Yes and no. Getting the first job is a huge hurdle, you actually have overcome probably the most difficult challenge of the early years of your dev career, so well done.
Of course, the challenges keep coming, and quickly, but from here on it will look much more like a (possibly rather steep ;-) upward curve wrt time rather than a huge cliff (hobby projects/qualifications -> first job).
So long as you're expecting and prepared for that, which you clearly are, you're now in much more of a position to control your own success, which in relative terms is actually a lot easier, less stressful, and even fun!
> but I know the rough part is only starting
Yes and no. Getting the first job is a huge hurdle, you actually have overcome probably the most difficult challenge of the early years of your dev career, so well done.
Of course, the challenges keep coming, and quickly, but from here on it will look much more like a (possibly rather steep ;-) upward curve wrt time rather than a huge cliff (hobby projects/qualifications -> first job).
So long as you're expecting and prepared for that, which you clearly are, you're now in much more of a position to control your own success, which in relative terms is actually a lot easier, less stressful, and even fun!