How to Get a Job as a Developer in Less Than Six Months

It's really frustrating reading all the negative comments here. What happened to positive support for people in our community? This guy had a passion, worked his butt off and got a good result... I'm sure he'll go on to many more good things in the future. We should applaud and celebrate this, not knock down how he's not a senior developer yet. Congratulations Jeff!!

So, there have been a lot of negative comments and I understand where they are coming from. I will try to address them as best I can.<p>"Seeing a self-taught guy with 6 months coding experience writing software at a medical lab testing facility makes me a bit nervous."<p>I am working mostly on internal systems and when I venture outside of that I have my own branch write thorough tests and have multiple people check my code.<p>"I shudder to think of the quality of his code and the projects he or people like him are let loose on."<p>My code is pretty shitty. But, I know how bad it is, I know my limitations. I work long days and more after work to improve. I am not pretending, I am learning.<p>"Very fancy, but I am a software engineer, or programmer, as you prefer it to be called. Engineer means that I studied 5 years at university (Bs + Ms), and I know what I have learnt there, and I wouldn’t want to work with someone that doesn’t know about algorithms, algebra (it helps you understand a lot of things and opens your minid), compilers, statistics, concurrent programming, software architecture (1 full year course), UI designing, networks, databases, etc, etc."<p>I disagree that amount of time in a University is what allows one to become a programmer, it is the skills and knowledge acquired at the school. I didn't have that option, I needed a job in under six months or I was going to have to get a job doing something I didn't love. I worked hard and got the job. Am I a master? Nope. But, I have put myself in a position to become one with continued hard work.<p>I think that is all of them. Many people glossed over this line, "When I started this search I thought I would be scrubbing toilets in exchange for nightly code reviews."<p>The fact that I am not doing that is a mixture of my willingness to clean toilets to learn the craft I love and a market desperation for developers.

While I absolutely applaud the effort and tenacity of this individual, at the same time, I feel a substantial amount of trepidation regarding the current state of the tech / start-up industry.<p>Virtually every hot new startup I see on blogs, it just takes a few minutes of basic penetration testing to find gaping security holes. Everything from simple XSS or CSRF to blatant leaking of sensitive user data. Obviously he was hired at a "junior" level but I've interviewed plenty of "senior" candidates who, 5 years ago, would have been "junior" with their skillset and this guy would probably be a coffee-fetching intern. We keep lowering the bar (due to the crazy imbalance of talent vs. jobs right now) in hiring practices and the long-term impact of this practice has me worried.<p>On the flip-side, seeing all of these amazing ideas being brought to life and fostering such a strong sense of innovation is amazing to see.

This is a nice story but there are some hidden issues around here. The ones that want to get into programming should be aware of these:<p>It's not an easy trip.. it's not just six months... it's a lifetime. Yes you might get a job in 6 months but then you will have to work even harder to keep that job and to be in the game. You will never stop learning... you will have to constantly adapt yourself to the new technologies otherwise you will end up being the guy hated by everyone for your crappy code that's a pain to be maintained.<p>Yes you might learn Ruby or any other programming language and you can solve problems and build stuff... so basically you can do your job.... but there's more to programming. You should not just read a ruby book and learn the syntax and hey presto you are a developer. You should put some time in learning how software works, learning some algorithms and so on. It's not about one programming language, it's about programming in general. Programming languages are just tools we use to achieve a goal. For example, you can't be a car mechanic by learning how to use a wrench.. you need to know how to use more tools and, the most important thing, learn how to fix an issue using the most appropriate tool.

I'm unable to access the article but I'm very surprised by many of the comments in this thread. A large number of articles are posted each month belittling (at the very least questioning the value) of non-technical founders. These and similar posts are then filled with sermons advocating individuals learn to code.<p>Apparently, OP took these statements to heart, put in the effort/time, and what does he get as a result? Derision. What is this community about if it isn't about personal and financial growth coupled with creation?<p>Perhaps in his post, OP makes some grandiose claim about being a master programmer, okay fine, cut him down. But I suspect it is far less egotistical and merely his way of celebrating a small victory brought about by what is so often advocated: That learning to code really is a way to improve your life.

Great to see that. There's plenty of "you should learn how to code" posts, Codecademy, Treehouse etc, but there are very few case studies of people who seemingly A) used these tools and/or B) actually ended up being able to wing it learning to code mid-to-late-stage in their career. Not sure if this post really qualifies as either of those, as well. If there's more examples of this that I'm missing, please let me know.

I got some of these same bitter, angry, defensive responses when I posted my "how I became a developer" post a while back. I dunno what it is about programmers here but for some reason "programmer" is considered some sacred title you have to earn. Whatever.

Awesome write up; thanks for sharing. I'm a self-taught developer too, although it took me more than 6 months to get my first job.<p>One technique I'd add to your list is, "Find online programming communities and take part in them." I learned an incredible amount from development-oriented mailing lists over the years, and I still do.

I should probably do a write-up about how a year later I still do not have a job doing development. Jeff touches on a few things I am pretty sure I would do differently.<p>I think the most important thing is working on visible projects and seeing them through to completion, as opposed to acquiring more depth through study.<p>Additionally, I would have went with Ruby instead of Python. Python jobs and internships seem to fall more within an area where people demand a CS degree background, at least in this region. With RoR the demand tilts heavily toward webdev, which doesn't require 4 years of CS to be productive.<p>I definitely still think it's possible for motivated and tech-savvy people to do what Jeff has done.

You really did a great job! I took longer than you, but I followed a similar path. In hindsight, I can't imagine taking any other path, its been a blast! If I could emphasize one of your points, it would be to MAKE stuff, don't pick out problems out of thin air, MAKE stuff you want! I really happy for you, and I'm really glad you wrote this. I haven't agreed with someone so much in a while! Also, I would reinforce your point about git and github, that is as absolute must in my experience. It is your resume and one of your main tools.<p>Edit: Dont forget about IRC!!!!

The problem with self-learning is one of discipline and motivation. I started a learn-to-code startup and iterated 7 times (now profitable). It's nearly impossible to keep someone engaged without having a human involved. When I think back to how I learned to program, it wasn't alone. I surrounded myself with CS students. And I had a lot of intrinsic motivation before I started.<p>Join a program like Dev Bootcamp. You'll save an enormous amount of time by working alongside other people with similar goals, and the social pressure will keep you on your toes.

Seeing a self-taught guy with 6 months coding experience writing software at a medical lab testing facility makes me a bit nervous. The need for proper security in that area is (IMO) even more important than for credit card and financial processing, and I just don't trust a guy with only 6 months experience to do it correctly. Nothing against him, but I think it's too complicated of a subject to learn in 6 months with no real world experience.

I don't mean to be a mood killer but that has to be taken with a grain of salt. Ruby/Python/Perl are awesome language for beginner because it abstract so much that they think they know how to code after a day, and when they have to learn a new language like C they are completely lost and produce spaghetti code. That might be ok for web development where you can hack here and there (with JS/CSS/HTML) but I really challenge someone that follows that guide to be a embedded device developer or a software engineer using C or even C# or Java.<p>Anyway good read but again it should be really emphasize that this is an ok road for a web developer.

I'm an unemployed programmer with 10 years of experience and I've been looking for a (part-time) job for less than six months. I keep telling myself it would be great if instead of looking for a job I could spend all that time just coding. I have plenty of ideas. I've avoided that because it feels like running away from my responsibilities, but this post makes me think again.<p>On the other hand the situation seems to be more difficult where I live (Geneva, Switzerland). I've always been so enthusiastic about programming that I want to encourage everyone to learn it, but today it sounds like bad career advice around here.

I wholeheartedly agree with you. I have been learning code about a year and now I have a part time job doing it.<p>The key thing is to <i>demonstrate aptitude.</i> Period. You obviously have done this. Also, eagerness to learn is a huge huge selling point -- because apparently you do that throughout your programming career. But the biggest thing is to demonstrate an ability to code. You might not know everything a university graduate does, but then again, I hear a lot of the people coming out of university aren't very good programmers right now. =\ Not really sure.<p>University teaches you a lot of foundational stuff, but if you have someone willing to work with you a little, you'll learn the same stuff (and likely already have a little of it under your belt).<p>Anyway, kudos to you for sticking it out and being aggressive. Great example.

<p><pre><code> Work your ass off (...) So, in order to make the kind of strides I made, expect to spend at least 10 hours a day, six days a week dedicated to programming activities. </code></pre> Important point is that you have to love those 10 hours. I'm pretty sure that if you do it just with the end goal in mind, it won't work. You mention this, but I think it could be emphasised.

Can anyone outside the U.S. - preferably in Europe - share similar stories, if any?<p>I find that the U.S. has so many cool ways to work your way into a programming gig, it makes anyone outside red with envy, but I struggle to find something similar in Europe - especially in smaller countries.<p>What would your advice be for us who can't get a U.S. visa?<p>EDIT: I'm thinking mainly of Python/Django jobs and communities here.

In six months you did more than other hackers I know do in a year. In code, time is relative to effort/motivation. You have both, work will gravitate to you. Now, wait until you start contracting, and find your inbox full of work after posting a for hire ad in HN. Crazy.<p>To give you some perspective of the relativity of effort/motivation, I know people who have been "learning" for years who just don't sit down and push through. Sure, like others say, your code will have security holes the size of the titanic, but you are still learning. And learning is about finding out what doesnt work. Good luck, and keep hacking.

Jeff, not to criticize but your site is near-unreadable to me (Windows 7, both in Chrome and Opera). Here is an image: <a href="http://i.imgur.com/4wXrQ.png" rel="nofollow">http://i.imgur.com/4wXrQ.png</a><p>The text is too light at #666 on a white background, which is pretty light on windows (although chrome renders it a bit thicker, it's still pretty light). Also it would look much better if I didn't have Adobe Caslon Pro, as Cambria is pretty normal.<p>I loved the content.

It's really too bad that there isn't more newbie-friendly friendly stuff going on in the SF ruby meet-ups. One of the first things I did upon moving here a few months ago was to join the group and look for anything aimed at learners. Unfortunately in 3 months and dozens of emails from the meetup group, I haven't seen a single event where men welcome (without a woman bringing them).<p>In this city, at least, it's probably a better idea to spend more time on your own learning. Some of the resources on the OP's list are great. Learn to Program was something I went through before moving out at it was a good intro. Also, Code School is good if you can spare the cash. Coursera has been fantastic-- it's completely free and has full videos, graded tests and forums.<p>Once you do have somewhat more of a foundation, then the normal meetups start getting more useful-- hack nights, pair programming nights, lightning talks, etc. One thing I have to say though, is that I met some <i>extremely</i> friendly and welcoming people early on when I went to meetups and had no idea what the heck everyone else was talking about.

Site (is/was) dead, google cache version: <a href="http://tinyurl.com/cqojywn" rel="nofollow">http://tinyurl.com/cqojywn</a>

This is great motivation. I've been doing much the same as you, just over a longer period of time, but I've been a little too intimidated to put myself out there so to speak. It is great to know others are getting results in return for their determination.

Just a heads up, that fixed position element makes for a verrry annoying mobile experience, especially when someone taps to zoom in. This is probably the most common source of my frustration with the mobile web--those annoying social share sidebars that are position-fixed are the primary perpetrators.<p>I noticed you're using onswipe though which helps, but if someone is using some third party Hacker News reader, onswipe won't load.<p>Having derailed this thread enough, I love everything about this. Ill never get enough of hearing people's success stories.

Nice read man. I just started learning programming as well in early January of this year.<p>6 months ago, I never thought I would see myself working in a top HCII program as a research programmer. I'm sometimes in total disbelief of where I'm working at and also of the fact that I'm actually helping my professor.<p>"When I started this search I thought I would be scrubbing toilets in exchange for nightly code reviews." That was definitely my train of thought on my value as well, but I guess I underestimated myself as well.

Self-taught programmers get a bad rap because we've all seen the guy who didn't know about arrays and defined 300 variables (I'm not kidding by the way, and this was in perl. Full of wonderful names like $aa1, $aa2, etc.).<p>However you can get around this by having the OP's attitude about being a life-long learner. It's important to get a lot of exposure to different people and styles to offset some of the lack of background you will start out with.

And since my blog has never had more than 5 people on it at a time... it crashed.

Really awesome to see a self-taught success story like this. Love the dedication Jeff!<p>A side point of advice for anyone wanting to learn programming and still in college: DEFINITELY take an introductory programming class. There's endless amounts you can learn online, but learning the fundamentals through languages like C and Scheme gives you great perspective when you do pick up web code.

While I value a college education I have to say that a college degree is not a guarantee of performance at all. A programmer, in my opinion, must have some College exposure. The OP does, as he says he graduated with a business degree. Aside from that, programming is a multi-faceted and ever-evolving discipline. We are always learning new things. A proven ability to approach something new and learn it is at the top of my list. He certainly proved that part.<p>I come to this from the perspective that virtually nothing I do today existed when I was in college. This goes for programming languages and even hardware design areas such as FPGA's. I, as an engineer, have to learn constantly. That aspect of my profession never stopped and, in fact, intensified after leaving college as there's so much to learn.<p>How is a college grad going to react to a paradigm shift such as what happened as the internet started to take roots? It was the wild west for several years as new ideas popped-up and you had to either play or get off the train. I'll take someone really smart who has the tenacity, drive and interest to learn new things quickly over a degreed engineer who is slow to react.<p>I have known many engineers who have remained stagnant over the years because they simply didn't want to bother to learn new things or were far too comfortable doing what they were doing. Some of these guys are unemployed today. Their skill set simply doesn't match todays reality and a degree means exactly nothing.<p>Now, to be sure, the combination of good, solid schooling and drive, tenacity and a rabid interest to constantly learn can be a very powerful thing. In my experience that person is more the exception than the rule. A lot of college grads just want to find a train to ride as long as they can with the skill set they acquired. The self-driven individual who wants to own a topic today and then another topic tomorrow is very rare.<p>Oh, yes, and a lot of college grads write code that is as shitty as anyone else's. There is no monopoly on the ability to write horrible code due to the lack of experience.

My first thought reading through was "heh, but now that I'm in NYC... I wonder what <i>my</i> chances are..." and then bam... there ya go! I'm glad to see stuff like this, and totally agree with the points– especially the whole git-like-a-boss bit.

Get hired sooner.<p>Audax Health is hiring in SF &#38; DC.<p>Work in a fun and entrepreneurial environment where dress is casual and flip-flops are encouraged. We provide the best tools such as brand new Apple computers for every employee. Collaborate daily with top talent from companies like Zynga, WebMD, Microsoft, Bloomberg, Booz Allen Hamilton, and XM. Your contributions will directly impact the way millions of people interact with healthcare.<p>What makes our office fun:<p>• Our super swanky waterfront office space in Washington D.C. • Top of the line Apple products • Couches, ping pong, foosball, air hockey, arcade basketball shooter, Xbox and TVs • A kitchen filled with scrumptious food, snacks and beverages<p>Contact nayan.jain [at] audaxhealth.com

I'm interested. My wife currently tries to do exactly this. The article might be encouraging.<p>But I cannot read it due to a big yellow square overlapping the content, so.. useless link for me.

"I like to learn; I like to teach; I kill two birds."<p>I like this tagline on the blog. Congratulations Jeff. Yes there are naysayers and there is always an argument against something. But we applaud your efforts. For people who are criticizing this, just look at it this way. This guy pulled off something by working his ass of (in his own words). The creates hope and inspiration for others like him and I am sure there are plenty even among HN.

One of the biggest problem in the industry is that there are to many bad programmers! The sad thing is that these kind of people spam all the employers, which make it a lot harder to filter out the good from the bad.<p>On the other hand their work tend to give all the rest of the us work when they just hit the wall with something hard.

I was lucky enough to give a little talk at BarCampCharleston, in Charleston, SC, last year.<p>I spoke on the same topic, but from a less generic standpoint (focus was on Rails): <a href="https://railsneedtoknow.heroku.com" rel="nofollow">https://railsneedtoknow.heroku.com</a><p>It's not perfect, but it helped a lot of people :)

The post has moved, so if you are looking it is here:<p><a href="http://jeffreybaird.github.com/blog/2012/08/21/how-to-get-a-job-as-a-developer-in-less-than-six-months/" rel="nofollow">http://jeffreybaird.github.com/blog/2012/08/21/how-to-get-a-...</a>

"Push code to github EVERYDAY"<p>Good advice; the title lends itself to initially annoy skeptics (including me), but it does look like you put a lot of effort into this. With that kind of sustained and public effort it's definitely doable.

<i></i> If you are a new graduate.<p>If you are not a new graduate, and especially if you don't look so young, you are definitely not going to have such an easy time, without good connections.<p>Take internships while you are in college, if you can

I applaud your ambition and intitiative. Many experienced programmers should take note of how you socialized with other human beings (multiple times!) to get the gig. Enthusiasm is underrated.

tldr; there's no secret sauce; just work hard<i>.<p></i> Applies to other professions too.<p>edit: Congrats to the author, and refreshing to see someone document, the effort involved as opposed to some "clever hack" of the system.

Mentally add: "...if you've never coded/been a developer/have no prior experience."<p>I came here wondering in what job market a developer has to wait six months to find a job. Oh, no experience. I see.

This was an incredible read. The guy deserves it. Congrats Jeff!

"Work hard, write a lot of code, be transparent and be enthusiastic."<p>Sums it up for many industries. Just replace code with something valuable in your profession.

This was a great read first thing in the morning! Thanks Jeff for your enthusiasm!

Awesome!!! Congratz and good luck!

"In February 2012 I had never written a line of code. But, as of July 11, 2012 I am employed as a full-time Ruby Developer. You can do it too."<p>Best. Quote. Ever.<p>I am re-motivated to continue learning programming.<p>Nice work sir. Congrats.

Thanks Jeff for such an inspirational article.

Yay, that's exactly what our industry needs; more cargo cult programmers writing terrible software! Let's just be glad that this RoR guy isn't building anything safety critical.

Might help credibility if his site wasnt down... <a href="http://imgur.com/fhK0M" rel="nofollow">http://imgur.com/fhK0M</a>

Wow.. so I really could have landed a programming job when I was 13? Damn. Maybe I should have just believed in myself more like this guy.<p>I shudder to think of the quality of his code and the projects he or people like him are let loose on.<p>Awesome that he's passionate and landed something, but underneath it just makes me cringe because I see the shithouse quality of work that comes out of people probably equally skilled, but not as passionate, everyday.<p>I should move to America..