I am a newbie. So, it is obvious that jobs wont come easily or wont come at all initially. I am looking for companies where i can work and get a few hints & tips from experienced developers when needed, so that i can do some good work and develop my skills in the process. Paid position is nice to have, but not necessary. I can try open source projects, but they won't teach me corporate culture and workplace politics/dynamics like a real company job. Thats why i prefer companies instead of open source.
I regularly write custom cover letters faking interest and vision (I have passion, I am impressed by your company...blah blah), everything else being true. How the hell is everyone supposed to know what they want to be in 5 years from now and have a goal? How am I even supposed to figure out a goal? I like so many things - web development,
java backend,...malware analysis and creation too ! (tears of joy meme) and mobile app development.
Right now, I just want a job to learn java (dont care if its mobile, backed, swing gui), I will decide later if i hate it or like it. People in the industry change jobs because they prefer other roles, besides others things like location, benefits etc. Sometimes, it take them a while to realize that they wanted something else. Thats not such a bad thing. Its ok if you have not defined your whole career path well and will figure out things along the way.
Why do some employers expect this vision and well-defined plan from the get go? Why don't they look at it like - hey! this guy has potential, has some skills and can do the job. We are hiring him for a junior position with low level responsibilities. So, why does his passion matter at this stage? Lets see what he can accomplish and then put him in a department where he will excel and add value to the company.