For me first starting out with HTML and CSS I thought it would take years and a bachelor’s degree to land a job, I was very wrong.

It’s been a joke for some time that I’ve told but unfortunately, the punchline is real for too many poor souls. How many todos does it take to get a job as a developer?

You know because there are a million todo app tutorials out and more come out each year. It’s been done so many times that I can imagine a world where prospective employers take todo apps as currency for employment.

Tutorial Hell exists

The sad thing is that I feel that many of those who read this will miss the irony of this post. Trust me tutorial hell exists because I’ve been there. Tutorial hell is basically a state that those first learning to code can get stuck in.

It happens when you don’t know what you should learn or how much of it to learn so you end up in this insecure state of creating the same basic application but using different technology or languages.

There’s nothing wrong with being a Jack of all trades but there is something wrong with never leaving the flames of tutorial hell. You can do better and anyone who might hire you will agree.

I mentioned that I thought it would take years of learning to land a job but in reality, I could’ve had a job sooner if I’d put myself out there.

I assumed that if I wanted a job I needed to know about all these languages, syntaxes, and libraries but in reality, I already was qualified.

I had a passion for learning new things. I had the figure it out mentality.

Sometimes when I think I’m smarter than everyone I remind myself that I’m just better at Google than the average bear.

Go figure

I remember stressing every day that I had to remember a specific syntax for a function call or a loop. The reality is that even the best develops have to Google basic things daily.

There’s no reason to stuff your head with things you can find on google in a few seconds. Trust me your brain will thank you for the free grey matter.

When I finally got the nerve to apply for a job as a developer I fully expected to get rejected immediately. Not only did the interview go well but I got a second interview shortly afterward and landed the job.

Granted I still feel like there was some luck involved but my point is this. Unless you are trying to get a job working for Google stop overthinking it.

Startups want you

There are plenty of startups looking for developers like you and they are probably doing interviews with people less qualified than you.

You don’t have to know everything but you should get good at learning anything. Just about everything I’ve learned since starting my job I’ve learned while working it.

And many startups don’t care what your degree is in or if you have one at all as long as you can do the job. I only have an associate's and it isn’t even a computer science degree.

I still get stuck in the Google a tutorial mentality at times but the reality is most problems you will face there is no guide for.

Experience over guides

So stop trying to rebuild other people's success. Tutorials are great but you’ll learn much more from personal experience and your interviews will go smoother for it.

So just pick something you want to build (for the love of God, not another todo) and build it. Pick the languages and technology you’re interested in and just do it.

Just do it!

But start applying even as you learn; the worst an interviewer can do is say no. And if they do just keep learning and try again, this way you’ll get an idea of what employers are looking for as well.

Conclusion

You aren’t gaining anything from staying in tutorial hell. If you don’t feel confident after building three todos you won’t feel better after twenty.

Just build things you enjoy on your terms and with the technology you’re interested in. There will be a startup interested in hiring you someday just stick with it! I am curious though, how many todos have you written?

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