
Ask HN: Getting the (Next) Job - markthethomas
So, I&#x27;m asking a rather open-ended question about getting my next web development job.<p>Background: I&#x27;m a mostly self-taught developer with  some formal training in CS. I try to be as full-stack as I can be, but I&#x27;ve tried to focus mostly on JavaScript &amp; Node.js. I&#x27;m currently in the process of looking for a new work situation, and I&#x27;m hoping to get as much good advice&#x2F;info on how I can best distinguish myself, handle the interview questions, etc.<p>I&#x27;ve started by getting all the books I can and reading through them — Intro to Algorithms (CLRS) and similar — as well as coding as much as I can and implementing as many algorithms&#x2F;data structures as I can.<p>Question: So, as a web developer with a little over 2 years of experience and no seriously formal background in CS, what can I do to best distinguish myself from the competition?<p>Thanks!<p>Disclaimer: my company is in the process of transitioning its overall structure and needs, so the development team I&#x27;m on is   being sunsetted — they&#x27;re well aware I&#x27;m looking, etc.
======
adam419
I was in the same position as you a month ago and now have an amazing job at a
big name company. Also never went to college and am self-taught.

1\. Dedicate 4 hours a day to practice, breakdown is maybe 2 hours of solving
hard algorithm/programming interview questions. Really solve them, do not let
yourself look at the solution until you've made a real stab at the problem.
Also attempt problems harder than you think will be given to you. Also try to
get a smart friend to do a mock whiteboard problem with you as often as
possible. Spend the other two hours learning hard computer science. Keep
grinding through Intro to Algorithms, but slowly. Really internalize and make
yourself believe you understand the concepts and material.

2\. Apply everywhere. Seriously, even places you don't think you'd work at.
The interview might change your mind and make you excited about the company,
and at least it's practice. Also, subtly convince yourself YOU are also
interviewing them. It will convey a lot more value on your behalf.

3\. Go to meetups and meet people. I don't know where you're located, but
meetups can seriously lead to opportunity. I say this even though ironically
2/3 of my jobs I've gotten from applying on the website. But my first
job/internship came to me in highschool after meeting the VP of the company
who offered a job on the spot.

In #1, I may have seemed to have taken a hardline approach, that's right. In
my experience, the interviews I've had were not even 20% as difficult as the
problems I was used to solving and that's the point. Working really hard to
master the material will show in unpredictable ways.

Best of luck.

~~~
markthethomas
Thanks for your feedback and advice!

------
lollipop25
> I'm a mostly self-taught developer with some formal training in CS

Not really a problem. I believe the most awesome programmers are the ones that
come from a self-taught background. Some employers often see this as a good
trait, as you set aside time to learn and not slack off. Also, coming from
another field and going into programming is a good bonus as you see
programming in a different angle compared to someone who's rooted deep into
programming (the "wrote my first BASIC at 4 years old and been programming
eversince" kind of person)

> I try to be as full-stack as I can be, but I've tried to focus mostly on
> JavaScript & Node.js

Don't. You know JS, therefore you know half the story of Node. All you need to
compensate for is the knowledge of existing tools and modules. Get another
server-side language instead of Node.js. PHP, Java and C# are in the same
ballpark in terms of familiarity.

> what can I do to best distinguish myself from the competition?

Just be yourself. That's the best way to make yourself distinguished. Being
someone you're not is the absolute worst thing you'd want to show to your
potential employer. Show off what you've got, but don't create stuff just to
show off. What I mean is, if you have past projects, show them off. Don't
create stuff for the sake of that interview. Github commits from 2 weeks ago
don't lie.

~~~
markthethomas
Thanks for your feedback & advice!

