I often see these questions online:

"I have no work experience. How do I get my first software job?"

"I got laid off with only have 2 years of experience. How do I get a software job?"

"What certs can help me get a software job?"

I'm a team lead computer scientist who's done IT hiring at startups, my company, a university, and two government departments. This page gives one good answer to these questions.

I don't have all the answers but in my experience if you're a new grad or a junior you probably need my advice. At the risk of sounding like an infomercial: "this one simple trick" will make your application better than 95% of junior applicants.

Build Something Real

What is a "real" software project?

1. It's live, stable, and works now. You aren't apologizing for missing features or promising future improvements.
2. It may cost some money to deploy (cloud costs) or publish (app store registration fee).
3. It earns money the same way million dollar companies earn money (store purchases or ads) even if it's just pennies.
4. It has non-trivial infrastructure like a backend and database that you pay for.
5. It has (or is) a website deployed with developer tools, not a website builder like SquareSpace or WordPress.

You're not a child in school anymore. Stop spending time on toy projects, school assignments, certifications, half finished private GitHub repos, online courses, and half working demos. Build something real.

You don't need to ask permission to build something real. You don't need a job to work on something real. All you need is a goofy idea, a computer, and internet access.

Flagship Portfolio Project

This real project is the number one thing you mention in a resume, application, or cover letter:

Hello. I'm interested in the junior XYZ position. I solo developed a project called SlimyTurtle as a full stack developer which earned $0.12 in ad revenue last month. You can visit https://www.slimyturtle.com now and try it out! I built this with the X and Y languages, the backend is X and Y, the test framework is X, the database is X, it's hosted on X with IaC Y, and I used X and Y for CI/CD. I'm ready now to join a professional software team and excited to start with you.

The project can be goofy or just fun. It doesn't need to be a viable or serious business. In fact, this should make building it even easier and more fun. You can honestly say you've "used postgresql as the backend database" when really your use of the database is trivial.

Buzzwords

I've been writing software for 25 years and 14 years professionally. When I see a junior's resume with a list of buzzwords longer than what's on my resume, guess what? I don't trust them at all now. I have no idea what skills they actually have - if any.

There's a huge difference when someone says "I know DevOps tools A, B, C, D, E, F, and G. Trust me." versus "I used DevOps tools A and B to deploy SlimyTurtle".

Stop Learning, Start Doing

I'm a lifelong learner and teacher. So I understand the appeal of doing more courses, getting certifications, starting another university degree, reading another IT book, or completing a full-stack developer roadmap. But if you don't have much work experience you're probably spending far too much time on tutorial projects and almost no time building something real.

Experienced programmers know less than 1% of what's out there. Most often we don't master tools and complete full courses on everything - we just use the basics of a good tool and learn more as needed. You should learn a tool while building something real because you need it. Not because you might someday need it.

Conquering Fear

Do you think this list is long and scary?

• Databases
• Frontend, frameworks, styling, graphic design
• Backend, frameworks
• Cloud services (AWS, Azure, GCP, DigitalOcean, etc)
• IaC, DevOps, containers, CI/CD
• Automated tests
• HTTPS, SSL, LetsEncrypt
• Domain names
• Publishing platforms (App Store, Google Play, Steam)
• Linux, a shell language, package management, system setup
• git, GitHub, GitLab

If you're reading this I assume you have some education or experience with writing software. That means you have the ability to learn tech skills, so getting started on any of these will be surprisingly easy.

Have you never bought a domain name? Buy one now from a domain name registrar like namecheap. Maybe slimyturtles.ai. A domain name costs something like $1 to $15 a year and it might take you just ten minutes. Not scary.

Have you never launched a cloud resource on AWS, Azure, GCP, or DigitalOcean? Do it now. It costs something like $6/month for a tiny instance (or a free trial) and this might take you under an hour. Not scary.

Have you never used a Linux commandline? Start WSL (Windows) or Terminal (Mac) or any console (Linux). Write a one line Bash script and run it. This might take you just thirty minutes. Not scary.

As you apply more and more of these skills to your flagship project, your project becomes more real and more impressive. Keep building until you're hired.

Certifications and LeetCode

No job I've applied to has required IT certifications or LeetCode, including several job offers in the public and private sector in recent years. However I admit that hiring practices are always changing and this may be a new reality for some sectors and companies. Neverthless, this is my recommendation:

• Never get a certification unless a specific job you want specifically requires it. Even then, ideally the employer pays for it.
• Never burn time on LeetCode unless a specific job you want specifically requires it.

It's easy to feel like you're making progress on your job search because you paid for just one more certification, or you completed one more LeetCode challenge. However this progress is more like a child seeking the approval of a parent.

Instead make real progress on a real project using real skills. Stop playing games and paying money for grades. Build something real.

Good Luck

Okay I guess that's not one "simple" trick but it is one trick.

I have sympathy for you if you're struggling to find a job today. There may even be a bad job market in 2025. But nobody can stop you from building something real. Become well-rounded. The first three sentences of your cover letter can prove to hiring teams that you know more skills than 95% of applicants. At worst, building a flagship "real" project will make you a very well-rounded software developer and future team lead. At best, you built something real that real people use, like, and pay for.

Best of luck. I hope this was helpful.