That is the end of 2018 and I’m struggling to understand Java. I’m trying very hard to learn it. But I cannot learn it properly. Maybe it is due to my way of learning it or maybe due to a lack of mentorship. Somehow I managed to understand the core concepts of java and I’m now able to write some simple programs without using StackOverflow or docs.
After that, I started hitting Bangalore roads in the hope to find a better job. But that didn’t go well. It is the hardest part of the entire process. I roamed for up to 7 months in the hope to find a job related to java. Then I realized that java isn’t my thing. At the same time I saw this post “Top 10 programming languages in 2019” there I found that java is not even there in the top 5. Maybe that youtube creator underestimating the power of java. Or maybe he hates java just like me.
Then I found that javascript has some cool features and it has the ability to run the whole company. Just think that we can run the whole company using a single language from the server to the client. Isn’t it cool? Then I asked myself why I’m learning java if there are better alternatives in the market. I’m not saying that java is dying or java is a shitty language. Most of the MNC’s in India are using java and they are not going throw it at least in the near future.
The trend is going towards javascript and python. Whereas python also has some cool features and I guess this isn’t the right time to discuss it. I’ve some experience building websites from my college days. That means I’m somewhat aware of HTML and CSS. To become a front-end developer I just need to learn javascript. If I learn javascript I can manage the server also. Then I can become a full-stack developer from there quite easily. This is my plan.
OK, now I have a plan. What next?
Monsoon rains are just hitting the warm, vast lands of India. I started learning javascript. Javascript is a dynamic or no type language and it is heavily inspired by java. So, in just 10 days I’m able to write programs in javascript. The most amazing thing about javascript is you don’t need to have some special packages or IDE’s to write code. You can just write code in a notepad and you can run it in chrome which nowadays everyone has.
Debugging also quite easy as we can write console log’s anywhere we want. Coming from java which needs huge setup and debugging takes hell lot of time these two things just changed my mindset. Then one day I watched the JSConf video of “How browser engines handle events and async operations?” By watching that one video I pretty came to know about how a browser works and how javascript is interpreted.
Now I know javascript (NOT COMPLETELY). So, what next?
I started attending interviews for a front-end developer. By attending a couple of interviews I learned that companies are not looking for just HTML, CSS and javascript skills. They are looking for a framework developer.
The available javascript frameworks in the market are JQuery, React.js, Angular.js, Vue.js. Note that in India most of the small companies are using PHP for their front-end. At some time even I started learning PHP because Naukri is full of PHP jobs. But for good, I stopped learning it.
Angular and JQuery are the oldest frameworks and React is most popular in all of them. We can say that React and Angular are in neck to neck in some countries. But in India especially in Bangalore people are into React. There is a huge community and meetups are held almost every weekend.
So, now I’ve to choose between Angular and React. As you know I chose React over Angular and I started learning. It’s very hard at the beginning. It’s like learning a whole new language whereas we are writing the same javascript. Somehow I managed to learn it. I did some projects at the same time in javascript.
So, now what? HIT THE ROAD.
I started attending interviews for front-end React developer. But there’s a problem. Companies using React are looking for developers who have at least more than 2 years of experience which I don’t have. So I decided that I’ve to make connections. But I don’t know anyone in Bangalore who are working in the same field. Then how can I make connections without knowing anyone? The answer is…
MEETUP’S
You know every weekend in Bangalore there is a React meetup. And the response for that meetup is quite high. I started attending meetups and following people on social media who gave talks there. One fine day the admin of that React meetup group tweeted asking companies if they are looking for freshers.
From that one tweet, I got three call letters for interview. I attended two and I got selected in two. But the package they are offering is very low for my skills. Can’t blame the companies because they are startups and they don’t have many funds. But the interview experience I got from those two companies is invaluable.
One company even made me create a whole twitter app. Surprisingly I’ve done that and I learned a lot doing that. I’ve uploaded that app to Heroku and added it to my resume. The more the projects in your resume the more you’re going to impress the interviewer.
Now I’m confident and skillful. I can answer any javascript and React question the interviewer throws. When you become confident you know that you’re definitely going to get a job but it’s just a matter of time. I again started attending interviews and from there I landed into Alopa.
It’s not an easy road. There are lots of setbacks, lots of late nights, lots of hard work, lots of pressure, lots of rejections, lots of traveling and also lots of lines of code. And for what I’ve achieved deserves what I’ve done.
For me, there is no mentor, no coaching classes, no textbooks, no notebooks, no mates. It’s just me and the internet.
Newton and Tesla were right. BE ALONE!