If you apply for jobs, you might get one and take months to discover the bad That has little to do with finding a published job. He could accept the first job

If you apply for jobs, you might get one and take months to discover the bad That has little to do with finding a published job. He could accept the first job via a referral and take months to discover its bad, for example. The small projects idea is a good one. I am sure there are folks on HN from Europe that may have projects for him. The potential trap with small-project route is that a company with small projects may not necessarily have a permanent position.