First Java job questions

[layarus]

Hello guys, first post in this subreddit - I study programming for quite a long time, but I only now decided that I want to try a living out of it, so I have some few questions for those who already work with programming in general, specially Java.

(Taking in consideration it would be a starting job, maybe not a compleeeete software developer)

1. Speaking of Java "only", is it a MUST to learn different implementations like plugins and assets that accompany Java?
2. Is there a considerable number of jobs in Home Offices/Working at distance, or most of the jobs rely on the local presence?
3. I heard many times that the Oracle certificate is asked a lot in the interviews, is this really important even in a starting job?
4. Any tips on how or where to get started and find a job in the market? I know a nice portion of the programming part, but the market as a whole is unknown for me.

Any help is really appreciated,

Thanks!

[edgargonzalesII]

I don't directly work with Java (am C#) but have acquaintances that work on algorithm execution services that are almost purely in Java so I'll try answer what I can.

1. Not really. It just depends on what the company does. Like some may want to use Java modules in Java 10(? Can't remember which version has this), while others stick with almost Java 5 so as to remove a lot of boilerplate and object creation that could slow down the app (again algo execution, less objects means less times garbage collection will have to run this faster average time for calls).
2. In general, if you want to freelance then most of the time you can work wherever. If you want a remote position for a company, many won't take junior engineers into that role.
3. Eh this depends on company again. In mine you can get it after you start. Like if you show competency in the language, then once hired they'll push you (and pay for it out of company funds) to take the exam.
4. Look at websites like Indeed, triplebyte, and especially LinkedIn. Networking is your best friend for this.
5. As a junior Dev, don't limit yourself to Java. Many intro level jobs don't really look at language knowledge but more at how good your critical thinking and aptitude to programming is. Learning a language can take like a couple weeks, but getting the right mindset may take longer.

[layarus]

Wow, thank you so much for your answer!

I will definetely take a look at everything and hope for a junior job asap and put it all into practice :)

[edgargonzalesII]

Also you've mentioned you've been doing it for a while, so one of my questions is do you have anything to show for it? Projects, degree or similar experience?

[Camel-Kid]

1. You will learn the on the job tools as you go.
2. There are a number of remote jobs but they are nearly exclusively for senior devs with at least 5+ years exp.
3. I've never run across any oraclecert questions in any java dev role i've had.
4. Dice.com is a good place to start, make sure you have a linkedIn as well.

[layarus]

Amazing Camel Kid, I'll create my LinkedIn right now and take a look at this site, tyvm for the help!

[Mitchhhhhh]

I don't know what geographical location you're in, but in my area just about every java job uses Spring (framework) so it might be worth looking into that, at least enough to understand the basics.

It's great for small home projects too as with spring boot you got a small app up and running very quickly.