TechWorkRamblings

by Mike Kalvas

202208101944 Zero to engineer

#structure #wip

How do get into 202109061338 Software Engineering?

Let's go at this from a specific angle.

What would it take for me to get an entry level job as a programmer?

  1. Get past the résumé screen
  2. Get past the recruiter screen
  3. Get past the coding exercise
  4. Get past the onsite interviews

Preparing for these takes different amounts of time and require different skillsets. If we include the dependencies between each step and sort them by preparation time, we get a new ordering.

  1. Getting past the coding exercise — is the basis for 2 and 3, so it must be solid and come first.
  2. Getting past the résumé screening — requires things like example projects and raw time spent coding.
  3. Getting past the onsite interviews — definitely the point where not knowing your shit can bite you, but it's also possible to be great at interviewing and compensate for your rough patches with things like work ethic and initiative.
  4. Getting past the recruiter screening — easy to bullshit past if the résumé checks out, but always easier if you're confident and capable than faking it.

Getting past the coding exercise

Helps if you know what it will be. Many companies make things like this available in advance. If so, you have an obvious path.

Getting past the résumé screening

Getting past the onsite interviews

Getting past the recruiter screening

Random notes