tends to help. 2. I don’t have a degree but I am working towards a CS degree, though I am far away from graduation. 3. Knowing myself I would probably thrive in a start up environment but I definitely wouldn’t mind working at an established corp either. As long as it pays the bills and helps me move my career forward then I’m ok with it.

gregjor 1y ago ↗

Job market in the US very tough right now, especially for entry-level and junior people. You may know about the waves of large layoffs. To make matters worse companies increasingly use LLMs and no-code & low-code tools, eliminating jobs.

Recruiters won’t look at your web site, portfolio, GitHub repos, or leetcode scores unless they already have a strong interest in you. Much better to look for work through professional and personal contacts.

I have some free articles about job hunting and freelancing on my site typicalprogrammer.com. No ads, popups, or other nonsense.