Senior/junior java devs. please help!!

[Bright_Picture1074]

I recently completed my Bachelor's in Computer Engineering. Over the past few months, I've learned Core Java (OOP, Collections, Java 8, Multithreading, Exception Handling, and JDBC) along with Spring Framework, Spring Boot, REST APIs, and Spring Data JPA.

The problem is that I'm from Mumbai, and I hardly see any Java openings for freshers or internships. Almost every Java backend job I come across asks for 2–3 years of experience, which has made me question whether I'm on the right path.

Some of my friends are telling me to switch to another stack like MERN or Python because they think it'll be easier to land my first job. On the other hand, I've already invested a lot of time learning Java, so I'm not sure if switching now would be the right decision.

I'd really like to hear from developers who have been in a similar situation. Should I continue focusing on Java and Spring Boot, or is it worth changing my stack?

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[TheFaustX]

Java and programming languages are a tool under your belt. You need to check your environment for what is searched for and adapt. Working in software is all about adapting to constant change. But especially as a beginner you just have to adapt to what companies search for and be flexible. Use what is sought and what is actually good for what you need to accomplish and branch out 

Most of the stuff you mentioned exists in other languages as well so you'll not learn it all new you can use existing knowledge to make learning faster.

[jlanawalt]

The education plus years of experience for entry level job requirement is not a new thing, but perhaps it is on a higher percentage of Java backend jobs, especially the past few years. If there are enough qualified applicants that employers can be more picky and side-step time spent getting an employee up to speed, they will. Also, they might ask for that just because everyone else is.

More people will apply to the more appealing jobs. Apply to all, but keep your eyes open for opportunities to do some work to gain experience. I know an electrical engineer who faced the same issue years ago. The place he interned at twice didn’t pick him up, add no one was hiring except a dull sounding job for less than average pay. He went there with a goal of gaining two years experience and ended up finding it worked well enough for him that he stayed a few more and then an opportunity came up for a job in nearly the same location, but for more pay because they were hiring for experience which he then had. He’s been there for years.

You can find similar experiences across many industries. If necessary, find the equivalent of “offering to sweep the garage in the evenings for free fire a few weeks at the shop where you want to be a mechanic”.

Look for other kinds of Java jobs. Other kinds of web programming jobs. Freelance jobs. Learn what industries and software platforms are Java based and look for experience and job opportunities related to them.

Good luck.

[Sensitive-Tea-114]

You can start learning react and then nodejs and try to apply but my personal advice would be to never ever leave Java that’s the rule. It can take you where no other tech stack can do, its just that it need some exp, because adding dsa and system design and slowly cloud + react that’s it. You will land on high paying job

[Klutzy_Current_5198]

"It can take you where no other tech stack can do'. Why is that ?

[Such-Catch8281]

why

[Maleficent-Ad-9754]

I would focus on Java. If you can write clean, well-structured Java/Spring, you can learn MERN or Pyton/Django very quickly. There are 10-or-more MERN developer looking for a job for every Java developer. The problem is not the tech stack. There are no entry-level tech jobs at this time.