Let’s be real — the dev job market right now?
It’s tough, noisy, and crowded.
Everywhere you look, someone’s posting about getting ghosted after 200 applications. Recruiters are asking for “5 years of experience in a tool that launched 18 months ago.” And if you’re a junior or self-taught dev, the silence can feel personal. 😓
I’ve been there. Still am, sometimes.
So instead of blindly applying or endlessly grinding through new tutorials, I decided to get intentional — not just about my skills, but about how I position myself.
Here’s what that means for me. 👇
🧠 I’m Not Selling Code — I’m Selling Outcomes
Yes, I can write clean JavaScript.
Yes, I can build APIs with Express.
Yes, I know how to deploy to Vercel or Render.
But hiring managers don’t care about that on its own.
They care about:
“Can this person help us build faster, cleaner, more usable features?”
So instead of just saying “I know HTML/CSS/React,” I frame my work like this:
“I help early-stage teams go from idea to working MVP without chaos.”
Even in a portfolio project, I explain:
- What problem I was solving
- Who the user is
- Why the features exist
Not just “I built a to-do list.”
📸 I’m Building In Public (Even the Cringy Stuff)
Every project I work on — I share something about it:
- A blog post
- A quick X thread
- A before/after screenshot
- A “here’s what I learned the hard way” lesson
Why? Because in 2025, visibility matters.
If no one knows what you’re building, it’s like shouting into a void. 🕳️
Also, building in public has helped me:
- Get better feedback
- Connect with other devs
- Get small gigs I didn’t even apply for
🧰 I’m Leaning Into My Strengths — Not Faking a “Full Stack” Persona
I used to list every tool I ever touched on my resume.
MongoDB? Used it once in a tutorial.
Next.js? Tried it for 3 days.
Now? I focus on what I actually enjoy and can speak confidently about. For me, that’s:
- Frontend UI/UX
- Connecting APIs
- Fast prototyping
- Clear async communication
Instead of chasing the newest framework, I’m getting deeper in the stack I like.
Because no one hires you just because you “know a lot of tools.”
They hire you because they trust you to get something done.
🗣️ I’m Practicing Communication as Much as Code
The best devs I’ve met? They explain things well.
In comments, in code, in meetings, in pull requests.
So I’m:
- Writing blog posts (like this one 😉)
- Asking better questions in discussions
- Practicing writing docs for my projects
- Trying to be clear even in commit messages
You can be the smartest dev in the room — but if no one understands you, it doesn’t matter.
Clear is kind. Clear is hireable. ✍️
🧩 I’m Not Just “Looking for a Job” — I’m Solving Problems
This one’s subtle, but huge.
Instead of “I’m looking for a frontend dev job,” I now say:
“I’m looking for teams who need help turning rough ideas into clean, working UI — fast.”
It’s not just semantics. It shifts the focus:
- From me → to them
- From my goals → to their pain points
- From vague “opportunity” → to specific value
💬 Final Thought: You’re More Than Your Resume
In a saturated market, being good isn’t enough.
You have to be intentional.
- Know what you bring.
- Say it clearly.
- Show it often.
The job will come.
And even if it doesn’t right away, you’ll be building a foundation that lasts longer than any one role.
🙋♂️ Enjoyed this post? I write about real dev life, not just the shiny parts.
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Top comments (2)
This really is a well written article Daniel, Learnt something from it.
One thing I have learnt in my journey as a developer is that explaining the problem you are solving is so crucial, even if you are building a small project. Why was this project built?, what problem does it solve?.
It's one of the reasons I am beginning to look into writing case studies for my projects. People want to see your thinking process, not just that you built a project, anyone can do that. Took me a while to understand this
Glad you found value in it.
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