First-job stories · curated
People who did the hard thing, in their own words.
Career changers, bootcamp grads, and self-taught engineers tell the story of how they landed their first paid role. One person at a time, in their own voice.
Recent
New journeys
TechStart Inc
Sarah Chen
Frontend Developer
Build projects that solve real problems you've encountered. Employers want to see you can think like a developer AND understand business needs.
Remote (US)
DevCorp Solutions
Marcus Johnson
Full Stack Developer
Don't abandon your previous experience - find ways to combine it with coding. Your unique background is actually an advantage.
Chicago, IL
FinTech Innovations
Emily Rodriguez
Software Engineer
Teaching skills translate incredibly well to tech. You already know how to learn, explain complex concepts, and solve problems systematically.
Ithaca, NY
CloudScale Systems
David Kim
Backend Developer
Don't just learn to code - learn to architect systems. Backend roles require understanding how pieces fit together, not just individual technologies.
Remote (US)
Analytics Pro
Jessica Park
Data Engineer
If you're coming from a business background, emphasize your domain knowledge. Companies need engineers who understand the business side of their products.
San Francisco, CA
Infrastructure Inc
Ryan Thompson
DevOps Engineer
If you're in IT already, the transition to DevOps/Cloud is very achievable. Your existing infrastructure knowledge is valuable - just add cloud skills on top.
Remote (US)
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Help the next person see themselves doing it.
If you landed your first software engineering role in the last five years, your story belongs here. We treat it with care, give it room to breathe, and keep it online as a permanent record of the work you put in.