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Hey - as a new SF transplant (from the East Coast), I definitely understand your excitement about getting over there. The visa issue is really tough - one I hav
by nlwhittemore 17y ago
Hey - as a new SF transplant (from the East Coast), I definitely understand your excitement about getting over there. The visa issue is really tough - one I haven't had to confront with our company luckily.
In terms of work, my honest answer is be good. SF has a ton of developers (front end, back end, and everything in between), but a huge portion of the contract work force is just really, really bad.
If you are already a front end guy, I would think about how you could turn yourself into the ultimate web experience designer with graphic design skills, some background knowledge of user experience design, and the ability to hack it together. There are few people that meet that bill anywhere, imo.
Another way to approach the visa question, depending on what else you have to learn, is looking into a program at one of the university. California College of the Arts is good, as is SF State, etc. Not sure what the financial situation is like, but that might be a way to get your feet settled and build even more skills in the meantime.
Once you get here, just network like crazy. Meeting people is the best way to find great projects. Good luck!