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I'm in the same place as you. I've been trying to break into web development for over a decade. The only thing that worked was to accidentally walk through the

I'm in the same place as you. I've been trying to break into web development for over a decade. The only thing that worked was to accidentally walk through the wrong door and have a chat with people who, it turns out, were looking for a web developer. After finishing the project and coming away with a good reference, I still don't have enough experience to get into the few entry-level web development positions that exist, let alone the more common senior positions. There are too few openings and too many competitors. Putting myself in the position of a recruiter, I would expect any web developer to know the names of the five major browsers, how to use the w3c validator and why, when to use different image formats and how to optimize them, some CSS, how CGI works, enough jquery to select an element, and a server-side scripting language, and to have once sniffed an HTTP connection to see what was happening. The better class of web developers at the entry level might know why to use SCP instead of FTP, common web security concerns, how to build a page that uses Javascript but does not require it, shell scripting, system administration, web server administration, what a SQL join does, how HTTPS works, how DNS works, how TCP/IP works, and a development framework or two.

GFKjunior 14y ago
I think you need to know a little more technical stuff to get a job now in days. I think that an entry level developer should know a language and framework well. Enough RoR to build produce a few sample websites, pretty easy thanks to places like Heroku. Maybe a few python programs each a coupe of hundred lines long to show that you can structure large programs and know how to integrate various libraries. The kind of programming projects that take 100+ man hours.
Donito 14y ago
I don't mean to be rude, but in my opinion, your second paragraph describes a "power user" or "web hobbyist" rather than a developer. It's one thing to know "how things work" (reading wikipedia can teach you that much), and another to make things work (experience). Most businesses look for people who can deliver a product (technical skills), work in a team (human skills), and improve over time (potential). I think your application should be able to show you got those points covered: 1- Deliver a product: Easiest way is to use previous experience at a different jobs. If you don't have that, it's as valuable to show personal projects you brought to completion. 2- Work in a team: They'll usually get a feeling for that in person, just be cool, respectful, and communicate well ^^ 3- Potential: Show passion, you do what you do because you love it. You learn new technologies, try out new frameworks/patterns/ideas out of pure curiosity. The industry is moving and changing very fast, you need to show that you can keep up with it. In a way, personal projects can help point 1 and 3). If you have those elements already, make sure you're selling yourself properly to recruiters. If you don't, fill in the gaps :P Hope that helps.
noahc 14y ago
I'm not trying to be rude, or condescending, but if you've been trying to break into web development for over a decade you're doing something wrong. It could be that you haven't learned how to get hired. I am convinced, I could take someone with no experience, but could pass the test mentioned here[1] and give them assignments every week and in six months they could get a decent programming job. [1]http://www.codinghorror.com/blog/2006/07/separating-programming-sheep-from-non-programming-goats.html http://www.codinghorror.com/blog/2006/07/separating-programm...
- slurgfest 14y ago
  If you aren't really good in the interview and you don't have a lot of experience on paper then it is really immaterial how skilled you are because nobody is going to actually test that.

GFKjunior 14y ago

I think you need to know a little more technical stuff to get a job now in days. I think that an entry level developer should know a language and framework well. Enough RoR to build produce a few sample websites, pretty easy thanks to places like Heroku. Maybe a few python programs each a coupe of hundred lines long to show that you can structure large programs and know how to integrate various libraries. The kind of programming projects that take 100+ man hours.

Donito 14y ago

I don't mean to be rude, but in my opinion, your second paragraph describes a "power user" or "web hobbyist" rather than a developer. It's one thing to know "how things work" (reading wikipedia can teach you that much), and another to make things work (experience). Most businesses look for people who can deliver a product (technical skills), work in a team (human skills), and improve over time (potential). I think your application should be able to show you got those points covered: 1- Deliver a product: Easiest way is to use previous experience at a different jobs. If you don't have that, it's as valuable to show personal projects you brought to completion. 2- Work in a team: They'll usually get a feeling for that in person, just be cool, respectful, and communicate well ^^ 3- Potential: Show passion, you do what you do because you love it. You learn new technologies, try out new frameworks/patterns/ideas out of pure curiosity. The industry is moving and changing very fast, you need to show that you can keep up with it. In a way, personal projects can help point 1 and 3). If you have those elements already, make sure you're selling yourself properly to recruiters. If you don't, fill in the gaps :P Hope that helps.

noahc 14y ago

I'm not trying to be rude, or condescending, but if you've been trying to break into web development for over a decade you're doing something wrong. It could be that you haven't learned how to get hired. I am convinced, I could take someone with no experience, but could pass the test mentioned here[1] and give them assignments every week and in six months they could get a decent programming job. [1]http://www.codinghorror.com/blog/2006/07/separating-programming-sheep-from-non-programming-goats.html http://www.codinghorror.com/blog/2006/07/separating-programm...

slurgfest 14y ago
If you aren't really good in the interview and you don't have a lot of experience on paper then it is really immaterial how skilled you are because nobody is going to actually test that.