> [...] most people in my extended network who are hiring [...] do not want raw graduates for their junior devs. They want people who’ve got some work to show.

> [...] most people in my extended network who are hiring [...] do not want raw graduates for their junior devs. They want people who’ve got some work to show. People who’ve done side projects or open source work. Raw juniors who did not tinker on the side are apparently not interested in programming as their hobby. Are you suprised that many IT shops want their employees to have their job a hobby? > As a former low-quality candidate myself, that’s frustrating. Especially because of Neil Armstrong. Except that there was no possibility for Armstrong to learn his job in his parents' garage, and in programming there is just plenty of opportunities. All it takes today is to be genuinely interested in the field.