Is it hard to get a job in front-end development when you are self-taught?

Career Coaching Engineering
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#1

This is a problematic issue to answer explicitly, but I would say, “No, it is not difficult to find a front-end job if you are self-taught.”

Being self-taught is not always a bad thing in the realm of code. Employers, for the most part, want to see your work. They want you to show them that you can handle the job’s front-end responsibilities.

If you are self-taught but have a consistent and robust portfolio, your employer will not care if you are self-taught or not. The exact opposite is true, however. You are far too risky for an employer if you are self-taught and have little to no job to show for it.

Take some free courses or certification classes to improve your skills and appeal if you are anywhere between having a terrific portfolio and having a lackluster portfolio. These credentials may appear frivolous, but they might demonstrate to an employer that you enjoy learning about code so much that you took a class and became certified on your own. This demonstrates a strong work ethic.

Finally,

  • As a self-taught front-end developer, you should be able to find work.

  • Develop your portfolio (even if it is just personal work and not paid client work).

  • An employer only wants to know that you can handle day-to-day responsibilities and that you are a good culture fit once you have a body of work.

  • Demonstrate to them (by your work, not your schooling) that you are capable of handling the job and possess the necessary skill set.