Since when was having skill a prerequisite to being in IT? I have interviewed, and sadly worked with, way too many people who had no clue how to do their job.
Getting into the tech scene when you have no skills
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Re: Getting into the tech scene when you have no skills
#12I've always been wary of the online programming sites like codecademy and the like, because when I did Rails for Zombies I realized it never shows you how to set up an actual Rails application nor how Git and Heroku work. Are all the tutorials similar in that they baby you?
Yes they are. I had a couple friends who wanted to learn JavaScript and went to CodeAcademy's course[1] only to find it was more like Programming 101. Not a single mention of what is a closure, how you can modularize your code, how prototypes actually work, etc. [1] http://www.codecademy.com/tracks/javascript
That's because for 99% of javascript written today in the Real World you still need not know a single thing about those things.
You simply can't cater for every ability level in a single course.
Re: Getting into the tech scene when you have no skills
#13Step #1 for how to get into the tech scene is read a boatload of nontechnical articles?
Re: Getting into the tech scene when you have no skills
#14Adam Savage of the Mythbusters once gave a talk on problem solving and how he went about acquiring the skills he has :
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BhAt-7i36G8
While the talk was about a different industry, the lessons are still applicable to tech and pretty much most other fields.
Re: Getting into the tech scene when you have no skills
#15Earlier quoted context omitted.
> The problem with having no skills or track record is that it's not worth paying you Required experience for paid work is a fact of life. If you don't have the skills to work for pay in a certain area you work for free. You can do that by putting in the time on your own side projects or you can accomplish it some other way. Like doing free work in exchange for experience.
That's not for free. Doing work for free means "I will do this for you and get nothing in return." All I'm saying is don't run around willy-nilly doing work for free, thinking that will somehow magically lead to success; be cognizant of what you will actually get in return. And I'm not saying that money is the only type of payment, not at all.
Frankly, I think you are deliberately misinterpreting the spirit of the suggestion. Your interpretation reduces the original point to absurdity: "do something for no reward."
Re: Getting into the tech scene when you have no skills
#16Step #1 for how to get into the tech scene is read a boatload of nontechnical articles?
I still think this point is valid because there is a lot more to the tech "scene" than just technical advice. reading about VCs, startups etc will still help you understand the system as a whole and can help you find better places to start learning more.
Re: Getting into the tech scene when you have no skills
#17I think the first thing people should ask themselves is: Why are you trying to get into this scene without any skills?
In the last 10 years Silicon Valley and startups in general have attracted a mush of people who bring little or no value to the table. I'm not talking about business/product types or MBAs that might at least have some experience and maybe some contacts and financial know-how. No, its the kind of people who for no other reason are thrilled by the celebrity-esque world of high-flying startups that might come with free lunch/dinner/beer, parties, and items found in The Social Network.
People should learn some product and marketing skills at larger, non-startup companies first before taking sweat equity or low/no pay at a startup. Also make contacts at meetups and learn the finance side of things. THEN you will have less of a problem "Getting into the tech scene", skills in hand.
Re: Getting into the tech scene when you have no skills
#18The OP mentions hustle - probably the most important skill of all. One good way to get into the startup scene is to actually start something, yourself.
Re: Getting into the tech scene when you have no skills
#19I have to give the author credit–I like his approach much better than poseurs who drop into the scene and start running workshops or being mentors, all while never having actually built anything or attempted a startup.
Re: Getting into the tech scene when you have no skills
#20Since when was having skill a prerequisite to being in IT? I have interviewed, and sadly worked with, way too many people who had no clue how to do their job.
This. Just get a job in IT at any large corporation. You will fit right in.