Landing a front-end job is hard

Hey there, fellow front-end dev 👋

Mads here. I’ve been taking an extended summer break from the newsletter, but now I’m back and more determined than ever to help you supercharge your front-end skills and secure the dream front-end development career you deserve 😎

Let me start with a story.

In 2018 I was about halfway through my studies for a Bachelor’s in Software Development. We’d been learning a bunch of languages like Java, C#, and F# for functional programming. We’d also been learning about databases, operating systems, datastructures and algorithms.

I honestly didn’t like it. And I wasn’t good at it.

I just felt lost. There’s probably a correlation between those things…

It wasn’t until I randomly Googled “how to make a website” one day that my curiosity for programming really started. Because web development with HTML, CSS and JavaScript finally gave me the “aha” moment I’d been craving throughout my studies:

Finally I could build something real, something visual, something useful - AND share it with everyone in the world. Magical.

That feeling was powerful, and it’s what got me started down the path of front-end development. But I was also confused why nobody had taught me about this before. Why didn’t we have courses covering this stuff? Why wasn’t front-end programming seen on the same level as compiler design or backend development?

And the, for me, much bigger question: How can I take this newfound passion and turn it into a viable career?

It felt like there wasn’t a clear-cut path for front-end developers the same way as for other software engineering roles. No roadmap.

Luckily for me, in 2018, modern front-end frameworks were just starting to get momentum, and companies were realizing the importance of building delightful and functional web interfaces. The timing allowed me to get my first part-time front-end role, where I honed my skills and gathered the experience that eventually led me to my current role as Front-End Lead.

But in 2024 the job market for new front-end devs is harder than it has ever been. We had an open front-end position at my company earlier this year that got over 150 applicants. We ended up hiring 3. Those odds are tough, regardless of how passionate or driven you are.

And to be honest, I’m not sure I would be where I am today if it had been this hard to land that initial job needed to grow my skills and build experience.

I get countless messages of people who are just getting started with front-end or people who have been doing it for a few years, but who struggle to land a job and feel stuck in their career progression. And while I’m sure you’ve probably heard the common advice — have a portfolio, focus on the fundamentals, applying to every job you see etc. — I still think there’s room for a detailed guide on how to effectively kick-start your front-end career and stand out from the masses.

So I’m creating one.

Later this year I’ll be launching a self-paced video course showing you everything I wish I had known when starting my career as a front-end developer. Including what skills companies actually expect you to know, what hiring managers look for when reviewing applications, and what types of jobs to apply for to greatly improve your chances of getting hired.

I’ll also cover what the day-to-day work looks like when working in different environments, what technologies you should focus on to get an edge, and how to build the required mindset to truly excel at front-end craftsmanship. Basically how I would go from 0 to front-end hero if I was just discovering the beauty of UI development today.

My mission with this course is to help you navigate the increasingly difficult job market of 2024 (and beyond), and set you up to not only land, but also thrive in those critical, initial front-end jobs that are so crucial for your personal and professional growth.

Pre-order the course at early-bird price here

You can pre-order today for $69, which is the cheapest it will ever be. I’ll also be sharing updates and behind-the-scenes insights as I build out the course, so keep your eyes open for that 👀

Finally, if there’s anything specific you’d like me to include in the course, feel free to let me know here or on LinkedIn - any feedback is highly appreciated and I’d love to hear from you 🙌

Cheers, and enjoy the rest of your day!