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How to not waste time on a side project when trying to get a job

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Re: How to not waste time on a side project when trying to get a job

#81

Post by vonmoltke »

natalyarostova wrote: post #62
symlinkk wrote: post #38

Why do I have to build side projects and memorize algorithm trivia to prove to employers that I know enough to do a job? What's the value of my degree if it doesn't tell employers that I know what I'm talking about? Why are software engineers the only ones with this problem (can you imagine if doctors had to memorize random trivia to get a job)?

> (can you imagine if doctors had to memorize random trivia to get a job)? Comparing yourself to doctors, with the implication that it's easier for them, is pretty silly. Doctors have to memorize perhaps the most shit to get a job, and are frequently reevaluated on it through examinations to keep their license.

> are frequently reevaluated on it through examinations to keep their license.

Not in the US. Keeping your license, whether for medicine or engineering, is just a matter completing continuing education units. There are nearly worthless activities that count towards CE units, and I have yet to see any that are actually graded (they are all just butt-in-seat things).

People here seem to have anloftier view of licensure than it deserves. Sure, it's better than nothing. However, licensed != competent and should never be used as a substitute for measuring competence.

Re: How to not waste time on a side project when trying to get a job

#82

Post by user5994461 »

Bahamut wrote: post #72
user5994461 wrote: post #49

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Noone looks at the github. Source: https://thehftguy.com/2016/10/24/heres-how-to-make-a-good-gi...

That’s just flat out wrong. My GitHub profile has gotten strong interest from companies, including the famous big tech companies (I work at one currently), due to having a ton of open source contributions to major projects & smart analysis/questions through participation in open source communities. I also have gotten asked a fair number of questions directly related to my profile during interviews as well, often demo…

That's flat out true. Companies didn't even open the github link.

Your experience suggests that one should contribute to the major open source projects used by the big companies to get noticed by them. That's very different from the usual advice to write side projects.

Re: How to not waste time on a side project when trying to get a job

#83

Post by ashark »

Pokepokalypse wrote: post #76
ashark wrote: post #35

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I find I often forget basic language syntax when I don't have adjoining lines to crib from, say, when white boarding. And that's with languages I'm actively working in—I'm hopeless in anything I haven't used in a couple months, even if I wrote in it daily for the five years before that. I'll flat out forget which language features it supports, or how to address them.

Same. 25 years experience. (especially now that I have about a dozen obsolete languages under my belt). This is fine in daily practice, and does not interfere with productivity. But getting through that hiring filter; devastating.

I hope that this is because I have, over the years, become like Liezi's good judge of horses[1], but fear it's just that I have a bad memory for programming language details. Probably it's a bit of both.

[1] https://www.reddit.com/r/taoism/comments/38h66v/liezi_book_8...

Re: How to not waste time on a side project when trying to get a job

#84

Post by ben_w »

expertentipp wrote: post #79
jmcgough wrote: post #73

Earlier quoted context omitted.

This is why I participate in the Stupid Shit That No One Needs And Terrible Ideas Hackathon every year. It's super fun to build goofy things that you can laugh about with friends.

Landlord, utility companies, car mechanic, partner, and kids roll on the ground from the laughter as well.

I can’t tell if you’re saying everyone outside software has goofy hobbies and this is nothing worth writing about, or if you’re trying to say that software-based hobbies stop software developers from doing their day jobs and paying the bills related to your list of other humans.

Re: How to not waste time on a side project when trying to get a job

#85

Post by janekm »

pulkownik wrote: post #21

I am confused now. I have been working on my side project almost 2 years (started working on it a couple of months after my first job in it). Firstly my plan was to deploy this project and open to users finally, however after some time, I realized that there is a lot of similar web pages and it is not a good idea. So I decided to work on this project as some kind of battlefield for testing new frameworks. Finally I e…

I would say, show it and be prepared to talk in the interview about what you have learned and would do differently the next time 'round. Any sensible employer wants employees who will learn from experience...

Another recommendation I have is to pick side-projects that are small enough in scope to get finished. There's more satisfaction in that and also more useful for interview situations, arguably.

Re: How to not waste time on a side project when trying to get a job

#86

Post by newfoundglory »

k__ wrote: post #80
newfoundglory wrote: post #36

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Yes, but they're all searching for "awesome" tech people, not just anyone.

most of them don't have a choice, lol

Most of them couldn't tell the difference, so they pick some internet advice like "hire people with many side projects!", which is why job seekers are told to create side projects to improve their chances.
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