

Ask HN:  What is entry level in the web development world? - nearly_noob

Bear with me, this might be a little long winded . . .<p>I have been doing freelance &#38; startup work for almost two years and been mildly successful -- two companies I've been involved with (one heavily, one lightly) have been acquired, and I've got really good references.<p>Despite this, circumstances have me looking around for a full-time gig. Being both an HN and Rails enthusiast, most jobs I see tend to be of the startup-style, "wear a lot of hats and hit the ground running or else things break" variety.  The problem is, over the last couple years I've found that I value a little security and time-cushion to learn and grow more than these jobs seem to have room for.<p>Out of college, I went to work for a Big 4 accounting firm in an IT specialty group.  I had no idea what they even did when I was hired, but in two years I was a high performer.  This was almost entirely due to the training and mentorship programs that existed within the company.<p>The hacker ethos exalts the autodidact.  I taught myself everything I know about web development up to this point, but I'm now frustrated because my pace of growth is so much slower than I know it would be with a good mentor. I am a mediocre autodidact but a top tier learner in a classroom or mentorship situation.  In the Big 4 Co., I got to where I did by asking tons of in-person questions every day.  The web-forum/ Stack Overflow / IRC method of getting help pales in comparison.<p>So after all that, here are my questions:<p>Is it possible to get this kind of experience as a developer?<p>If so, is it possible to get it and work with cool tech?<p>How much is a lack of CS degree going to hurt me?  I'm guessing that credentials are more important the more "secure" the job is.<p>How much should I study up on verbal CS interview puzzles, which I loathe and suck at?<p>To sum it all up:  what exactly is an entry level position in web development, and where are the best places to work that actually have them?
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noodle
> Is it possible to get this kind of experience as a developer?

yes, but it depends on the company. tough to say which companies would give
you this type of experience without insight from an insider.

> If so, is it possible to get it and work with cool tech?

same answer as #1.

> How much is a lack of CS degree going to hurt me?

less and less as you gain more experience. a degree is important, but if you
can show someone doing hiring that you're an intelligent, successful,
experienced employee, then you won't have as big of a problem.

> How much should I study up on verbal CS interview puzzles, which I loathe
> and suck at?

as much as you think they'll come up in your interview.

> To sum it all up: what exactly is an entry level position in web
> development, and where are the best places to work that actually have them?

again, depends completely upon the company as to what will be expected of you.
finding a good company, though, is tough. the better ones are usually smaller,
although you probably already know the best big ones.

