Question
I'm learning to program from online classes but don't have any real world experience. Every "Junior" job on Indeed requires 2-4 years of experience. I'm a beginner but learning and eager to learn more.
The programming "Bootcamps" are way too expensive for me and no guarantee of a job after.
Can I volunteer to work for a company for free in exchange for some mentoring and real world experience?
I figure in the startup world there are smart developers who need help but low on funds, and I can do the work for them in exchange for some mentoring.
I don't know if this is a possibility to work for free for experience. I'm not in a university for college credit.
Answer
It’s great to see your enthusiasm for learning and gaining real-world experience in web development! Volunteering or offering your services in exchange for mentoring can indeed be a valuable way to build experience, especially with startups that might have limited budgets but are open to helping aspiring developers.
For additional insights on how to navigate and potentially get involved with web development teams, you might find this article helpful: https://www.cleveroad.com/blog/web-development-team-structure/. It provides a comprehensive look at the various roles and responsibilities within a web development team, which can help you better understand how you might fit into a team and what skills you should focus on developing. Keep pushing forward, and best of luck with your journey into web development!
