4 ms·

I thought most companies don't care about side projects.

leojg 9y ago
Really? I get asked if I got some side project in most of the interviews... besides it is a good way of improving the skills he says is lacking
- jamesmp98 9y ago
  Where do you live and what type of jobs do you apply to?
  - leojg 9y ago
    Uruguay(South America)... mostly semi-senior android and fullstack web developer
- SadWebDeveloper 9y ago
  It matters if it is related to the job, usually it doesn't matter, to at least the python shop i was getting interviewed didn't seem to care my 5 years worth of projects in PHP and C#.
leojg 9y ago
Really? I get asked if I got some side project in most of the interviews... besides it is a good way of improving the skills he says is lacking
52-6F-62 9y ago
Side projects and volunteer work helped me earn my current position. ~mid-level programmer at a large digital media corporation. My side projects are what swayed them. That and knowing some specifics to media of course. It wasn't solely the side projects, but they helped display a breadth of skill that I otherwise wouldn't have been able to with only work that I was paid by somebody else to do.
- toexitthedonut 9y ago
  Two instances where side projects caught an employers interest just fell through with an offer in the last minute. In both cases, they over-estimated their need and funds to hire a new employee. So I'm just chalking that up to bad timing. Hoping to get the attention of larger, more financially stable companies with my projects.
  - 52-6F-62 9y ago
    There are so many variables, it really is hard to know how to hit the right points with anybody. I'm sure there's ultimately some sort of data correlation that could be produced about what, on average, attracts certain types of employers. I don't think it translates well to individuals, though -- there's too much to know in the larger job market. Unless you have a laser-focused intent on one position in one company in one industry, it's pretty much a scattershot. In the media company I now work for, my manager is pseudo-technical. He had an engineer sit in on the interview for any technicals. Outside of the side projects, one of the major points I scored with them was that I knew anything at all about Adobe DPS -- and I hardly knew a thing. Vague private interest in how modern publishing was being handled translated into a position in a company that does it. Downloading an outdated demo at one point to play around for an hour or so translated into talking points. The engineer relied more on general technical knowledge for his approval, and seemed to avoid the typical "programmer interview" questions. So! I guess my point is that people shouldn't rule out play as valid experience! Isn't that how most of us started on this kind of work to begin with? Do things, build things, break things (and then fix them)!
kenferry 9y ago
When I interview people, I care about tangible evidence to back up what they're saying. That doesn't have to be side projects, but it can be, especially for people who have boring day jobs. (Conversely, if you actually did communicable stuff in your real job, I'm not going to care about a lack of side projects.)

Really? I get asked if I got some side project in most of the interviews... besides it is a good way of improving the skills he says is lacking

jamesmp98 9y ago
Where do you live and what type of jobs do you apply to?
- leojg 9y ago
  Uruguay(South America)... mostly semi-senior android and fullstack web developer
SadWebDeveloper 9y ago
It matters if it is related to the job, usually it doesn't matter, to at least the python shop i was getting interviewed didn't seem to care my 5 years worth of projects in PHP and C#.

leojg 9y ago

Really? I get asked if I got some side project in most of the interviews... besides it is a good way of improving the skills he says is lacking

52-6F-62 9y ago

Side projects and volunteer work helped me earn my current position. ~mid-level programmer at a large digital media corporation. My side projects are what swayed them. That and knowing some specifics to media of course. It wasn't solely the side projects, but they helped display a breadth of skill that I otherwise wouldn't have been able to with only work that I was paid by somebody else to do.

toexitthedonut 9y ago
Two instances where side projects caught an employers interest just fell through with an offer in the last minute. In both cases, they over-estimated their need and funds to hire a new employee. So I'm just chalking that up to bad timing. Hoping to get the attention of larger, more financially stable companies with my projects.
- 52-6F-62 9y ago
  There are so many variables, it really is hard to know how to hit the right points with anybody. I'm sure there's ultimately some sort of data correlation that could be produced about what, on average, attracts certain types of employers. I don't think it translates well to individuals, though -- there's too much to know in the larger job market. Unless you have a laser-focused intent on one position in one company in one industry, it's pretty much a scattershot. In the media company I now work for, my manager is pseudo-technical. He had an engineer sit in on the interview for any technicals. Outside of the side projects, one of the major points I scored with them was that I knew anything at all about Adobe DPS -- and I hardly knew a thing. Vague private interest in how modern publishing was being handled translated into a position in a company that does it. Downloading an outdated demo at one point to play around for an hour or so translated into talking points. The engineer relied more on general technical knowledge for his approval, and seemed to avoid the typical "programmer interview" questions. So! I guess my point is that people shouldn't rule out play as valid experience! Isn't that how most of us started on this kind of work to begin with? Do things, build things, break things (and then fix them)!

kenferry 9y ago

When I interview people, I care about tangible evidence to back up what they're saying. That doesn't have to be side projects, but it can be, especially for people who have boring day jobs. (Conversely, if you actually did communicable stuff in your real job, I'm not going to care about a lack of side projects.)