Github. Just open source your app code that you can, and library that you ended up making while doing so. Even as a freelancer or consultant, you will likely to get tons of prospect when you have code in github that is being followed with hundred plus stars.
Ask HN: I'm 24, coding since 14, and I don't know what to do
41–50 of 77 posts
Re: Ask HN: I'm 24, coding since 14, and I don't know what to do
#42The interview process for engineers is absolutely brutal. I almost lost hope on my last job jump when it took me three months and six on-site interviews before I got an offer. What will help you the most in the search is probably not what you think. I thought have a GitHub and some cool projects and a nice blog would make landing a job easy for me... Annnddd 95% of the companies I talked to didn't care. What helped e…
> What helped enormously was studying the same questions that interviewers are likely to pull from. Once I studied hard on interview Q&A I went from no offers to getting three in the same week.
Interesting to hear on what are the sources 'that interviewers are likely to pull from'? And probably some guidelines as well, because interviewers like to be stingy and want to hear _the right_ answers.
Re: Ask HN: I'm 24, coding since 14, and I don't know what to do
#43I can't really say I know exactly how you feel, but I can safely say I've been in a slightly similar position before. And honestly, every time I look at frameworks like Angular or React, I feel like throwing in the towel right then! I think it's a good idea to choose a niche, and stick to it. Full-stack devs are awesome, but there's nothing wrong in sticking to a particular competency. Looking at your profile, it see…
Thank you Sealord, You post means alot, I would love to stick to mobile apps but majority of companies are looking for "Senior iOS developer" and the funny thing is they list frameworks that literally just surfaced in the tech community, yet these HR reps are asking for seniority and expert levels, on top of that you have things like Superiority in problem solving, x amount of years in agile dev/dev ops principles..e…
Every "Senior" started out as a "Junior" at some point. Try not to get hung up on this.
I have two pieces of advice for you, as someone who has struggled with these very things:
First, don't compare yourself with someone else. You are only competing with yourself in the end. The person you're comparing yourself to very likely could have the same doubts as you.
Second, just start. Don't get stuck in analysis paralysis, and only think things to death. I'm happy to share my experiences with you. My email is in my profile.
Re: Ask HN: I'm 24, coding since 14, and I don't know what to do
#44I'm a PM at Google and former SWE, Twitter: @ninu Message me and let's talk further. We're always looking for strong SWE applicants. Happy holidays and remember to never give up! <3 for code. 'Tis the season to help others.
hahaha <3 thanks ninu, I'm not Google material, that is for the exceptionally chosen and talented.
Re: Ask HN: I'm 24, coding since 14, and I don't know what to do
#45First off, two things; 1. You can do this and you are not alone! I look good enough on paper that I get a seemingly endless number of job leads. And I still cant make it through the hiring pipelines at seemingly anywhere. I know people way better than me that cant either. The creator of homebrew? Max Howell? Yep, that guy. He couldn't make it through the hiring pipeline at Google. https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id…
Instead of finding your weakness and patching that up I would find what you are already strong at and take that to the next level. Then just present yourself as only that person. Craft your image to fit your skills not your skills to some image you wish to project. Unless you are highly competent and a really good self study you wont be able to pull off looking like a 10x Rockstar in blah if all you have is a coursera certificate and a really bad GitHub project. If you have 2 years experience and a highly functional app in something else then lean on that. You can always say you're looking for an opportunity to move field/role with a bit of evidence.
Re: Ask HN: I'm 24, coding since 14, and I don't know what to do
#46I'm a PM at Google and former SWE, Twitter: @ninu Message me and let's talk further. We're always looking for strong SWE applicants. Happy holidays and remember to never give up! <3 for code. 'Tis the season to help others.
Guess it always pays off to talk about stuff!
Re: Ask HN: I'm 24, coding since 14, and I don't know what to do
#47Are we in the same industry? 26 here, coding since 11, never got a degree. Decided to develop for a living, managed it within a couple of months - didn't even have a portfolio. The industry is crying out for developers, theres no reason why you wouldn't be able to get a job. Yeah the industry is fast moving but businesses aren't. If they choose to use a framework, them its going to be in their legacy code base for a…
Wondering the same thing. Here in Finland and in this industry, I feel like I have more job than I could ever handle. I have been a programmer for four years so I cannot say I'm too skilled nor talented for that matter, but getting a full-time job or freelance projects is quite easy here.
My advice is the same: aim for a junior position first and work your way up from there. If there are no full-time jobs available, try to build a social network, attend to tech meetings in your area, try to find freelance projects and add them to your portfolio. I know, the first steps are hard, but after a while it will suck you in and then you don't have to worry about finding another job.
Re: Ask HN: I'm 24, coding since 14, and I don't know what to do
#48Interviews are really a numbers game. The first ten will be rough, then you start to recognize patterns, then you start getting good at them.
Apply to 200 software positions, might be good to start with internships. Every company you can think of, big and small.
Every interview you get, ask the interviewer what they thought of your answer or if there was a better way to solve the problem.
Write down every question you get asked. Google them later to learn the better answers you don't know. After a while you'll know the answer to 90% of the questions most companies ask.
Also sounds like there may be an attitude problem. If you've never had a software development job then how can you be so confident that you can get the job done? That's plain arrogance.
Approach the situation with a growth mindset - you have loads to learn and you can't wait to absorb it all from your peers. This is a lot more encouraging than someone who thinks they know it all.
And if after all this you still can't land a gig, do work for free just to get something on your resume, to get considered at the decent/great places.
You won't get your ideal job tomorrow but through hard work and dedication you can get there in a few years no problem.
Re: Ask HN: I'm 24, coding since 14, and I don't know what to do
#49I'm a PM at Google and former SWE, Twitter: @ninu Message me and let's talk further. We're always looking for strong SWE applicants. Happy holidays and remember to never give up! <3 for code. 'Tis the season to help others.
hahaha <3 thanks ninu, I'm not Google material, that is for the exceptionally chosen and talented.
believe in yours elf
Re: Ask HN: I'm 24, coding since 14, and I don't know what to do
#50Are we in the same industry? 26 here, coding since 11, never got a degree. Decided to develop for a living, managed it within a couple of months - didn't even have a portfolio. The industry is crying out for developers, theres no reason why you wouldn't be able to get a job. Yeah the industry is fast moving but businesses aren't. If they choose to use a framework, them its going to be in their legacy code base for a…
Same industry, but likely different locations. Despite being quite possibly the most remote-friendly job, availability of software development jobs is still frustratingly regional.
As annoying as this advice might be to someone who likes his/her current home and doesn't want to move, coming to one of the tech clusters and putting in two years where you specifically focus on growing your network will help open up opportunities, establish a reputation and often help you earn a salary higher than you'd get in your local market.