Why is it so hard to get a developer job if you don't have a fleshed out portfolio?
I have fundamental knowledge of undergrad algorithms, know how to code in multiple languages, but I can't even land a freelance job because I don't have the attention span to develop a project past a week.
What could I do about it? I work best when there's someone telling me I have shit to do. It's so hard to motivate myself to finish my own projects.
Honestly, how can you code if you never coded up some projects?
I have coded projects before, it's just that most of my shit is not something you can put on a resume or market.
That's what internships are for.
I have never ever had somebody look at my programming portfolio. I had one interview where I got very vague specs and 24 hours to complete without asking questions with an optional look at another project. But since I didn't guess the holes in the spec correctly, they didn't think knowing advanced Win32 was worth anything.
What irks me about most development jobs is that they're tired to a really crippling blackbox (unless JS) framework. So they will give you a spec with something the framework can't do and expect you to fight the framework to force it to do what it can't do. If you know 3 lines of non-framework code can do it, you're not allowed and called non-cooperative if you press the issue. So the deadline rolls around, the spec isn't fulfilled, and they shut the bed over how bad the developers are. It's fucking madness.
Go figure, companies want someone who will actually stick around and finish something.
>Why is it so hard to get a developer job
it's not, they get hired in a week
Development jobs are just so fucked up these days it's not even funny. So many developers even are so afraid of reinventing the wheel that they will waste untold resources trying to beat a square peg into a round hole. And then you get shit like that incident a few weeks ago where some guy pulled his code from got hub and it broke tons of external build systems that relied on it to do something as brainlessly simple as padding a string.
I've never met a truly knowledgeable programmer that preferred using frameworks. Libraries can be a godsend, but frameworks are almost invariably the hallmark of indolent and incompetent "me too" programmers.
good programmers write frameworks that suit their need and help their team. bad programmers just rape them and use them in ways not intended.
I really think half the reason that so much software is missing basic features these days is this belief that frameworks are a silver bullet end all be all (the other half is H1Bs/outsourcing - it's cheaper for a reason).
Development jobs are just a weird intersection of needing smart people and being frightened of smart people. On the occasions that they manage to let go of that fear, projects work out, otherwise they get smothered or become zombies.
>they will give you a spec with something the framework can't do and expect you to fight the framework to force it to do what it can't do
seriously that sounds like bullshit to me.
also codes are not this micro managed usually.
if the framework can't do it you work around pretty basic stuff. sometimes this workaround causes problems later on that much is true.
>frameworks are a silver bullet end all be all
they help you develop faster more consistent codebase more maintainable.
usually you don't just think about writing a code for a problem. the other important factor is the next dude that comes after you gonna be able to figure out what you wanted there or not? does he have to rewrite or can he change it? if not then you wrote shit code even if it works.
that is why frameworks can be extra helpful.
I agree it's bullshit but that is alot of development jobs, including four that I had before bailing out into an Operations role. I was micromanaged to near death in two of them. "Let me see your code standard" became my first question. I was sick of being shit on for capitalizing acronyms when others couldn't spell or do exception handling or document or even check in code that compiled.
>other developers
Frankly when you interview me as an expert, I don't give a flying fuck what your weak developers can or can't understand. You are hiring an expert who knows the ins and outs of C#/SQL/Win32/etc. It's foolish to constrain that person and the value he brings to the organization by breaking his fucking legs.
The last system I worked on where code to the dumbest coder was policy, every team member spent 1 of every 4 days swamped on help desk duty with no end in sight. If I had been allowed to fix bugs instead of coping over and over, that nightmare would've been over inside of a year.
Getting back to the topic, how does a procrastinator obtain his first developer job?
>help desk duty
They had a dozen dedicated help desk people buy they were swamped with dumb shit the developers weren't allowed to fix. So they didn't have the time, let alone skill, to fix some batch job that broke every other day because some asshole kept putting @ in date fields. Because abloobloobloo type validation is too hard so let's not do any ever.
Take a civil service test while you keep applying to private sector postings. It's a matter of interviewing until you find some place that isn't staffed by retards.
And to get those interviews, load your resume and linkedin profile with every buzzword you can think of. Alot of times a non-developer screens the resumes so you need those to get through to a good IT group. The point is, it's a numbers game, like asking every girl at the bar until one goes home with you. The more interviews per unit of time, the sooner you find the right one.
But if you make a bad choice, get working on an exit plan as soon as possible. A firing or layoff is another thing that HE screens for whether it matters or not.
>HE
HR, sorry (God I hate auto
>code to the dumbest coder
no you set the code standard to what the average coder can deliver and fire the dumbest.
at least that is my approach.
the experts are the ones that set these standards and deal with stuff outside the box.
you make the libraries / framework the dumb-asses use them. only the interface has to adhere to the coding standard.
This is true. The best developers are never employed. They get new job offers while employed at their current job.
go in cheap
>Hey, I know I have little exp but i'm cheap :)
One year later you can start looking around.
I had to go intern -> 22K -> 24K for 3 yrs. But now I'm starting a new job at £40k.
Some people have it easier but hey ho
> I have never ever had somebody look at my programming portfolio.
On the other hand, I work at one of the big five companies, have had offers from two of the others, and numerous "unicorn" startups and in every single interview they wanted to talk about my side projects and GitHub repos. Some of them even looked through the code.
Talk to humans.
Applying online is bullshit and almost never works. Making direct contact with a human through email or phone will typically get you a phone screen and from there you have a chance to get a real interview.
Find the hiring manager and contact them directly. If you can't figure that out, contact a recruiter for the organization (they typically have a financial incentive to get you hired).
Talk to someone.
even the shit ones get hired in a week.
when we interview them and come back with an answer after a few days usually they say already got a job thx.
Just build some dank software and sell it and put it on your resume
it's a bit of a shame that promotions/significant raises only occur from changing jobs now.
id prefer to stay where i am, but a year more exp will make me marginally over-qualified for a job in a different state that pays ~15k more.
get some fucking discipline you lame motherfucker
Where are you located?
Literally all you need to do as a developer is not be the standard stereotype autist they expect, but able to communicate decently and be enthousiastic. That along with the simple fact that you have some kind of degree to do with software development is enough to get a job.
Seriously if you're not able to get a job as a software developer in this day and age you are doing it all wrong.
how do you control yourself, user?
This is why I dropped comp sci, work environment matters a lot.
What is contained in portfolios anyways, what kind of projects are in them?
All I have so far is just school assigned projects, what do other people have?
this
it also helps if you know someone, which talking to people in general will help you accomplish.
for you OP, i would recommend some personal side-project that you could attach yourself to. i have no experience in programming so i have no idea what kind of projects are easily approachable, but just think of it as building your own business, and do something you know will challenge you. at the end of the day, you will have a bit more experience and something to show for it as well, and maybe a little cash flow if you can monetize it somehow.
You don't need much of a portfolio if you have internship/job experience.
There might be some startups in your area that develop things quickly, but most cases will have you working on software for years, especially as a junior dev. You don't get freedom to start on whatever you want until you're higher up the ranks.
bump
this has got to be the most infuriating thing about being a developer in the UK
>earn 40k
>ask for 2k pay rise
>sorry, not enough money in the budget
>quit to go and earn 55k
>please stay blah blah blah our financial situation may improve by next year
>see their new job spec go up for 30k
>learn that its 2 months before they hire my replacement
>learn that they are paying this guy 55k
>learn that they had a contractor fill my boots on 400 bongs a day while they found this guy
this cheapskating is always a false economy but they seem to insist on doing it.
it's because in every company, there is some loyal autist who earns peanuts and hasn't the social skills or confidence to quit or demand a raise, and they think that if they look hard enough they can find another autist like that.
>Seriously if you're not able to get a job as a software developer in this day and age you are doing it all wrong.
this OP. nobody has ever asked to see my code.
>All I have so far is just school assigned projects, what do other people have?
literally just make some stupid little helper program or a few blog posts or stack overflow answers and you will be above 99% of candidates
in the same position , they ask for to much requirements and ridiculous experience for graduates,entry or junior roles then pay shit