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Ask HN: How does a 16 year old go about getting work on software?

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Re: Ask HN: How does a 16 year old go about getting work on software?

#41

Post by tracker1 »

thethinker1032 wrote: post #5
clarky07 wrote: post #3

You could work on things for yourself. As a 16 yr old presumably living with your parents there's no risk. I'd suggest starting with a small mobile iPhone or Android app. Make a little bit of side money while building a portfolio you can use to your advantage later.

How would you go about finding a concept to build a app around? You don't want to end up building a so-called "sitcom" app which no one uses.

LOL.. at 16, it doesn't matter... you don't have much overhead.. do something you're passionate about.

When I was closer to that age, there wer 16yo running major pirate software networks, art groups, bulletin boards and even developing related software for the fun of it... if someone finds it useful, awesome, if it solves a problem you experience even better.

It doesn't have to be widely used for the experience to be beneficial, and to make a little money off of it.

Re: Ask HN: How does a 16 year old go about getting work on software?

#42

Post by tracker1 »

bozoUser wrote: post #18

At 16 if you are contributing to open source you are well ahead of lots of programmers with jobs so kudos to you. If I were you I would use this to my advantage by having the git repos etc on my resume + LinkedIn and then start searching for volunteer orgs. for programming gigs and get noticed there and take good references and then apply for full time jobs. Good Luck!

On top of that, would take some time to spruce up code after even a year or so... if you don't have test coverage, add it. If you still use it, take what you've learned and refactor it.

There's always room to improve what you have out there... On the interviewer side, plenty of people only have 1-2 things on github that either don't work, are poorly documented or just plain don't reflect well on them. Do your best to make what you do put out there the best you can.

I should take my own advise more often.

Re: Ask HN: How does a 16 year old go about getting work on software?

#43

Post by ronreiter »

Find someone you trust that works somewhere and who can employ you or get you employed at somewhere you trust, that would be the easiest path for you.

Regardless of that, you should also contribute code to an open-source project you really like. This will also get you a good resume.

Re: Ask HN: How does a 16 year old go about getting work on software?

#44

Post by andersthue »

As many have said, just build something, put it on the internet, learn about building homepages that converts well, learn to ask users before building the next project, charge if you can find a way (donations, paypal, parents)

Then when you get to be legal, you will have a few (or a lot) of side projects that each will deliver a little trickle of money. Use these as fun money or even bette channel it into larger and larger projects, hiring others to do the important stuff you find uninteresting.

Find a mentor, someone wiser than you, let them help you level up faster than is possible alone.

Join a mastermind group, be accountable to others, learn to ship real stuff.

When you reach legal age, travel to conferences, talk to older more experienced people, learn how they did and copy what you like.

When you hit 20-25 you can have a steady income high enough to support you.

Re: Ask HN: How does a 16 year old go about getting work on software?

#45

Post by __xtrimsky »

Don't try to get money while you are 16. At least if you don't need it badly. Build stuff, you'll learn so much more. I am 27 and two kids, getting paid a lot but I regret the time where I could spend hours on my own project. Now if I have an hour per week I am happy.

Re: Ask HN: How does a 16 year old go about getting work on software?

#46

Post by paul_milovanov »

tracker1 wrote: post #40
paul_milovanov wrote: post #30

Beware of foregoing formal university education just because you are getting coding gigs. CS/math fundamentals are golden and make the difference between you being just another redundant dime-a-dozen ruby coder and a world-class engineer. Not to mention personal enjoyment of what you do down the line. Take a look at the Silicon Valley for proof. Learning all this stuff on your own is possible, but much harder when yo…

As someone without a formal education in this path, I mostly agree... It took almost a decade before I would have considered myself very good... And in fairness, many of those even with formal education I wouldn't consider good. Passion accounts for a lot. I didn't start getting really good until I actually started deeper reading into more conceptual bits of programming, and some of the hard math still isn't the easi…

I know a really successful, world-class, senior Google engineer who doesn't have a high-school diploma. He's very smart and incredibly hard-working, a great mentor and an inspiration to others. He's also probably been lucky.

Could that be you, the OP? Of course.

Could that be the right path for someone who can't stand formal learning environments and thrives on the challenge of real problems? Sure.

Is it very hard and risky? Yes, in all sorts of ways. You need great mentors and people that will show you how much you don't know. If you accidentally end up surrounded by mediocrity, it's very easy to fall prey to Dunning-Kruger effect. How do you get to work with world-class engineers? It's a catch-22 although not impossible. Universities, on the other hand, are by design a place with many smart people, and you're not expected to have anything other than potential to join.

(And yes, absolutely, if you decide that you're done learning after graduating, good luck with your future hardship. Unless you first learn COBOL, in which case you might still be able to comfortably ride on it for another 20 years)

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