

Ask HN: Is This Enough to Get a Job? - ipbyrne

Greetings everyone! I am self taught web developer and I am wondering if my two latest projects demonstrate enough skill in building web apps to get an entry&#x2F;mid level web developer job(specifically rails). I would greatly appreciate any and all input on what I should be doing in order to land a nice rails developer job.<p>1. OpenRecipea(http:&#x2F;&#x2F;openrecipea.com&#x2F;)
Brief Info: Finding &amp; Sharing Recipes Has Never Been Easier! I developed and designed a small social media website centered around cooking at home. Users of the website are able to create and share recipes. Other users can then review and like the recipes. Users are also able to follow other users in order to have any new recipes that user posts appear in their timeline. Each user is also given their own cookbook which organizes the recipes they have created and liked by category.
Detailed Description on functionality and what all was used to build it: http:&#x2F;&#x2F;heydidyahear.com&#x2F;index.php&#x2F;post&#x2F;open-recipea&#x2F;<p>2. 2-Do. A better todo list(http:&#x2F;&#x2F;my2-do.herokuapp.com&#x2F;)
Info: 2-Do is an app I created in order to provide users with a better to-do list based on Convoy’s Time Management Matrix. The to-do lists users can create fall under 4 important categories based off a lecture given by Randy Pausch. The goal of this app is to help users make their day to day lives more organized and productive by telling them what needs to get done in which order.
Detailed Description on functionality and what all was used to build it:http:&#x2F;&#x2F;heydidyahear.com&#x2F;index.php&#x2F;post&#x2F;2-do-todo-list-app&#x2F;<p>Do these apps that I built 100% myself demonstrate enough skill and understanding in web development to land a entry&#x2F;mid level job? If they do not please let me know on what skills I should be working on and should be demonstrating in order to give me a better shot.<p>Thanks in advanced to any one who gives some input, I really appreciate it!
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bcg1
Your demos might be good... but I can't see without logging in. One
suggestion... if you are trying to showcase your work, don't make people set
up an account to try it out. Maybe have a demo site specifically for that
purpose that doesn't require login or has a demo account for people to use so
they don't have to sign up themselves.

EDIT: BTW, this is exactly how I got my first job... I wrote a demo app and
showed it to a potential employer. It was enough to get my foot in the door at
a place where I had the privilege of working long hours for low salary until I
had enough experience to apply for more desirable positions. Confidence and
shoe leather can be as good as an formal education... good luck :)

~~~
ipbyrne
I did not consider how having to log in to view the functionality would
prevent people from actually clicking around the website and will work on
changing it so people can see everything on the site, they just can't
follow/like/post etc unless they are registered. Thanks you for the criticism,
It is truly appreciated. Hopefully by demoing these 2 apps I will be able to
squeeze my foot in the door!

~~~
sown
Stuff like logins are extra work the user has to do and it increases your
bounce rate -- people seeing it, and then just leaving because of it.

You might want to try comparing how many people show up vs how many people
register. Then you'd know.

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curt4675
Yes. The market is full of uninterested, uncaring, 9 to 5ers. The bar is
really really low. Just show up with some excitement and a "can ship" attitude
and you will be snapped up in no time.

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mod
To answer your question, which nobody else seems to have done:

Yep, they're plenty to land you a job.

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panorama
> "Do these apps that I built 100% myself demonstrate enough skill and
> understanding in web development to land a entry/mid level job?"

Like others have mentioned, this in particular is hard to evaluate without a.
source code, b. demo login. Otherwise, all I can glean from this is that you
know how to make landing pages :P

But I wanted to point out some design issues I found in your sites. This may
or may not actually affect your candidacy, but I thought you should know about
them in general as it might signal a lack of attention to detail:

a. Ex:
[https://i.gyazo.com/205c90719b7e16c19d29fba8b27006c9.png](https://i.gyazo.com/205c90719b7e16c19d29fba8b27006c9.png)
\- the error messages are unstyled.

b. Ex:
[https://i.gyazo.com/fa23a197fa0adb4f8fc0a9aa88ae3797.png](https://i.gyazo.com/fa23a197fa0adb4f8fc0a9aa88ae3797.png)
\- the error message here is too small for me to read.

c. Ex:
[https://i.gyazo.com/fa3dcbe0c61735b8f958d4d556f57526.png](https://i.gyazo.com/fa3dcbe0c61735b8f958d4d556f57526.png)
\- This is nearly impossible for me to read.

Basically this would signal to me that you're likely not too design-inclined
and I would probably focus more on your backend abilities (if given source
code). These would be red flags if you were applying for a position that
involved design or UX though.

~~~
ipbyrne
Thank you very much for constructive criticism! I appreciate it all! I should
have noted in the question these apps are more to show my developing skills as
I am not looking to be a designer. I just want to focus on development for the
time being. I will style off the pages you mentioned and try to make them
easier to read. Thanks again for the input!

~~~
panorama
No problem. I recently wrote a book ([https://kokev.in/hired-
fast](https://kokev.in/hired-fast)) that helps junior devs get jobs, I'd be
happy to send you a copy if you email me (you can find my email in my profile)

~~~
arsenide
I wish there was an option to just buy the ebook for $10 or something. I would
very likely have bought it instantly if it was an option. As a college student
$39 is a bit steep, especially when I can't find any external reviews.

~~~
panorama
Thanks for the feedback! I settled on that price for a lot of reasons, but
mostly because: 1. it helps you get better jobs, faster. That to me is worth
thousands, much less $39. 2. I share techniques that lose a bit of their value
if every applicant knew about them, so pricing high protects my readers in a
way.

It's hard to find a balance, I'm not 100% positive if this is the right
pricing for it. But, like the sibling poster mentioned, I offer a full refund
and you can always sign up for a free sample—it also adds you to the mailing
list wherein I share some useful info for free.

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theGREENsuit
I think it's definitely enough to get you hired. It's also exactly how I
landed my first job. During the interview, the senior developer that did the
hiring made a point of mentioning that having a demo project showed what I
could do and made me stand out from the other applicants he was looking at.
Good luck!

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27182818284
The logging in is a bad practice for demos, like the other person said.

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threesixandnine
I can't see sh!t. I really, really wanted to read what to do list app is all
about but I just can't. Light Blue and White just don't work well together.

As far as landing a job. I see you already got a lead. I feel like dumbass
now. These kind of apps I made just for fun with web.py and felt it's way too
simple to pitch similar demos for a job. Even entry level ones.....I think I
am suffering from imposter syndrome.

Good luck to you and thanks for reminding me of some things....

~~~
ipbyrne
Noted! I completely understand how the color contrast on the 2-Do app can be
very hard to read, especially closer to the top where the background gradient
is lighter. I will try to make a better text color so it is easier on the
eyes. Thank you for the input! I really appreciate it!

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fiveoak
Is the source for these projects on GitHub?

~~~
avinassh
not the OP, but yes, he has put them on Github:

Open Recipea - [https://github.com/ipbyrne/rails-OpenRecipea-
webapp](https://github.com/ipbyrne/rails-OpenRecipea-webapp)

2 Do App - [https://github.com/ipbyrne/rails-2-Do-
webapp](https://github.com/ipbyrne/rails-2-Do-webapp)

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ipbyrne
Alright guys for any one who made comments about the landing pages I have
removed them for demo purposes so you can now see more of the app with out
having to be logged in or sign up. You just need to be logged in if you want
to post,like,etc. I hope this enhances the demo experiences!

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chad_strategic
I am self taught web developer! <\---- Awesome.

[http://www.businessinsider.com/jack-dorsey-on-
programmers-20...](http://www.businessinsider.com/jack-dorsey-on-
programmers-2013-3)

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joshmn
Confidence and (this part is tricky) the _ability_ to show your willingness to
learn is often more than enough to get yourself any job :)

Best of luck! I think you'll do just fine! :)

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johnnyg
Checked out your demos and your blog, sent an email.

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pravint
In case you don't have any/significant prior work experience, apart from
demos, which is must anyways, doing some internships with start ups may be
more helpful.

Start ups are always in need of extra hands, so any help with
no/little/moderate expectations is generally always welcomed.

Gain some experience developing real world applications, working in teams,
understanding developer workflows in teams, etc.

