Ask HN: Effective way to find new job?

2 points by 2bor-2n 4 years ago | 1 comment

I am in a dilemma where my tech skills are bit outdated.

I have been working as a frontend dev for the past 5 years but unfortunately i don't have much experience in the latest frontend framework mainly React JS and every new job requires proficiency in React.

In my current job the product i am working on is based on plain JavaScript with jquery so i don't get a chance to learn react on the job and have to find time outside working hours to practice and build some projects in react. It is becoming increasingly hard for me to spend all my time on working and learning and it seems like i am on the verge of a burnout.

I need some guidance here, espacially from people who are/were in similar position and how do they get out of it?

vanusa 4 years ago |

Work on personal projects, or better: projects which directly help other people (for a non-profit, say) so you get some actual users and visibility. Then start building it in whatever XYZ stack you like.

Also: not every job requires React (and in fact many people hate React) - you might want to look at Vue.js, or perhaps other frameworks (I'm not a real JS person so I wouldn't know what people are using these days). And then even if you do apply at a React shop then (if they're smart and worth working for in the first place) they will definitely want to talk to you - especially if you can articulate why you made the framework choice that you did (and how it compares to React).