I'm 24 and living in Eastern Europe. Most of my work experience has involved helping and dealing with people, but after years of putting everyone else's problems first, I decided to change direction and pursue programming—a field I've been interested in since childhood.
I completed an online Python development course, though I mainly used it for structure and occasional help while studying independently. Since then, I've built several small projects, including bots, an expense tracker that uses OCR to read receipts, and a more substantial Django marketplace backend.
I've been applying for jobs for almost three months. Many junior postings list technologies I can work with, but still require one to three years of professional experience. That makes me wonder how someone is supposed to become a junior developer in the first place. I'm also concerned that my lack of production experience and limited social life may hurt me in interviews.
How did you find your first programming job? Should I focus on improving my portfolio, changing my CV, applying to internships or support roles, or targeting smaller companies? I'd appreciate practical advice from people who have made a similar career change.
2 Answers
Your previous work with people is not irrelevant. Communication, patience, responsibility, and understanding a client’s problem are valuable advantages for a developer. Put those skills into concrete examples instead of simply calling them “soft skills.”
I wouldn’t recommend inventing years of employment or claiming production experience you don’t have. You can describe substantial personal projects honestly as project experience and be prepared to explain every technical choice. Tailor each application, use a concise CV, and practice explaining your projects out loud. Technical interviews are often more important than the number written beside “years of experience.”
A degree can make passing automated or recruiter screening easier in some European markets, but it is not the only route. What employers ultimately need to see is evidence that you can work in an existing codebase, collaborate, debug unfamiliar problems, and deliver reliably.
Consider contributing to an open-source project, building something with another developer, or finding a small volunteer project where you can work with requirements and feedback. Also ask for feedback when applications are rejected and keep track of which kinds of roles respond. Three months is frustrating, but it is not unusual in a difficult entry-level market.
That’s my concern too. I’d rather undersell myself than claim experience I couldn’t defend in an interview. I’m comfortable with the technologies in my projects, but I don’t yet know what maintaining a real production system is like.