How to get your first junior developer job

Your first job is the hardest one to get. The good news: companies don't expect a junior to know everything; they expect you to learn and solve small problems.

1. A portfolio with 3 finished projects

Three small projects that are finished and published beat ten half-done ones. Each should have:

• A link to try it.
• A README explaining what it does, how to run it and what you learned.
• Tidy code with clear commits.

Pick projects similar to what companies build: a form with validation, an app that calls an API, a CRUD with a database.

2. Make GitHub and LinkedIn work for you

• GitHub: pin your best repositories and write a short profile.
• LinkedIn: a clear headline ("Android Developer Jr | Kotlin | Jetpack Compose"), your projects in the featured section and your certificates.

3. How to apply

• Apply even if you don't meet 100% of the requirements.
• Tailor your résumé to each posting: highlight what they ask for.
• Look for internships, trainee programs and small freelance projects too.
• Join communities: many opportunities come through referrals.

4. The technical interview

• Think out loud: your reasoning matters as much as the answer.
• If you don't know something, say so and explain how you'd find out.
• Prepare a story about a hard bug you fixed and what you learned.
• Review the fundamentals of your field, not obscure tricks.

5. Common mistakes

• Waiting to "feel ready" before applying.
• A portfolio made only of copied tutorial projects.
• Showing no teamwork at all (Git, pull requests, code review).

Next step: pick one of Codea's 13 routes

They're all free, 4 to 6 weeks long, and end with a portfolio project and a certificate for LinkedIn. If you've never coded, start with the first one.

• Programming logic from scratch (Python): the foundation before you specialize.
• Frontend Web Developer Jr: HTML, CSS, TypeScript and React.
• Backend Developer Jr: APIs with Node.js, TypeScript and PostgreSQL.
• Android Developer Jr: Kotlin and Jetpack Compose.
• iOS Developer Jr: Swift and SwiftUI.
• Database Jr: SQL and PostgreSQL.
• Data Analyst Jr: spreadsheets, SQL, Python with pandas and dashboards.
• AI Engineer Jr: integrate LLMs with prompts, RAG and Python.
• QA Engineer Jr: manual and automated testing.
• DevOps / Cloud Jr: Linux, Docker, CI/CD and deployment.
• UX/UI Jr: research, Figma and accessibility.
• Git and GitHub Jr: teamwork with branches and pull requests.
• English for developers: A1 to C1, for docs, code review and interviews.

Pick your specialty and start for free.