It is no secret that the tech industry currently sucks in terms of hiring. However, I'll help you find more meaning in your career as a Dev.
Everything began small, including tech jobs. If you are like me, you love being a Dev for either the passion of creating your own programs/software or you love it for the science; or maybe you are a Games Dev and making games to you is like an art, then we can all agree that we love what we do regardless if whether there is a salary or not.
The Larger Picture
Being a Dev is a personal choice that does not rely on anyone but yourself to be one. No matter how others try to put you down and demoralize you, you are still the one in charge of yourself.
Most job vacancies today have unrealistic expectations and it's not your fault that the market is currently this way. The real questions you need to ask yourself are the following:
- Can I create my own scalable website.
- Can I create my own micro-services.
- Can I create my own game.
- Can I contribute to open-source.
- Can I learn new technologies and techniques on my own.
If you answered yes to even one of the above questions, then congratulations, you are indeed a Dev regardless what others think about you or whatever their BS criteria are.
I'm not being reductive but in reality, most of the skills or expectations on the job market are currently either unrealistic or simply speaking, the job it's self is fake which is a phenomenon we have witnessed in recent years.
Why Open-Source Contribution Matters
Your Github profile is not only a page where people can see your commits, but it's also a prove of your passion/dedication to the community. While you may not get paid for developing an Open-Source solution, the skills and techniques you learn along the way alongside learning how to collaborate with others do!
You don't need to have every PR merged but if you manage to make a commit every week for the betterment of the community, you have done great service!
Do Leetcode Anyways
I hate the view of Leetcode as just a job prep tool but rather a place where you learn new skills and sharpen yourself with problem-solving techniques.
You don't need to be looking for a job to try solve Leetcode. I do Leetcode everyday just like exercise or for fun. That helped me tremendously become not just a better programmer but also a better problems solver.
Learn Online Marketing
I can't emphasize this enough. Learning how to market yourself and creating a personal brand, opens many new windows.
I have worked with many small businesses before, created for them websites, apps, applications, etc...; and I lived and survived!
Sometimes, when you shift your focus to your community and those around you, you'll actually notice that programming is not something that only you do at big tech but something you can do to benefit anyone! Yes, literally anyone!
Quite often friends asked me to develop websites for them and they even paid for it even when I rejected to get paid! This shows, how wonderful and valuable your skills are in reality or in the real world.
Yourself worth is determined by you and you only!
I hope that this post makes you feel better and gives you more hope and positivity!
Build Relations
One of the most powerful marketing tools, is to build relations. When you talk to people, you never know if they are going to refer you to someone who might need your help with their website or even hobby project.
More often than not, I got a project simply by chatting with strangers in friendly settings and getting to know them better.
Discover Happiness and Strength Within You
Your happiness should never stop at a job interview for someone who hate their job or for those who view you as nothing more than a number!
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