When Should I Start Applying for Software Developer Jobs
Published: 2021-09-06 13:33:20

Immediately after learning some slightly deeper concepts. What do you we by deep concepts? Here is the thing. Taking a four-year course or attending an 8-month bootcamp is enough to prepare you for any software development job. 

1. The time you committed

Mark Zuckerberg will tell you that a good programmer must spend 1000 hours writing codes. Yes, it's true, for you to call yourself an experienced programmer in a certain language or field, then you must have spent much time learning various concepts. Let us be honest, programming is difficult, it requires more time of commitment. 

For a 6-12 month bootcamp, you need like 8 hours per day, please let it be consecutive. For a 4 year course, if you could give 5 hours per day programming and doing research, you are good to solve complex programs. But don't confuse the quality and quantity, lol.

2. Basic understanding

A full grasp of the basic concept is the core value of solving ambiguous problems. Please just follow this. If you want to solve complex problems, you must understand their roots. Therefore, if you are into web development, HTML5, CSS3, and JavaScript must be fully revised. Not just once, but frequently. Warning! You don’t need to know the whole of JavaScript, everyone experiences difficulty in this language, even senior engineers.

3. Framework

Have you learned any frameworks by this time? If you are a front-end engineer then react, vuejs or angular must be in your toolbox. I don’t mean all of them, but choose one. If you are a backend engineer in the web development field, then nodejs, PHP/Laravel, or Django must be fully grasped. Chose one, for my case I learned Django in three months.

4. Projects on a resume.

What projects have you handled? It can be a fully optimized site. Make sure you have deployed it live on Netfly or Heroku. Have in mind that Heroku hosts dynamic projects, while netfly hosts static websites. If you are working with java or python, then let your project be on your GitHub account.
 
5. Able to read other people's code

Throughout your learning journey, kindly collaborate. Or take other people's code and try to read through it, look at how they write clean codes. Look at their comments, the naming of JavaScript variables, and functions. Be keen. You will realize how people write simple codes that might take you longer to write. But don’t panic, your time will come.

6. Is your Github green?

Please! Please! Have a Github account. Then, look at open-source projects and contribute. Have some 50% knowledge of how Github works. Because when you get a job, I am sure you are going to work with a team. This is where you will be getting your feedback on where each of you has reached.
 
They will let you know if you are on the right or wrong track. Master the basics before applying for any job. Also, more interaction with GitHub, posting a few projects daily or weekly will make it green. The algorithm will show how consistent and determined you are. No company will give you a job without looking at your Github account.

7. I can do it

The last thing is to believe in what you have learned. Don’t doubt your mind, not even your ability to handle some complex problems. Kindly, don’t rush applying to the big four companies if you are fresh from a local Bootcamp. Unless you join their own Bootcamps. But if you have been on a four-year computer science degree, it's your chance to give it a try.
The big question is simple, do you understand the algorithm? That’s the full technical interview with large tech companies. 
Have hope and trust in God. It’s a matter of time and you will be a senior engineer.