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Ask HN: Getting hired in brand new field
I'm a long time poster, but I wanted to create a new handle to protect my identity.
I graduated with a BS in CompSci in 2006 from an above-average university and have been doing standard web development since then (both front-end work and PHP server-side) as I wasn't sure what I wanted to, career-wise.
For the past year or so, I've grown a bit bored of doing web work and have realized that I really enjoy learning and doing more systems level engineering, specifically compilers.
Without any previous work experience in this fairly intensive area, what is the best plan of attack to get into the field of languages and compilers? If I build a serviceable compiler, would that enough to get into the door at some place like Microsoft or Adobe as a junior developer? I'd even be willing to work as an apprentice somewhere while learning the ropes.
Thanks in advance!
- gridspy 17y agoHave you considered contributing to the PHP interpreter? This could be a interesting task that builds on your experience and showcases your talent. Alternatively, you could work on the Javascript interpreter in Firefox or Webkit.
- mnc 17y agoI do enjoy JS, but I imagine there are only 2-3 companies hiring JS compiler writers, so I bet the competition is steep for those. That would definitely be a dream job, though! And as for PHP, I've taken a look into its internals, and that's some rough stuff... Thanks for the suggestions!