Job posts are intimidating

So I am just starting here in FCC, I want to go further but I looked for job posts for front end developer in my country, they are so intimidating.You need to know a lot of things, not just html,css and javascript, but also angular/react, then other things too.Will I ever make it to know all these things?I really wonder,and I am already 32.They also usually ask for CS degree, and I don’t have.What should I do?

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you can learn those things if you follow the freecodecamp curriculum! (well, we don’t have angular, but there is react)
also, when you will start looking for jobs, remember to look at the requirements as a wish list! if you match a few of the things you can apply - you don’t need to have everything listed there (sometimes they even ask for more experience then possible for new technologies!)

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From what I’ve read here in the forum, you can still get a job even if you don’t know a lot of things. What is important is to apply what you’ve learnt and start some projects to prove that you have the necessary skills or at least, the mindset to learn new things.

Will I ever make it to know all these things?

It’s always possible to know all of those as long as you’re continuously learning things. Most of us, including myself, tend to doubt ourselves even before we do the work. It’s going to be difficult and the road might be long, but that doesn’t matter much if it is doable.

not just html,css and javascript, but also angular/react

If you took the time to learn html, css, and javascript, learning any framework, whether it is React, Vue, Angular, etc, will be easier.

For the other tools/technology, that can naturally come when you’re building your own projects.

I’m not sure if that helps, but that’s how I currently see things.

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I sent this to someone in a Twitter DM just today because they had the exact same concern as you:

At one meet up, a friend of mine gave a lightning talk about how he got his first job and he brought in the job ad he replied to. He highlighted all the skills he was missing when he applied, and it was 80% of the advert! But they took him on and got him writing HTML email templates for a while. Now he’s a React dev at an agency.

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Hi Elineea,

I came across your question and would like to share my experience. 6-7 years ago you could’ve find a job with only html, css and js (well count jquery, too), but now it’s not possible. I can guarantee that even if you find such position you won’t be happy at it.

You need to know at least one framework (Angular, Vue, React + stuff etc). Don’t be intimidated though. You will get use to it and you will also learn a lot of application development principles along with learning a framework.

Here is a very specific suggestion. Try creating an app, such one that you are familiar with, i.e. you know how it should work. Implement a simple form of it using several different frameworks. This will give you huge perspective and you will understand that underlying principles.

Good luck :slight_smile:

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Elineea, I really believe that if you can do your own functionins apps and websites as you learn, you have what it takes. What about emigrating to some other country which has a shortage of devs, like Germany. Is that a possibility for you?

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Hi,

I was reading this article today. Hope you will find out it useful: https://medium.com/@samanthaming/how-i-got-my-first-developer-job-without-a-cs-degree-962e885eba25

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To be considered for modern web development jobs, you do need at least some familiarity with React, Angular, or Vue. The good news is, they’re all fairly easy to learn the basics of (Angular is the gnarliest, React the easiest).

Don’t worry too much about meeting every requirement: the other good news is recruiters always overshoot, and anyone who covers 100% of the job requirements is overqualified for the job.

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Here in the U.S. it’s difficult, if not impossible, to break into IT after 30. I’m 45 and despite completing an A.S. in Computer Science in 2017 (I also have a B.S. in a non-tech field), having run a database-driven hobby website for ten years, created and posted several school projects, and earned my Responsive Web Design cert here at fCC, I’m still looking for a job two years later.

If you have any connections at all in any tech field, make good use of them. Let them know you’re looking for a position, ask them what technologies are currently in demand, or even how they found their own position. Networking is vital, maybe even more vital than skills.

I don’t intend to discourage you. I’m just sharing my experience. I’ve encountered so many bubbly, enthusiastic people, both in person (recruiters) and via the web. But many of them are either very young or just don’t understand the pervasive age-discrimination in the industry. Be realistic. Have a back-up plan, a time-table, and something else to put a roof over your head in the meantime.

Good luck. It’s tough out there.

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Hi,
Please take in consideration that some job postings say something like “Jr. Developer” or “Web Developer” and they ask for 3+ years of experience, a ton of languages, frameworks, Photoshop, Illustrator etc… I wouldn’t consider that a Jr. or Web Developer position, read job postings carefully before applying.
Also, there are many companies who need remote developers if in your country you can’t find what you are you looking.

I agree completely, looking for jobs can be intimidating even as a college graduate. Hone your skills and then let fate decide if you get a job. All you can do is try, and if you don’t then you will never succeed. Best of luck!

To give my personal experience as an example, I was also 32 when I started learning with freecodecamp. I don’t have a CS degree either but I found a remote job 2 years later. Knowing React or Angular (or Vue) is necessary for a front end these days, choose one of the 2 and apply to React jobs or Angular jobs, not both. Just know that the road is probably longer than what you might have expected. The stories that says they got a job in 6 months are rare, either the person was a genius, studied full-time or he/she got lucky and got accepted as a trainee. Getting hired when you know only a bit of html, css and js might also not be the best idea, since you will still have a lot to learn and less time to study, plus it will be even scarier to see real world app. Studying between 1 and 2 years, 2-4hours a day is a more reasonable timeframe. In the end if you like what you are doing it’s worth it. That being said, it’s true the job offers are overshooting, if it’s a react front-end job and you know react, I’d say apply anyway.

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I’ve been studying on my own for a few months.

I’ve changed my view on learning to code.

Learning a language’s syntax enough to stumble through creating an app with a framework is not enough for me.

Everyone is rushing to learn a language to learn the hottest framework. I’ve found a resource that emphasizes mastering the fundamentals- the things that never change- so that picking up the languages and frameworks is easy. They offer quite a lot of free material though they are primarily a paid subscription. Google “Launch School” and just read what they’re about before you try some of their free online “books” and free courses.

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