This actually reminds me of how I 'found' many of my jobs: Hung out spending free time at a home computer store run by my family, mostly Atari 8-bit. Someone a

This actually reminds me of how I 'found' many of my jobs: Hung out spending free time at a home computer store run by my family, mostly Atari 8-bit. Someone asked if I could program an Olivetti PC--I had no idea but said yes. I had worked on a Xerox CP/M machine with dBase II before. Turned out it was even better/easier than expected. Worked all summer computerizing immigration forms for the Italian priest's business and developing a liking for cappuccinos. My first car, an Alfa Romeo 75 (aka Milano) broke down on the highway, and I bought a used Volvo 850. The guy noticed my engineering ring and asked if I was software dev, yes, and if I'd be interested in a one-off contract job, yes. He showed up at my door with a laptop all loaded with dev env and project requirements--add printing to a Windows app. Read the W32/GDI docs got it done same weekend. He offered me a job, which I used to pay off the car loan. Spent way, way too many hours on a submission for a "Think you can code" contest which was obviously a hiring stunt. I wasn't interested in applying but curious if I could place and win a prize. I also subverted the rules, playing by my own 'speed at all costs rule'. I self-assessed that I'd come in 2nd, which I did winning an iPad. It wasn't even the fastest, but it was the fastest that passed all blind unit tests. Went out for drinks after picking up my prize and took the job that got offered (when sober). Somehow got to talking on the phone to the CTO of a company that used Rails. I had no interest. But I went in to their office out of mere curiosity. Liked the team, office, etc, so I then interviewed with them and when the job I'd lined up and got accepted for fell through because of a company-wide freeze took this one. Got hooked on working for startups. My lesson learned: be open to fun, unexpected, or otherwise off-the-beaten-path activities and whatever may follow.