What I did, waaaay back in 1996 without a college degree, is call a headhunter in Boston. I had a job at a start-up company in two weeks, and all I needed to g

What I did, waaaay back in 1996 without a college degree, is call a headhunter in Boston. I had a job at a start-up company in two weeks, and all I needed to get the job was the ability to spell "HTML" and "C". In two years, I managed to triple my salary. All these years later, things are good. I didn't become a dotcom millionaire, but I make an excellent living and I love what I do. Your portfolio should consist of: one web app (in any language) you wrote for yourself, not school. That one thing will put you head and shoulders above the vast majority of candidates for any entry level programming position. I hire, I know.