This content originally appeared on DEV Community and was authored by Kenneth Quiggins
My journey into web development has been a bumpy road, to say the least.
When I first started, I believed I would get my associate’s degree, learn how to program, and magically land a job. Well, I was in for a rude awakening. Programming is hard—and anyone who says it isn’t is lying to you. Sure, the fundamentals are straightforward, and almost anyone can learn them. But actually building software? That takes time, trial and error, and a lot of failing and rebuilding.
In my naive, delusional brain, I earned my associate’s degree and started applying to jobs. After months of getting zero traction with my resume, I noticed a common thread across most developer roles: almost all of them required a bachelor's degree in computer science or a related field. So, back to school I went.
The entire time, I was building projects in my free time, active in Discord servers, and soaking up everything I could about becoming a better developer. I finished a coding program, Code:You, a program in my city and was in college at the same time 😬 (This was rough, but worth it). When I finally graduated, I was full of energy and momentum—I couldn’t imagine any team not wanting to work with me.
Now it’s 2025. I’ve got a bachelor’s degree, solid coding skills, mentoring for Code:You, and the will of a warrior ready to go to battle on any codebase. There’s just one problem: AI has reshaped the industry, and the job market is intimidating for new developers. I’ve spoken with every career coach and developer I know. I’ve submitted so many resumes that my head is spinning. At one point, I got desperate—ready to throw away my dream of becoming a developer or tech professional.
So I posted on LinkedIn, X, and Facebook, offering freelance work—designing webpages or doing anything tech-related. BOOM! I got a hit. And ever since, I’ve been doing odd jobs here and there for nonprofits, for-profits, and companies around my city. I'm not where I want to be yet, but I am slowly getting there and haven't given up on my dream.
The key to this story? Never give up. Network with everyone you can, and make sure people know you’re available—because no one can read your mind. Keep posting your work on social media. Join communities like Code Connector or Discord servers like traversmedia’s (Brad Traversy's)—the advice I’ve gotten from these groups has been invaluable and has kept me moving forward.
Thank you for reading, and Happy Coding!
This content originally appeared on DEV Community and was authored by Kenneth Quiggins
Kenneth Quiggins | Sciencx (2025-07-08T21:39:06+00:00) How I got my first client. Retrieved from https://www.scien.cx/2025/07/08/how-i-got-my-first-client/
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