I found this article on skillcrush that discusses 12 things needed to land a junior web developer job. https://skillcrush.com/2015/04/09/land-junior-web-developer-job/
I thought it was pretty interesting to see what skills the article said were needed. For programming languages the article says you really only need to know HTML, CSS, Javascript, and jQuery which I have decent knowledge in all of these languages. It said it also helps if you know how to use Photoshop and Github, and also if you know about cross browser compatibility and responsive web design. As far as these areas go, I feel pretty confident; however, the article says there are 12 more things you can do to help yourself land your first web development job.
First it says you need to create your own portfolio site. Pretty obvious. It then says that you need to fill your portfolio with projects. It also reinforces the idea that doing free work actually can pay off in a big way. I’ve done a lot of free work for clients while in school, and while this can seem a little frustrating and unfair, it actually does pay off! I’ve been able to “beef” up my portfolio site a lot because of doing free work. This brings to light also the fact that I need to update my website and include my web design projects (which is something I haven’t got around to yet but plan to do very soon). I have at least 3 websites I want to add and make a section for in my portfolio with links to each website. I am finishing up 2 of these projects currently, which is why they are not included yet.
The article then discusses importance of putting your code on Github (which I have used for my commercial web development class in which we have been making an MVC php framework). It also talks about participating in open source projects and “hackathons.” While I haven’t done either of these… I do have a stackoverflow account which has been very helpful. I mainly use it to ask questions, but have also answered questions from time to time. I like the fact that it is a community for developers and I think it really helps to learn from others and try to assist in teaching others.
The 7th point says to meet “techies irl and online.” This is important to network. It also suggests to follow industry news which I feel like is kind of a no brainer. I did like the fact that it said to apply for jobs, even if you might not think you are ready. I hate interviewing, but I find that the more interviews I do the easier it becomes and the better I get. It’s all a learning process. So even if you don’t get the job or maybe don’t do so well in the interview, you will be more prepared for next time!
Over all I thought this article was very informative, helpful, and provided some good insights.