4 ms·

Ask HN: I'm Looking for work

12 points by wturner 14y ago

Hello, my name is William. I'm looking for entry level work in the bay area. I've been teaching myself how to program for two years. I've also recently enrolled in thinkful.com (starting soon) and have a small portfolio available online. I have very little professional experience doing web programming outside of my personal projects and have been teaching myself in a vacuum. With that said, this is a possible opportunity for your company to mold a new long term employee who is hungry and excited about the process. Below is my homepage and SO account. helpknow.com http://stackoverflow.com/users/1152980/taoist Thanks for reading.:)

whichdan 14y ago
Have you looked at the WhoIsHiring[1] threads? If you use some Google-Fu, you can find some "Who is Hiring Interns" threads that are posted occasionally by various users. If you have any code you can show off, you should definitely throw it on GitHub. Best of luck! [1] http://news.ycombinator.com/submitted?id=whoishiring http://news.ycombinator.com/submitted?id=whoishiring
- wturner 14y ago
  The problem with that route is I'm bit older and past the "intern level" age and the other roles expect you to already know everything. I'm looking for an entry level role where I can actually work with others to even begin to understand a professional front-end work environment. I've tried the telecommuting start up route where I work for peanuts and don't get paid until a revenue benchmark it made (assuming it ever is). In my case the entire experience felt pointless. No money and I wasn't learning anything. I actually dont mind working for very little as long as I'm in an environment where I'm learning something and actually have a purpose for being there. Thanks for the thread regardless. I didn't know the who is hiring threads worked like that.
  - redguava 14y ago
    I wouldn't rule out remote work. You just need a business/team that works together and values learning.
  - jyu 14y ago
    It sounds like you want an entry level front end web dev position. Try to make your future job title as specific as you can. "Front-end developer experienced with JQuery and django interested in ecommerce" is better than a generic "front-end entry level developer". You can start contacting people in the bay area that have those job descriptions to figure out if that's what you really want to do. Once you have your next goal in mind, you can start optimizing towards that goal. Can you get interviews? If not, optimize your skills / portfolio / network to help get you interviews. Can you get job offers? If not, improve your interview skills. Here's a great post by Satvik Beri on how to manage 'Job Search Frustration' by making the process into a more stepwise progression. http://qr.ae/TpZGM http://qr.ae/TpZGM
    - wturner 14y ago
      Thanks, I saved the link and made note of the advice.
lifeisstillgood 14y ago
I think you are aiming too broad. "Just a job - any job" makes it very hard to decide if so done reading can or cannot help. Can I suggest taking something you enjoy or work well on (maybe webrtc / html5 audio/video from your so comments maybe?) and focus on that. Look for companies hiring in those areas, google for the libraries and see who has them on their pages. Contact those people I know it's a fair chunk of work but you are much much more likely to get a good position out of it being focused and proactive.
- wturner 14y ago
  I know it's about being focused and proactive. This post is an addendum to my existing focus and proactivity. But seriously, it's a chicken and egg to even know what I have to offer anyone. So little posts like this are my attempt to break the dilemma.
  - lifeisstillgood 14y ago
    What you have to offer anyone sounds a lot like second guessing what employers might want. Instead go for a solid grounding (sicp is a start) and find something that is valuable (almost all software) and you enjoy (upto you, audio?). If you lead they will want to employ you,
    - wturner 14y ago
      The book you mentioned looks great and ( I've heard of it ) but I'm kind of on a tread mill at the moment. I do my best to nudge basic CS concepts in the direction of my Javascript learning ( exploring basic sorting algorithms using Javascript etc. ) The problem is there aren't any books like sicp that use Javascript. Just to get familiar with Scheme to use that book might take me a few months. So all my conceptual learning is taking place within Javascript, while additionally learning to dodge the "bad parts" , dom manipulation, and the entire web of intricacies of HTML-5. Within Javascript all that stuff is part of having a strong foundation. I would love if there was a theoretical CS Javascript equivalent of sicp. Thanks for the response.
hmsimha 14y ago
Upvoted because I'm in nearly exactly the same position as you (not that that helps your situation -- I do have my heart set on Portland however). I graduated in December with a bachelors in computer science after a somewhat checkered 9-year relationship with higher education. In addition to throwing myself to the mercy of the up-and-coming MOOC revolution to fill in some wide-open gaps in knowledge I feel like my undergraduate education completely failed to address, I also have several ideas I've been kicking around for side projects that interest me and I want to start working on. My impression from your website is that you are very motivated and accomplished for someone lacking in a formal technical education (I'm guessing) and work experience. Have you tried applying to entry-level positions at companies in your target area with cover letters expanding on what you've written in this post?
- wturner 14y ago
  All of the companies I've applied to have been via formal corporate processes that either never get back to me or if I actually get my foot in the door something happens where I blow it in a manner that is very superficial. For example, I applied for an audio tester position ( non web related ) about 5 months ago that would have been perfect for my skill set and that I would have absolutely loved. I built up a good rapport with the project leader. They then gave me a basic online test about 3 weeks ago. Before they gave me the audio section (which I'm confident I aced) they gave me a subsection asking me questions about computer networking as well as a few questions that technically I knew the answer to but the way they were phrased completely confused the hell out of me. I then got a rejection email. Regardless, I'm confident that I would have been perfect for the role even if I didn't know by heart how to network a Windows system (I could easily look it up on Google and figure it out without any problems). But to answer your question, no I haven't created cover letters that are similar to this post. I try to phrase my cover letters in the self interest of the company. Nobody wants to hear otherwise and they simply don't have any reason to. One little secret though, about 8 months ago I went on a stream of interviews for web companies that give programming and coding tests and I knew I would blow them. So I would just suck it up, do them (and fail) and then I would go home and learn whatever it is I was being tested on so I can parallel my skill set with the job market. I make a habit of doing that now on every job interview/test I go on. If I fail ( which I usually do), I just make sure I make a compartmentalized note of what they're looking for, then I go home and learn it - even if it takes me weeks or months. My advice to you, since your probably younger than I am. Whatever project ideas you have try and get something online and in front of people. Even if it's just a basic version. And stay in that "state". So much so that it becomes addictive and it imprints itself onto you and becomes the norm.
tectonic 14y ago
Send me an email - andrewcantino.com
- wturner 14y ago
  done

12 points by wturner 14y ago

whichdan 14y ago

Have you looked at the WhoIsHiring[1] threads? If you use some Google-Fu, you can find some "Who is Hiring Interns" threads that are posted occasionally by various users. If you have any code you can show off, you should definitely throw it on GitHub. Best of luck! [1] http://news.ycombinator.com/submitted?id=whoishiring http://news.ycombinator.com/submitted?id=whoishiring

wturner 14y ago
The problem with that route is I'm bit older and past the "intern level" age and the other roles expect you to already know everything. I'm looking for an entry level role where I can actually work with others to even begin to understand a professional front-end work environment. I've tried the telecommuting start up route where I work for peanuts and don't get paid until a revenue benchmark it made (assuming it ever is). In my case the entire experience felt pointless. No money and I wasn't learning anything. I actually dont mind working for very little as long as I'm in an environment where I'm learning something and actually have a purpose for being there. Thanks for the thread regardless. I didn't know the who is hiring threads worked like that.
- redguava 14y ago
  I wouldn't rule out remote work. You just need a business/team that works together and values learning.
- jyu 14y ago
  It sounds like you want an entry level front end web dev position. Try to make your future job title as specific as you can. "Front-end developer experienced with JQuery and django interested in ecommerce" is better than a generic "front-end entry level developer". You can start contacting people in the bay area that have those job descriptions to figure out if that's what you really want to do. Once you have your next goal in mind, you can start optimizing towards that goal. Can you get interviews? If not, optimize your skills / portfolio / network to help get you interviews. Can you get job offers? If not, improve your interview skills. Here's a great post by Satvik Beri on how to manage 'Job Search Frustration' by making the process into a more stepwise progression. http://qr.ae/TpZGM http://qr.ae/TpZGM
  - wturner 14y ago
    Thanks, I saved the link and made note of the advice.

lifeisstillgood 14y ago

I think you are aiming too broad. "Just a job - any job" makes it very hard to decide if so done reading can or cannot help. Can I suggest taking something you enjoy or work well on (maybe webrtc / html5 audio/video from your so comments maybe?) and focus on that. Look for companies hiring in those areas, google for the libraries and see who has them on their pages. Contact those people I know it's a fair chunk of work but you are much much more likely to get a good position out of it being focused and proactive.

wturner 14y ago
I know it's about being focused and proactive. This post is an addendum to my existing focus and proactivity. But seriously, it's a chicken and egg to even know what I have to offer anyone. So little posts like this are my attempt to break the dilemma.
- lifeisstillgood 14y ago
  What you have to offer anyone sounds a lot like second guessing what employers might want. Instead go for a solid grounding (sicp is a start) and find something that is valuable (almost all software) and you enjoy (upto you, audio?). If you lead they will want to employ you,
  - wturner 14y ago
    The book you mentioned looks great and ( I've heard of it ) but I'm kind of on a tread mill at the moment. I do my best to nudge basic CS concepts in the direction of my Javascript learning ( exploring basic sorting algorithms using Javascript etc. ) The problem is there aren't any books like sicp that use Javascript. Just to get familiar with Scheme to use that book might take me a few months. So all my conceptual learning is taking place within Javascript, while additionally learning to dodge the "bad parts" , dom manipulation, and the entire web of intricacies of HTML-5. Within Javascript all that stuff is part of having a strong foundation. I would love if there was a theoretical CS Javascript equivalent of sicp. Thanks for the response.

hmsimha 14y ago

Upvoted because I'm in nearly exactly the same position as you (not that that helps your situation -- I do have my heart set on Portland however). I graduated in December with a bachelors in computer science after a somewhat checkered 9-year relationship with higher education. In addition to throwing myself to the mercy of the up-and-coming MOOC revolution to fill in some wide-open gaps in knowledge I feel like my undergraduate education completely failed to address, I also have several ideas I've been kicking around for side projects that interest me and I want to start working on. My impression from your website is that you are very motivated and accomplished for someone lacking in a formal technical education (I'm guessing) and work experience. Have you tried applying to entry-level positions at companies in your target area with cover letters expanding on what you've written in this post?

wturner 14y ago
All of the companies I've applied to have been via formal corporate processes that either never get back to me or if I actually get my foot in the door something happens where I blow it in a manner that is very superficial. For example, I applied for an audio tester position ( non web related ) about 5 months ago that would have been perfect for my skill set and that I would have absolutely loved. I built up a good rapport with the project leader. They then gave me a basic online test about 3 weeks ago. Before they gave me the audio section (which I'm confident I aced) they gave me a subsection asking me questions about computer networking as well as a few questions that technically I knew the answer to but the way they were phrased completely confused the hell out of me. I then got a rejection email. Regardless, I'm confident that I would have been perfect for the role even if I didn't know by heart how to network a Windows system (I could easily look it up on Google and figure it out without any problems). But to answer your question, no I haven't created cover letters that are similar to this post. I try to phrase my cover letters in the self interest of the company. Nobody wants to hear otherwise and they simply don't have any reason to. One little secret though, about 8 months ago I went on a stream of interviews for web companies that give programming and coding tests and I knew I would blow them. So I would just suck it up, do them (and fail) and then I would go home and learn whatever it is I was being tested on so I can parallel my skill set with the job market. I make a habit of doing that now on every job interview/test I go on. If I fail ( which I usually do), I just make sure I make a compartmentalized note of what they're looking for, then I go home and learn it - even if it takes me weeks or months. My advice to you, since your probably younger than I am. Whatever project ideas you have try and get something online and in front of people. Even if it's just a basic version. And stay in that "state". So much so that it becomes addictive and it imprints itself onto you and becomes the norm.

tectonic 14y ago

Send me an email - andrewcantino.com

wturner 14y ago
done