Entry-level programming job

Question

I'm new to stack-overflow but it seem like you people are a bright bunch and have the knowledge that I lack as an almost college grad. I have one semester left and am looking forward to working as a programmer.

I started out as a QBasic programmer at the wee age of 9 and made a couple of games that were really buggy but it kept me entertained working on them. Well, I'm in college now with one semester to go and have become decently proficient in Java, C++, and Cobol(I was practically teaching other students cobol in my second class of it).

So now I'm in a rut. I am graduating in December and have been searching for entry-level jobs randomly in my free time, but it seems most jobs that are out there are for Jr. to Sr. level. Also, it sounds like everyone's answer to getting one is through an internship (which I didn't do as it was for Allstate and I was unable to as I got into a legal battle with my landlord... I'm the plaintiff in the matter... and relocated). I also hear the answer through a recruiter but I have no idea where to find a recruiter, or do they find you? So my first question is: does anyone have good tips to find that first entry-level job? I also am willing to move anywhere and want to move anywhere, I absolutely hate Illinois.

I have another little question. I want to broaden my horizon and learn SQL as well as get better at my current languages (Java, C++). From what I have seen of SQL, it seems very simple yet I haven't gotten to play around with it yet. I want to get better at my current languages as I don't feel as if college has given me an adequate amount of practice... most of my assignments are as such: designing data structures (linked lists, double linked list, trees, stacks, queues, basically stuff that there is already a class for), some critical thinking problems such as the Wolf Farmer Goat Cabbage problem, basic applications such as a simple registration system for students into classes, and recursion problems such as Tower of Hanoi.

I feel disappointed that I haven't been taught some skills I want to learn, such as website design using Java and making actual usable software. I mean in my last semester I am taking a Database class which I heard really helps out, but I feel to be successful I need to take my learning into my own hands and out of the classroom. Does anyone have any pointers on good sites that offer practice problems or tutorials? I think that college has sucked all the creativity out of my brain as I have experiences programmer's block this summer and it would help greatly to learn new things through a respectable source.

Overall I feel as if I have the knowledge of logic down as I've dominated all my CS classes(3.8 gpa), but I feel as if I lack the application of logic and lack the knowledge of hunting for an entry-level job. I would greatly appreciate answers to point me in the right direction.

Answer 1

I would recommend you focus your efforts surrounding skills on where the demand is, in the UK I would recommend .net skills c# or vb.net and sql server skills. The reality is that when you are first looking for an entry level job you're not expected to know everything. Most employers recruiting juniors are aware that they don't have experience but are looking for the right attitude.

If you can demonstrate that you can use the basic tools visual studio and sql server and you can solve problems then you are likely to get a chance. There is no real excuse for not learning how to use most of the development tools since they are almost all available in free versions.

Don't know the US job market but here in the UK I'd recommend you create a couple a projects/apps so that you can talk through the process, put up a web site and learn about testing.

Testing is often a great way into development.

Answer 2

I agree with Fosco for the most part. I'm in basically your same situation , except I felt impending doom looming as I took classes. My school actually has an intership / coop placement office and I utilized it as soon as I could.

I was placed in one position that treated me as a technical writer and then threw me away (and about 9 other interns they hired) when the work was just about finished. After that I was placed with another company that threw me into code that I was vaguely familiar with with a whole bunch of other things that I had never worked with before. I assumed I would get some training or help with getting started, but that never happened, so I taught myself.

Now, I'm still working for that company developing a reporting web application in struts and I'll be graduating in about 3 weeks. Also, I have an interview with a big name company on Monday that I'm hoping pans out.

So my advice to you, take advantage of anything you can find to get you in a position even if you aren't 100% confident, just try it and work hard. Don't sell yourself short, if you're good at coding then you can probably pick up any language / framework fairly quickly and be proficient with it before your employer even realizes ;)

I hope this helps!

Answer 3

If you want to learn web development, start by looking at open source projects e.g. django/ ruby on rails or a java one. Try it out. They are usually quite well documented with good tutorials. As far as jobs , consider working at a startup. That is the fastest learning curve :)

Answer 4

One thing to keep in mind is that those job descriptions are often written by HR people, and shouldn't necessarily be interpreted literally. I got my first job out of college with 0 years professional experience when the job posting said they were requiring 3-5 years (along with the usual laundry list of acronyms). If you are bright and enthusiastic about learning new thing then you have a good shot.

That being said, it never hurts to start working on some skills that will likely be required for most jobs. I would recommend web dev and SQL skills. If you pick up a copy of Learning SQL from O'Reilly then you can download a sample MySQL database from their website and use it with the examples.

Answer 5

I would recommend looking into college career fairs. My school allows anyone to attend the career fairs, and several of my peers have gone to other school's career fairs. As far as getting actual real-world experience other than a job, there are many open source projects looking for contributors.

I also cannot agree more with Mike's point, proper networking is the key to suceeding professionally.

Answer 6

It will be hard, there's no question. Just keep grinding away and eventually you will find someone who has an entry level position.

• Have someone you trust look over your cover letters and give you suggestions on how to improve.
• If your college has a service that will go over your resume with you take advantage of it.
• Work on your interview skills, without much experience this might be the most important thing you can do. One big tip is to know about the company that is interviewing you and ask them meaningful questions.

I would highly recommend working on some web programming and trying to create a portfolio online, there are certain employers that this will look really good to. Not as good as experience but it's close.

I also agree with your idea to get some SQL experience, even if it's on your own. Work on creating a website that can Save, retrieve, delete and update information in a database.

Basically you just need to decide that finding a job, is your job, until you get into your first paid position.

Answer 7

I would suggest focusing on one of these technology stacks:

• .NET
• Java
• Embedded Systems
• Security
• Ruby on Rails
• Django

and building a project with it.

You will find some good advice here: http://stackoverflow.com/questions/2823571/im-graduating-with-a-computer-science-degree-but-i-dont-feel-like-i-know-how-to

Answer 8

This is a programming Q/A site. Naturally everyone is going to to say learn this language, learn that language, X technology is all the rage now, etc.

I agree somewhat, in that you should learn more than what your school has taught you. I don't suggest doing a Hello World in X of the hottest languages right now. Think of some small to medium project that you want to do, and pick the best technology to do it in.

More importantly, work on your soft skills. Communication is most important. Your writing seems up to par. But people skills almost always get you in the door before your technical knowledge. Even if you do learn a load of new languages, how does the person screening applications know the difference between you and the million other people thta claim to know all the hottest acronyms?

If you can communicate effectively, and especially about projects that you've completed and have something to show for it, you will be ahead of the game. Technical knowledge is only part of the package.

Answer 9

Really just show up to interviews and give them the impression that you are bright and willing to learn. I never expect much out of entry level developers than that. You'll learn a ton once you get your foot in the door.

Answer 10

If you are proficient in COBOL, then I would hit up the banking firms big-time! New York, Chicago, Milwaukee. There are a TON of COBOL jobs out there right now that are paying extremely well. You'll go through training to learn how to program in COBOL the way they want you to, and then you'll be writing banking software in no time.

It's a pretty nice gig from the few people I know that do it. They all work "bankers hours".

Answer 11

http://careers.stackoverflow.com/