Go from beginner to HIRED by building these projects! 
Tags: beginners, productivity, career
Published: 2020-06-28 21:17:16

[Project #1 (Javascript)](https://dev.to/catmcgeecode/get-your-first-dev-job-by-building-these-projects-1-guess-the-hex-code-game-4k40) | [Project #2 (Python)](https://dev.to/catmcgeecode/get-your-first-dev-job-by-building-these-projects-2-markov-chain-lyrics-generator-1kib) | [Project #3 (Javascript)](https://dev.to/catmcgeecode/get-your-first-dev-job-by-building-these-projects-3-instagram-feed-with-a-flashlight-effect-1d81)

I got my first junior dev job after two months of coding. TWO MONTHS. Yeah I don't really believe it either. My secret: follow project tutorials, and build your own thing on top of it. Seriously - it's super easy, but it will fast-track the hell out of your learning and give you an awesome Github profile in the meantime. 

I'm creating something called 2:20 Tutorials. Let me tell you this - my talent is programming, not video-making. But these videos have helped people already and I know they can help you too. 

2:20 Tutorials are entire project tutorials in 2 minute and 20 second videos. You'll have to pause and play throughout the video, unless you can type at a speed of approximately 450wpm (I did the math). But the point is - you opt IN to knowledge. You'll be given just enough information to complete the project, but if you need more, you can check out the GitHub repo (every line is commented boyos!) and I write an article for every project. So you don't have to sit through a 40 minute tutorial when you already know about 70% of the information and end up skipping through half the video. (That's not just me, right?)

These tutorials are the most useful for you if you're at that stage when you understand basics, know syntax, and have enough knowledge to laugh at programming memes. But you're stuck between that and actually being able to build projects. I know when I was starting out, people would always tell me 'if you wanna learn you gotta build your own thing' and I was like 'build WHAT? What do I build? What CAN I build? What do I even know? What is the self?'

If you follow these tutorials, you'll already have some pretty unique interesting projects to show off on your GitHub. That's right - no to-do apps and restaurant management systems. But to really benefit from them, you need to build your own thing on top of it. This could be anything - code optimization, a sexier UI, more user input, deployment... the list goes on. And if you're stuck for ideas I'll give you more in the article anyway.

This is the best way to learn, it's the best way to get your GitHub looking FYRE (not the festival, I think Fyre just sounds cooler than Fire), and it'll give you some pretty awesome projects to talk about in interviews. Now you'll actually have answers to those 'tell me about a time...' questions!

This turned into an advertising post and that's not what I want this to be. [I've just started with these videos](https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC7khnAAAID1WQ_4gQO73Gmw). But for realsies - follow a tutorial, build a project, and BUILD YOUR OWN THING ON TOP OF IT. IT WILL WORK. It's so freaking simple!

Alright. This is the end of the post. It's my first post and I don't really know how to end these things.

Peace out homies.