Ask HN: What side projects landed you a job?

#1

Post by jessehorne » Sun, Dec 03, 2023, 10:16 PM UTC

I'm curious to see what projects members of this community have worked on that contributed to them getting a job.

What's the project?

How did it help you land a job? Did the project itself get you the job or did it help in the interview process? Was the project work related to the job at all?

Edit: Ya'll hirin'?

Re: Ask HN: What side projects landed you a job?

#2

Post by doublemint2203 » Sun, Dec 03, 2023, 10:31 PM UTC

Working on cubesat club for my university. Helped me get 2nd round internship interview @ Mr. Beast studios. not sure if this counts since internship + haven't got job yet, but I think it played a big role in helping me advance.

Re: Ask HN: What side projects landed you a job?

#3

Post by askonomm » Sun, Dec 03, 2023, 10:31 PM UTC

I created a system-agnostic router[1], a Markdown parser[2] and a WYSIWYG editor[3] in Clojure/ClojureScript that definitely helped me get Clojure gigs. I was told in the interview process on multiple occasions that my open source work stood out from the competition.

[1]: https://github.com/askonomm/ruuter

[2]: https://github.com/askonomm/clarktown

[3]: https://github.com/askonomm/blocko

Re: Ask HN: What side projects landed you a job?

#4

Post by gavinhoward » Sun, Dec 03, 2023, 10:32 PM UTC

https://git.gavinhoward.com/gavin/bc

It got me a C programming job that had nothing to do with the side project.

I would say that it only helped me in the interview process, but it did so in two ways:

* I could actually answer C-related questions on top of the more generic questions.

* It showed that I had skill in C.

Re: Ask HN: What side projects landed you a job?

#5

Post by nadermx » Sun, Dec 03, 2023, 10:33 PM UTC

Not a job I took. But when I launched https://github.com/nadermx/backgroundremover I got offered a high level position in a a photo company via my email which at the time was on my GitHub profile.

Re: Ask HN: What side projects landed you a job?

#6

Post by movedx » Sun, Dec 03, 2023, 10:39 PM UTC

Not a side project, per say, but I answered questions on my local Linux User Group almost daily. After applying for a job and not hearing back, I got a request to come in for an interview weeks afterwards. Long story short, the boss told me he saw my responses on the mailing list and it turns out I knew more than the RHCEs and CCNAs walking into his interviews.

That landed me my first job ever in IT as a Junior NetEng and eventually a Linux SysAd.

Re: Ask HN: What side projects landed you a job?

#7

Post by cableshaft » Sun, Dec 03, 2023, 10:40 PM UTC

This game I made and released on iPhone way back in the day directly led to me getting my first full-time job making mobile apps for a startup as the Lead Developer. I showed it during my interview.

It's no longer on the App Store as there's just been too many big changes I couldn't keep up with on that codebase. I'm working on a followup right now for Steam that I'd like to port to mobile afterwards.

Gameplay video: https://youtu.be/uy08ohBLGhE

Re: Ask HN: What side projects landed you a job?

#8

Post by excitednumber » Sun, Dec 03, 2023, 10:40 PM UTC

I’ve learned an unbelievable amount trying to systematically invest on my own.

All of what I have learned is levered in my career and I’ve utilized that knowledge during all interviews.

Re: Ask HN: What side projects landed you a job?

#9

Post by takkatakka » Sun, Dec 03, 2023, 10:41 PM UTC

It was my half hearted attempt at factorio with Clojure: https://github.com/pyrrhic/learning-clojure-factorio-clone

It mostly just showed that I had a genuine interest in programming, and served as a talking point (why Clojure, my experience with it, etc). The project wasn't related to the job at all.

Re: Ask HN: What side projects landed you a job?

#10

Post by darajava » Sun, Dec 03, 2023, 10:41 PM UTC

https://audiodiary.ai is a flutter app i’m building atm and it’s helped me get a few contracts. not really a side project and tbh i think it turns some people off