Where to look for work for juniors in 2024

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The courses have been successfully completed, the portfolio already contains the first projects that were created during the training, the resume has been compiled - all that remains is to receive the coveted offer! And in this article, we will tell you how to find your first job as a junior specialist.

For convenience, we will highlight three areas that allow you to get acquainted with current vacancies and projects that require new specialists:

job search sites,
freelance exchanges,
and a new direction - telegram channels.
Let's figure out what the differences are here.


Job search sites most often offer you full-time vacancies with the prospect of a contract of at least 1 year. Of course, there are also project/part-time offers, but there are fewer of them.

These are sites such as Rabota.by, Praca.by, Habr Career, hh.ru or the social network LinkedIn. Everywhere you create your profile, filling in all the information needed by HR specialists, set up filters (office work/remote/hybrid, full-time/part-time, city, desired salary, etc.) - and then simply respond to relevant requests.
Advice: when filling out information about yourself, try to use all the suggested blocks (training, work experience, about yourself) - all this was added there for a reason, and many recruiters note the convenience of such questionnaires. Some of these blocks are optional - like a cover letter, for example. But if you study the company, write a non-standard letter - your chances of attracting attention to your candidacy will definitely increase.

Freelance exchanges are more flexible and free online platforms.

And what is most important for those who have just graduated from courses is that it will be much easier to find a job without experience (since there are always simple tasks that are cheaper for companies to outsource than to hire a specialist on staff).

Below we will provide a short list of the most popular and accessible freelance exchanges for Belarusians, where you can find project vacancies in the areas of design, programming, marketing, analytics.

Upwork
Freelancer
Fiverr
Teacher
PeoplePerHour
There are also specialized ones, for example, only for:

designers — 99designs
or for WordPress development - Codeable
There is also an exclusive network of freelancers - Toptal, where specialists are attracted to important projects for leading companies. Not for junior specialists, but can be used as motivation, what to strive for (say, a career ladder for freelancers).
Advice: independence, responsibility and social media marketing service confidence. This is what you should have if you choose the path of a freelancer. The price for flexibility and lack of control is self-control (starting from finding good employers and ending with your conscientiousness). So that it doesn’t turn out like in the joke: I leave my job from 9 to 18:00 five days a week, now I will work 24/7 for myself.
And confidence is necessary, since you yourself directly sell your services, guarantee their quality. With impostor syndrome, it will be difficult to convince the client that they should choose you (but not impossible).

And the third option is Telegram channels

Since it has become more difficult to look for work on international freelance exchanges due to various restrictions, many companies have switched to Telegram.

There are internships, full-time work in a company, and project tasks for freelancers. The convenient channel format allows you to quickly view X new messages (= vacancies) and immediately proceed to communication with an HR specialist. And there is also a convenient division by direction: vacancies for designers, vacancies in gamedev, vacancies for PHP developers, etc.

This is a small list of the most popular channels that have already established themselves among both recruiters and applicants.

Jobs and Internships from MyResume
In addition to daily publications of vacancies in the IT field, you can also find announcements of hackathons and other events for specialists here. The channel itself has been operating since 2022 and has already become quite popular due to its convenience. You see the salary, conditions and requirements in a small compact message - and thus quickly filter the opportunities that suit you.

PHP - Jobs, Job Search and Analytics
There are channels that specialize in a specific technology stack. For example, they mainly look for PHP developers (but there are exceptions). The channel itself is also conveniently divided into groups, where you can separately view remote or office offers.

QA — vacancies
A channel for testers, where there are also separate chats on various topics for discussion. One of the problems that junior specialists face at the beginning of their careers is the lack of experienced colleagues with whom they can discuss any issues. And such communities solve this problem.

Comments and edits: vacancies in Digital, SMM and IT
As the name suggests, this channel is aimed at marketers, analysts, managers and copywriters. There are vacancies for both experienced and beginner specialists.

Devops Jobs — vacancies and resumes
The profile channel is intended for DevOps engineers, where relevant vacancies are published daily. To contact the recruiter, links to their telegram are provided, which is very convenient in terms of communication.

Jobs Code: IT vacancies
The channel publishes new vacancies daily, which can be found on the Finder platform. Here you can also find useful articles on job search.

Jobs in gamedev (vacancies)
Another specialized channel for professionals working in the field of game creation. It offers vacancies for developers, designers, artists, scriptwriters and testers.



Advice: it is better to subscribe to several channels and over time determine the most relevant one for yourself. Some vacancies may be duplicated, this is normal. Do not forget about manners when communicating (for example, start your message with a greeting) and reflect all the important information and questions in the first message at once (for example, mention the name of the vacancy, attach your resume, ask about the stages of the interview or other issues that concern you).
With the right approach and strategy, you can find your first job. Here are some general tips that can help you with this:

1. Education and self-development: Start with an in-depth study of the main technologies and programming languages ​​that are in demand in the labor market. Take online courses, participate in hackathons, read professional articles and books. The more knowledge and skills you have, the more attractive you will be to potential employers.

2. Portfolio: Create a portfolio in which you demonstrate your projects, study assignments, participation in internships. This will help employers evaluate your problem-solving ability and your potential.

3. Community: Join professional communities, forums, social media groups where IT topics are discussed. This will help you establish contacts with other specialists, get advice and recommendations, and learn about opportunities for juniors.

4. Internships: Consider the possibility of doing an internship at an IT company. This is a great way to gain work experience, understand the internal processes of the company, and show off your skills.

5. Actively search for a job: Use all the specialized platforms for finding a job in IT that we mentioned above. Send your resume to vacancies that match your skills and interests, but don’t be afraid to try your hand if you have doubts somewhere. Sometimes the job description reflects the ideal candidate, but some points, in fact, may be unimportant (or you can learn this on the job).

6. Open source projects: Join open source projects on GitHub or other platforms. This will help not only expand your portfolio, but also gain valuable experience working in a team and improve your skills.