When I started learning to program I never thought that getting my first job can be as tricky as it really is, I thought that there is so much demand for good software developers that getting a job with a good paycheck will be a piece of cake but unfortunately that is not the truth.

Despite the fact, that there is still a huge demand for good software developers, getting your first job when you don't have any professional experience can be time-consuming and overwhelming.

So here are the 5 steps that I followed to get my first job as a software developer:

1. Build good connections:

   This point is at the first position because of a reason, we are in 2023 right now and building connections with some great-minded folks should not be as difficult as it was 5-7 years ago, all thanks to LinkedIn, Twitter, Facebook, and some other social networking platforms. You can network with other software developers and ask them for referrals, they can write you a recommendation and even mentor you (you never know who is willing to help you until you ask). When I started looking for my first job I made some very good connections with other developers some of them wrote me a recommendation, others referred me to their company and some of them even helped me review my portfolio.

2. Build projects and share them:

   I cannot stress this point enough but add some good projects to your portfolio if you don't have any professional experience, building projects will help you improve your technical skills and by sharing them on Github or on other social networking platforms you can grab the attention of your potential employer.

   Apart from this, if you don't have professional working experience it's very difficult for employers to trust that you will be able to do the job, by building projects you can show them that you have the right technical skills to get the job done.

3. Work on your portfolio:

   Your portfolio is the first thing that employers will see, and no matter how good your technical skills are you will not a get call back from them until your resume is good and describes you.

   When I say a good resume, I don't mean that you have to spend hours deciding the theme and color for the resume but instead, a good resume should:

   • be short and concise

   • highlight your achievements

   • highlight the projects that you have worked on

   • have your contact information

   • be simple

     Tip💡: 1 -2 page resumes always does the job, never create a resume with more than 2 pages

4. Contribute to open source:

   TBH, when I started I didn't know about this step and I still regret it because this could have made the entire process a lot easier. Contributing to open source can help you stand out from others, and help you land that job. You can also use it to network with other developers while adding some amazing projects to your portfolio.

   Therefore, contributing to open source is a must-do, if you are looking for your first job as a software developer in 2023 and beyond.

5. Write blogs/articles:

   OK, so this one can sound a little off the subject but it can be a crucial step when looking for your first job, by writing blogs about what you have learned, what problems you have solved, and how you solved them you will not only help you stand out from the other candidates who are looking for the same position but it will also help you document what you have learned. When you write about a topic you dive a lot deeper into it which can help you improve your technical skills.

Alright, so these are the 5 points that can help you land your first job as a software developer. If you have some other points that you would like to add, definitely add them in the comments, would love to see more points coming in.

If you have followed along till here, consider following me for more blogs, and share it with your friends if you think it will help them. You can also connect with me on Twitter where I share more tips and tricks for software developers.