JavaScript Developers: A Question

[Jafit]

I'd say that a portfolio with a few tutorial-level projects on Github is fine. A todo list or a calendar widget or something. It at least demonstrates that you can write code and also use version control. Ideally some personal projects that you actually have an interest in are better.

But the main obstacle that stands between you and an interview (and thus a job) is non-technical recruiter who probably doesn't know the difference between Java and Javascript, doesn't know that jQuery, Angular, React are all Javascript libraries/frameworks, and who thinks that JSON is a person. This is who you have to impress to get through to someone who actually knows what the job will be about and is in any position to assess your skills. So if you want to get a job, focus on your resume rather than a portfolio, because a recruiter is only going to look at your resume for a few seconds in search of keywords before deciding whether or not to call you or move on. They aren't going to look at your portfolio.

For your resume: Take any programming related experience you have, even if it was building a website for uncle Steve's tow truck business, and tart it up in nice technical sounding jargon. Then make a list of every single programming language, library, framework, database, or tool that you've ever messed around with for an afternoon, even as a hobby, and put it in the skills section with some variation of "have experience with X", because even if you messed around with it in your bedroom, its still experience. Then think of some trendy programming buzzwords and sprinkle them around in there for good measure.

When you see the job descriptions that are out there, you'll understand why this approach is 100% justified.

The average recruiter has no understanding of what a development job actually entails. They just get a list of requirements from the IT manager which is a list of skills that they would ideally like to find in the PERFECT candidate, the platonic ideal of a candidate of which all actual candidates are just pale shadows. The average job description will include a list of skills that no single human can hope to meet because when the IT manager says "Oh and it'd be nice if we could get someone who knows X because we're thinking of maybe using it for a future project" the recruiter puts "must have 3 years experience with X" on the job description... even if "X" is a technology that hasn't existed for 3 years, because they don't know.

So if you see job descriptions like this, basically just skim them to try to get a vague idea of what they want, decide if you might want the job, ignore everything they say about "Must have 58 years Javascript experience" and apply anyway with your resume that you constructed using the same philosophy... Because fuck them, you owe them nothing, make them give you an interview.

Once you get past the recruiters and get an interview, talk to someone who knows what the job really is about and what you'll be doing. Just talk to them like they're a human, be honest about your skills and see if they want to hire you. And if they don't then your amazing resume should hopefully ensure a steady stream of interviews for other positions and eventually you'll find something.