Next

To all students who have completed the course successfully and received their MTA, congrats once more. The next steps to start a path in web application development is a good looking Portfolio. Here are some of the pieces you will need to make that happen:

Hosting

There are many hosting providers, but I personally really recommend to get started with a small free project, such as a blog or a basic portfolio showcase. One of the best free resources that I have talked about in length is GitHub pages.

Some additional free hosters I came across are:

Domain Names

As some students have already purchased a domain name, I would like to give a list of my personal Domain name providers:

But there are plenty more to explore so don’t feel restricted by this list.

Additional Education

One of the most important things for web developers is to stay up to date with current technology. Expanding your tech stack and growing your expertise should be just as important as having and maintaining a nice portfolio.

Check out this post with all the additional resources.

Besides that I always recommend watching plenty of youtube videos or borrowing some books to get deeper into relevant topics.

Applying for a Job

The most interesting part for most students is probably this section. How to go about appying for a frontend job in the current market.

These are some of the sites that I have been using that have a lot of good resources:

I recommend to visit all of these and create a profile with an up to date resume. Also when looking for particular jobs it is always a good idea to have a nice cover letter on hand. Store these on your cell phone so you can send them out on the fly.

IN ADDITION:

Update your LinkedIN and tag people that you know and are relevant to your field (other developers perhaps). Also have people endorse your skills if they know you and take challenges and get badges if possible.

Some great pages to show of skills are:

Dealing with recruiters

Once you have a profile on these sites, it will be likely that you are contacted by industry recruiters. They usually want another copy of that resume and maybe a confirmation that they can represent you. Just email back and often times you will get a phone call from these recruiters.

The main thing to keep in mind when it comes to dealing with recruiters is to stay on top of it. That means to be organized and to follow up, don’t be confused when several recruiters make contact with you for the same job and always remind yourself that this is just a step towards talking to someone who actually offers to job.

Getting prepared for interviews

These are some reminders for interviews:

  • always try doing some research on employers page prior to the interview
  • checking out the tech stack
  • familiarize yourself with the developing process, KEYWORDS => (agile, dev ops…job positions)
  • try to stay up to date with development news in the tech world (trends such as AI machine learning and related tech)
  • always ask important questions to show interest in the position (team size, dev process etc.)

And always remember to be prepared for questions like the famous “ Where do you see yourself in five years from now?”

The last hurdle… the On Site Interview

The last step of the hiring process is generally the famous “On Site Interview”, where you get to meet part of the team.

Always be on your A game for on sites:

  • bring resume and laptop
  • dress nice but be comfortable
  • make sure to be about 10 to 15 minutes early, calculating in traffic and parking