

Ask HN: Getting hired in brand new field - mnc

I'm a long time poster, but I wanted to create a new handle to protect my identity.<p>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.<p>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.<p>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.<p>Thanks in advance!
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gridspy
Have 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.

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mnc
I 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!

