A 5-step Process to Successfully Land Your First Programming Job.

Transitioning to a new field like computer programming can be Intimidating. Indeed, landing your first job is the most difficult part. You may be wondering:

How should I find jobs? What skills do I need? What projects should I build? How to write resumes? How to prepare for interviews? What should I do if I keep getting rejected?

I want to share a 5-step process that will help you land your first programming job.

Please visit jobsdecoder.com for more helpful tips on how to find necessary skills and jobs that suit you the most.

Step 1. Find sample job listings for the position you’re targeting

• There are many roles in computer programming: Full Stack Developer, Software Engineer, IT Analyst, etc.
• Pick 4–5 positions and do some research on them to narrow down your choices.
• Read through 20–30 job listings on LinkedIn, Indeed, Glassdoor, etc.

Step 2. Identify the skills required for the position

• Read through job listings to identify the required skills
• Organize in a spreadsheet the top 5–7 most common skills for the target position
• This will help you identify what you need to learn and which projects you need to build

Step 3. Complete courses and earn certifications.

• Find 1–2 good courses covering each of the required skills and devise a study plan
• Set aside 10–15 hour every week for learning. Setting weekly/daily goals for your study plan definitely helps.
• If you can afford it, pay for the certificates. (most cost < $50)

Step 4. Create high-quality projects demonstrating all the skills you’ve learned

• You must build high-quality projects for each skill.
• Pick interesting and unique real-world project topics and datasets. (Kaggle is a great resource)
• Organize your work and share publicly on Github/Medium etc.

Step 5. Add the skills, certifications, and projects to your Resume/CV & start applying

• List your best projects with Github links highlighting the skills covered & technologies used
• For each skill, mention the relevant certification.
• For resume/CV, interviews, job search and career planning help, visit JobsDecoder.com
• Start applying for positions (helpful resources: JobsDecoder, Indeed, Linkedin, etc.)

Depending on your current experience and time you spent, it may take you anywhere from 3 months to a year to work through this process.

Try to figure out a great plan that you can stick to, and work hard for it. To stay motivated, declare your goals and write them down to remind yourself of them.

For more help with career planning and personalized trainings for specific skills, visit JobsDecoder.com. We provide various career services ranging from 1-on-1 learning, Bootcamps, Career Planning, Career Competency Finder, Resume Optimization and more!