Subscriber Corner
Magandang Araw, Kuya Dev!
I'm [REDACTED], and I've been freelancing for quite a while na. I'm still a third year student, and I really want to apply for a company. However, I guess parang di yata nag aaccept ng students ang PH-based companies, and I don't know how to get started in applying for overseas companies.
Also, due to the nature of my work, I don't have a specialized tech stack. Sa frontend, I always use React + Vite or NextJS if applicable ang use case. For the backend/api, I just use BaaS mostly. Gusto ko magspecialize or magfocus sa isang stack na may marami ring opportunities. I'm using Fastify right now and I'm planning to use NestJS for my next project. For some reason ayaw ko talaga sa PHP din kasi hehe.
If you have the time, pa advice naman po, Thanks!
Yes, it's rare for companies to hire students, especially here in the country. Usually it's only for internship. For good reason, since academic workload can often hinder one's performance at work. It's like having two full-time jobs.
I suggest to continue with freelancing, and slowly increase your rate as you build your portfolio and experience. You sound like you still want to finish your degree, so put majority of your time in that, and graduate first. No need to rush yourself (unless you're in a dire financial situation). You're in a really good position, since by the time you graduate, you'll have "years of real-world experience" already through your freelancing gigs.
You can specialize in React and NextJS. If you plan on learning JavaScript backend technologies, though, know that the market here in the country for backend JS developers isn't that good from what I observed (but don't quote me on this).
Like you already mentioned, there are more opportunities outside the country. I suggest just going ahead and applying via global job sites. Then optimize your Linkedin to attract global recruiters, by making sure you add the actual countries of any international clients you acquire through freelancing. Work on your English communication skills of course, but if you have the time, learn another language like Spanish, as this is a not-so-well-known technique that can help grow one's market.
Good luck!
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