Front end to java with 3 years gap

[Sadia Tabassum]

Hello everyone!
This is my first post here.
I was a web developer for 2 years. Then for family reasons I had to leave my job. I have done an msc after that which was finished last year.so in total 3 years I'm out of work.

Now I'm desperate to start my career as a java developer as I'm not liking web development anymore.
I'm not getting interview for java roles. Recruiter s contact me mostly for web developer jobs

I REALLY need your help to guide me to get a java developer position. Please suggest what steps I should follow?

Thanks in advance

[Jeanne Boyarsky]

Sadia,
Do you know Java? How can you demonstrate this? Examples include code on the internet (github), blog posts, a website you built that has a Java back end, a cloud based microservice, etc.

You'll need to show you know the technology.

[Sadia Tabassum]

Hi Jeanne, thanks for your reply.
My experience in Java is limited to my MSc courseworks. I have done all my courseworks in Java but I dint have any commercial experience.

When you say about uploading code on github, what sort of projects will be good to display Java proficiency?

There are thousands of graduates will apply for junior roles. How can I differentiate myself from other candidates?
I'm thinking to do OCAJP to add some certification. Will it make any difference?

[Jeanne Boyarsky]

Sadia,
A certification can't hurt. The OCA is very basic. It's the OCA/OCP combo that show you know Java.

As far as what kind of projects, something to show you know how to build an app. You could do a game or an Android app or a shopping cart app or .... There's no right/wrong answer here. The idea is to show you can code.