Fresh out of University: Am I selling myself short?

Question

Hi everyone,

I'm graduating in December with an undergrad degree in Applied Mathematics. I'll be venturing out and finding my first programming job soon, but I'm a bit intimidated by the job ads I read. I regularly browse the ads on Dice, Craigslist and Monster, and from what I can tell, I don't have the necessary skills.

Most jobs tend to be looking for senior developers with a very precise skill set. Ie, distributed systems, compilers, kernels, build and release management, etc. While I have a very superficial understanding of some of these areas (I've written a toy compiler and kernel), I'm not exactly an an expert or even proficient.

I've been programming for about 10 years, and almost all of my experience is in C, C++ and python (in that order). Should I apply to these jobs anyways? Should I lower the bar and take whatever I can get?

I would love to work for a company where I can put my math and algorithm knowledge to work. But with zero industry experience, I'm not really sure what type of jobs I should be applying to. Any advice would be much appreciated.

Thanks,

Nick

Answer 1

Here is a similar question that may be useful:

How to get hired when lacking experience.

Answer 2

Keep looking, and look in different places.

I'm in a somewhat similar situation to you. I got a very interesting and rewarding job recently. A friend of mine had worked there for some time, they were looking for someone, and he recommended me.

It was quite a small company, doing all sorts of programming odd jobs but specialising in computer security and networks. The atmosphere was casual and the work was on the whole quite enjoyable.

So keep your eyes open; if you have some talent then there is a great job for you, somewhere...

Answer 3

Those jobs that intimidate you, the ones that are looking for highly trained professionals with very specific skill sets are definitely a bit out of reach for you right now. i think you need to get your foot in the door with a company willing to work with an entry-level programmer. (In my experience on both the application and hiring sides of the fence, senior developers are expected to contribute pretty much on day one.)

But, don't worry about selling yourself short. Find a small company or startup where you'll be able to wear a lot of hats and be exposed to lots of different technologies quickly. If you go with some conglomerate that has thousands of developers on the bench, then you'll be selling yourself short.

My experience: i was hired as an intern my junior year of college to write Crystal Reports against a Sybase 5 database for $10 by a small startup. That's right. Crystal Reports. Version 5 i think. (Seemingly not an auspicious start for a developer's career.) But i whipped out the reports by the dozen and when i got ahead, i started asking for small programming assignments. i rocked those and within a year i was considered a lead developer with responsibility over large parts of the production code for the main product. And i hadn't even graduated yet. The pay still sucked but i was writing ActiveX controls in C++ and doing bleeding-edge SOAP (late 90's.) i stuck around a while after college, the company ended folding and guess what? i found myself to be very marketable just a year out with an undergrad CS degree.

The point of this is that if you're good, or even just decent, (in retrospect i feel that i was just barely decent) you can advance your career relatively quickly.

Answer 4

I felt the same way when I got hired for my current job, which is my first programming job. I wouldn't worry about it. For one thing, they know you just graduated and that you're still in the learning process so they'll definitely go easy on ya at first, until you gain experience. Also, people will definitely be there to help you out which is why you should always ask questions. There's a couple of guys where I am that are really smart and I always try to pick their brain as much as I can.

You'll do just fine. :}

Answer 5

You should be focusing your efforts on finding jobs where they are looking for your specific skill set. IMO having a mix of math and programming skills should be an asset instead of something that holds you back... but if you're applying for "Python Web App Developer I" positions then you are probably going to be selling yourself short. If you look at the defense industry, CAD, bioinformatics, financial analysis etc I think you will find job openings where they want applicants who can bridge the gap between math and software implementation.

Also, a willingness to move to a different part of the country will make it much easier to find a good job.

Answer 6

Stuff will happen, you just have to apply everywhere and get your name out there. Chance favors the prepared mind. Make your resume a little bit memorable - you never know where it will go, especially with email. Visit local user groups - there are always recruiters. There may be other local groups peripherally related to programming - we have a technology council, a NetSquared group, a few social media groups, etc.

I was in a very similar situation 16 years ago - except I had returned from 8 years overseas and had no good local connections, no one had email and no one had "the Internet".

I had applied for position I never expected to find in the US (C programming on Psion handhelds, which I had extensive hobbyist experience in from my time in England), and they saw my games programming experience and weren't that interested and didn't call me for interview.

Then I was a finalist for a position where they were looking for someone more senior doing analytical financial software in C (something I only had intern experience in).

Turns out that the founder that interviewed me passed my resume on to a friend who owned the company at the earlier position and I got called back in there for interview. That led to a 3 year gig where I got huge experience and contacts that led to an 11 year gig where I was able to grow tremendously.