How to get a job (or not)

[rah]

Hobbies/sports interest is always good. A good job applicant can use it to their benefit.
Eventually most applicants start to look the same so a little personality (i.e interest in the same things outside of work) can make the difference.

I always tried to pick it out of the environment but sometimes you're in a neutral location or it's hard to pick out.

But of course, if it's your friend and you're on good terms with the employer, just tell them you recommend the person.
Personal recommendations from someone they respect is always #1

 

[hobbsyoyo]

Say you have a friend putting in for a job with your employer. You want to give them the best advice on how to make a good impression with the hiring manager and team. What information would you pass on to your friend?

What the job actually entails (not just the job description) and what areas they should prep in for the interview.

 

[Birdjaguar]

 

[caketastydelish]

If I can bump this. I'm one semester (this spring semester + a few summer classes) from graduating with a Bachelors in Computer Information Systems and a minor in English. I'm going to graduate with either no debt or very little debt. I figure I should start planning for the next step, which would obviously be my career. There's no one thing I have my heart absolutely set on, though my favorite option at the moment would be working in a data center. Or I could use my tech skills/English minor route and try to get some journalistic job about tech stuff, though I'm not sure where I'd start with that. I already have a blog where I write a crap ton but I hardly get any hits. Working in IT is also ok with me.

 

[BvBPL]

Your blog is example work to show perspective employers.

 

[rah]

The last survey I saw listed software developer as one of the hottest jobs right now with an average salary around 100K. If you could handle it I would recommend it as a good place to start.

 

[caketastydelish]

Would they really let you go from almost no experience whatsoever (but with a BA) to Software Developer though?

 

[hobbsyoyo]

In the right job markets. Seattle being a prime example.

100k would likely be pushing it but I haven't surveyed Seattle's developer market in like, ever.

The point is that you're likely going to get a good job with good to great pay.

 

[warpus]

Just make sure to not only focus 100% on pay. Look at the expected working hours, overtime, benefits, other perks, work atmosphere, what technologies you are going to be working with, etc. Great pay is great pay, but personally I would take a rather large pay cut to get better benefits and not have to do COBOL 8 hours a day (or overtime).

 

[rah]

In the right job markets. Seattle being a prime example.

100k would likely be pushing it but I haven't surveyed Seattle's developer market in like, ever.

The point is that you're likely going to get a good job with good to great pay.

http://www.chicagotribune.com/business/ct-biz-us-news-top-jobs-ranking-20180109-story.html

For several years over the past decade, a day spent examining and fixing teeth was considered to be the “best job” in the United States, according to U.S. News & World Report’s annual survey. This year, a job that requires tech savviness and scientific know-how tops the list.
The best job in 2018 is that of a software developer, according to the annual ranking, which uses data from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics to identify jobs with the greatest hiring demand and the best work/life balance, salary and future prospects, among other factors.
The job of dentist, which has frequently topped the annual ranking over the past decade, was No. 2 this year followed by physician assistant at No. 3 and nurse practitioner at No. 4. Health care jobs, including nurse practitioners and physicians, usually dominate the list, but this year marks first time since 2015 that a health care practitioner has not topped the list. Orthodontist, which held the top spot last year, came in at No. 5.
Software developers, which on average make $100,080, according to the report, are in “huge” demand now and are expected to be in the future, said Rebecca Koenig, U.S. News’ careers reporter, who researched and contributed to the report.

That average is across the US so it must be higher in those good markets

 

[hobbsyoyo]

Of course the average will include lots of people with more than entry-level experience too.

Oh and yeah you can be a software developer right out of school. There really isn't any training or probationary period for coders. Sorry I missed the actual question that was asked and focused on the salary bit up thread.

Edit: Yeah I really confused things. I thought the question was 'can I make 100k right out of school'. The answer is probably not but it wouldn't be impossible in some markets. The real question was 'can I be a developer right out of school' and the answer is absolutely yes.

 

[rah]

In Chicago it seems the starting for low experienced right out of school is in the 70 range. But many have experience even right out of school and 90-100 is not unheard of (but yes, not common) (totally based on my and a few other buddies experiences hiring)

 

[warpus]

Oh and yeah you can be a software developer right out of school. There really isn't any training or probationary period for coders.

Mind you they're not going to throw you into a large project right away. At least from my experience, at first you'll be given little crap jobs so you get familiar with their working environment and whatever else, and so that they can see exactly what your strengths and weaknesses are. If you get a job at a game studio your first couple years are going to be spent coding tools for other developers to use while they do all the cool stuff.

 

[hobbsyoyo]

Mind you they're not going to throw you into a large project right away. At least from my experience, at first you'll be given little crap jobs so you get familiar with their working environment and whatever else, and so that they can see exactly what your strengths and weaknesses are. If you get a job at a game studio your first couple years are going to be spent coding tools for other developers to use while they do all the cool stuff.

That really depends. I have worked with newly graduated developers that got thrown to the wolves right out of the gate and put on massively complicated and important projects. The results hinged less on how good the developer was and more on how good the overall environment in the group was. If the team was tight-knit and supportive the new guy could hit a home run some of the time and otherwise did just 'ok'. If the team was petty and back biting then the new guy would fail every time.

It's really hard to capture the essence of this in a glassdoor review.

 

[hobbsyoyo]

And the fact that I use the word 'guy' here says more about my particular industry than the failings of the English language. :-/

 

[rah]

I'm in a global market research company which is head up by a woman and they are well represented throughout the company, except in IT.

 

[Birdjaguar]

If I can bump this. I'm one semester (this spring semester + a few summer classes) from graduating with a Bachelors in Computer Information Systems and a minor in English. I'm going to graduate with either no debt or very little debt. I figure I should start planning for the next step, which would obviously be my career. There's no one thing I have my heart absolutely set on, though my favorite option at the moment would be working in a data center. Or I could use my tech skills/English minor route and try to get some journalistic job about tech stuff, though I'm not sure where I'd start with that. I already have a blog where I write a crap ton but I hardly get any hits. Working in IT is also ok with me.

Of course you can bump this thread. Job issues are always important.
It appears to me that you have opened two cool paths. Both could pay off. Tech always needs good translators into plain English and that can be done as an independent blogger or within a company. I had a great friend who worked at a tech company as their corporate storyteller. That was his actual title. His untimely death ended that job after a decade, but it points out that there are creative ways to integrate tech with other skills. There is a huge need for the tech that is coming to be explained to a wide, non tech audience. I suggest you try to keep both paths open.

 

[warpus]

I feel that women would enjoy programming more if they were introduced to it early enough in school. But as far as I know high school (or earlier) level programming courses are usually optional, so women almost never take them (cause it'll be all guys in there, so..)

 

[rah]

I feel that women would enjoy programming more if they were introduced to it early enough in school. But as far as I know high school (or earlier) level programming courses are usually optional, so women almost never take them (cause it'll be all guys in there, so..)

I know this is going to show my age but "SO WHAT"
I took typing and home ecc. Why, cause that's where all the girls were.

 

[Birdjaguar]

At what point do coders get tired of coding and long for something different? Moving into management can be a "bridge too far" for some, so what other alternatives are there?