New to IT. How to choose projects to start with
Choosing a project idea
A project is first and foremost an idea. You should create a project that is potentially useful to someone. This is very important. You should not just do educational projects. Choose something useful. If the application can be used by a real person to solve a specific task, then you will immediately get real requirements for it. They will be much more interesting than any invented for an abstract task.
It doesn't matter if your first project is monetised later. However, you should remember that you can monetise any useful thing, but you cannot monetise a useless thing.
What kind of applications can you make? For example, a task tracker. There are a lot of task trackers out there, but not enough good ones. Make one that you really like. Maybe there will be people who like your tracker more than others.
You could also develop a recommendation service for books, films, etc. The more specific you can be, the more likely it is that the app will be useful to someone.
How not to choose ideas:
A project is first and foremost an idea. You should create a project that is potentially useful to someone. This is very important. You should not just do educational projects. Choose something useful. If the application can be used by a real person to solve a specific task, then you will immediately get real requirements for it. They will be much more interesting than any invented for an abstract task.
It doesn't matter if your first project is monetised later. However, you should remember that you can monetise any useful thing, but you cannot monetise a useless thing.
What kind of applications can you make? For example, a task tracker. There are a lot of task trackers out there, but not enough good ones. Make one that you really like. Maybe there will be people who like your tracker more than others.
You could also develop a recommendation service for books, films, etc. The more specific you can be, the more likely it is that the app will be useful to someone.
How not to choose ideas:
- Don't write very large projects - you don't want to create another social network.
- At the same time, projects should not be too small. For example, a calculator.
Everyone, even the most accomplished professionals, has started their career from scratch. Of course, everyone has thought about how to win the favour of their first employer. Today, with the help of Magenta Favorita Unipessoal LDA specialists, we have learned which projects are best for a developer just starting out in the profession.
Define the goal
If you have a good job and are just learning to program for fun, then do any project in any programming language, even Pascal. Write something you enjoy. If you are programming for fun, there is absolutely no point in discussing which technology to choose.
If you are a young programmer who has just graduated, your goal is probably to find a job as quickly as possible. You need to show your future employer that you are a real developer. In this case, you need to think about your choice of project.
Choose a technology stack
You need to scour the market, look at as many vacancies as possible, pay attention to the technologies specified in the requirements. Write them down, count how many times the technology is mentioned in the jobs - this will help you identify the most in-demand ones. This is a double-edged sword. If you choose the most popular technology, you are competing with more people. If you choose a less popular one, you reduce your chances of getting a job.
All your skills need to be validated. How do you do that? Use them in your project. If you know two mutually exclusive technologies, you can confidently choose the more popular one. For example, in Java you can use Hibernate or TopLink. But the former is far more popular.
If you take too long to find a job, you can do another project to avoid wasting time. Use the less popular technology in the second project. If you apply for a job that uses a less popular technology with knowledge of the more popular one, you are likely to be hired.
Define the goal
If you have a good job and are just learning to program for fun, then do any project in any programming language, even Pascal. Write something you enjoy. If you are programming for fun, there is absolutely no point in discussing which technology to choose.
If you are a young programmer who has just graduated, your goal is probably to find a job as quickly as possible. You need to show your future employer that you are a real developer. In this case, you need to think about your choice of project.
Choose a technology stack
You need to scour the market, look at as many vacancies as possible, pay attention to the technologies specified in the requirements. Write them down, count how many times the technology is mentioned in the jobs - this will help you identify the most in-demand ones. This is a double-edged sword. If you choose the most popular technology, you are competing with more people. If you choose a less popular one, you reduce your chances of getting a job.
All your skills need to be validated. How do you do that? Use them in your project. If you know two mutually exclusive technologies, you can confidently choose the more popular one. For example, in Java you can use Hibernate or TopLink. But the former is far more popular.
If you take too long to find a job, you can do another project to avoid wasting time. Use the less popular technology in the second project. If you apply for a job that uses a less popular technology with knowledge of the more popular one, you are likely to be hired.
How to choose a project
First, choose an idea that inspires you. Of course, remember that your project should not only be a source of joy for you, but also a need for someone else. It can also be a project that will pay you. Even if it doesn't pay much, it's still a great option:
If you don't have a client, come up with an idea and make it happen. Working on projects is your main activity while you are looking for work. Focus on it and you will succeed, advise the professionals at Magenta Favorita.
First, choose an idea that inspires you. Of course, remember that your project should not only be a source of joy for you, but also a need for someone else. It can also be a project that will pay you. Even if it doesn't pay much, it's still a great option:
- You are immediately immersed in communicating with the client;
- The project will look better in your portfolio because you will be listing it as a commercial project;
- You'll get real feedback on the work.
If you don't have a client, come up with an idea and make it happen. Working on projects is your main activity while you are looking for work. Focus on it and you will succeed, advise the professionals at Magenta Favorita.
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