How to find Programming Jobs
Finding programming jobs is not always an easy thing to do, but with the right tools and knowledge, finding a programming job can be as easy as printing "Hello World."
A programmers mindset
Most people might think that finding a good programming job and being a good software developer depends on your degree or work experience in computer science, but this is not the case. It depends on your mentality and willingness to work when you find a programming job.
In the online article, Getting That First Programming Job: Easier Than You Think, Dave Yarwood states, "being a good software developer doesn't necessarily require a computer science degree or years of work experience in the field. But it does require dedication, a passion for programming and all things related to it, and a willingness to invest hours into exploring problems and seeing their solutions through to completion. If you don't have the right mentality and motives to be the best programmer you can be, finding a programming job will be a challenging process. Having a hard-earned degree or having many years of experience in the computer science field can help you stand out among others, which can help. Still, companies and businesses will notice you in the long run. Not being motivated but having a degree means nothing.
It all boils down to the right motives and dedication for their jobs, and programming will likely find a good programming job and live out a successful life. Before you try to get into a programming job, do a self-check. You should ensure that a computer science field is where you want to work. For example, if working with computers and writing programs seems like a burden or something you might regret, it may be best to look into a different field of work. Finding a programming job should be more about why you want to do it than what you are doing it for.
The start of Programming
The hardest part of finding a programming job is knowing how and where you should start. Most big companies and businesses require experience to get a job, but how do you get these working experiences? The best places to get a job and build up experience would be working as an intern in companies or businesses that involve programming or working at an entry-level job, where you could expand your knowledge on programming while gaining work experience. The best thing to do while searching for an internship or an entry-level position would be to learn, learn, and learn. You can never learn enough codes or programming languages. Building up your knowledge and programming skills helps you stand out amongst others who may not have the skills and knowledge you do, all because you worked harder than them. A Forbes article states, "Keep learning (I am sure I already mentioned that). Keep at it and do it well if you have a current job. The same habits that make you a good employee in a non-technical job help you in a technical job."
Experience and building relationships in the computer science field and finding a job at a big company or business will require more work than internships or entry-level positions. The path to getting a more skillful job will be far easier than trying to get a job with no experience at all. Even though working at an entry-level position or working as an intern may not be the path you want to take in your programming career, we all need to start someone and build up experience and skills, to do greater and bigger things in our future.
Programming Languages
The biggest obstacle to face when looking for a programming job is choosing what language you want to build your career around. It is good to have some knowledge and skills in different languages, such as Python, C++, or javascript. Still, different jobs require other skills and experience in specific languages. Depending on where you want to work, checking the required programming language should be the first step in finding a programming job. The next step would be making sure that you are comfortable and well skilled in the language the job requires.
Programming job Interviews
Job interviews for programmers are pretty different from the standard interview process we know of. Most programming job interviews will ask typical behavioral questions to make sure that the candidates can show that they are capable of problem-solving, troubleshooting, and communicating with customers or clients.
In the article, How to Get a Job as a Computer Programmer, written by Alison Doyle, she states, "Some interviewers will pose hypothetical problem-solving questions which will test the thought processes of candidates. For example, you might be asked to figure out how many cars pass over the George Washington Bridge on a typical day. Employers will be interested in your logical reasoning skills rather than the right answer." Overall, programming job interviews are set up differently from a standard job interview. You should be prepared and make sure that you have a solid and valuable skillset in the programming field.
It would help if you were comfortable presenting code and tackling coding problems during the job interview.
Programming Interview Question and Answer Example:
Question: How to calculate the number of vowels and consonants in a string?
Answer:
- Get the string on which count has to be performed.
- Run a loop from 0 to the length of the string.
- Take a single character at a time and verify if they are a part of the group of vowels.
- If the result is true, increase the count of vowels or else increment the count of consonants.
Code Example:
for (int k = 0; k < text.length(); k++) {char c = text.charAt(k);if (c == ‘a’ || c == ‘e’ || c == ‘i’ ||c == ‘o’ || c == ‘u’)owls += vowlselseconsonts += consonts}System.out.println(“Vowel count is “ + vowls);System.out.println(“Consonant count is: “ + consonts);
Types of Programming Jobs
There are many different types of programming jobs out there. For example, there are, Computer programmers, Web developers, Cyber security engineers, Software Engineers, Mobile app developers, and the list goes on. When starting in the computer science field of jobs, the best thing is to know what kind of job you want to pursue. Do you want to develop games? Make websites? Or stop online security threats? That part of the job process is for you to decide if you work toward a job only because of the salary and not what the job offers. Not only will it be hard to land the job, but if you do, it might lead to regrets later on in your career. Having a set goal in what type of programming job you want to pursue and going through the proper steps to get there is probably one of the most critical aspects of finding a programming job.
Getting a Programming Job with no Experience
One of the hardest things to do when searching for a programming job is gain experience. We all have to start somewhere, so how do you get a programming job with no experience? The answers are pretty simple, be good at programming and have a well-written resume. In the article, How to Get a Programming Job With No Experience, John Sonmez states, "If you have no experience, your primary strategy to getting a coding job is to prove that you can code and that it's not BS." Showing a company or an interviewer that your knowledge and skills in coding and programming are above average is the best way to land a job for the first time and take your first step in gaining programming work experience.
Finding Programming Internships
Internships are probably one of the best ways to work your way up to an actual programming job. Programming internships can be done even by high school or college students. Even though finding an internship might be hard at first, taking the first step in actually typing to find a job will help you out later in your programming career. So how do you get a programming internship?
“My whole life, I’ve been very focused on school, believing that my grades were going to make me successful, and give me the life I want and that bad grades would destroy me. But now that I think back, I could have cared a little less about the school and focused on things like passion projects that would have made me a happier person. Besides, personal projects related to your field of study look great on resumes. It shows employers you are creative and have initiative.”
Ref: How to find a Software Developer Internship as a student freeCodeCamp
Getting a programming internship is a virtue in gaining work experience in your programming career. Internships are the stepping stones to a far better job.
Takeaway
Finding a programming job may not be the easiest part of your programming career, but knowing what you're skillful in and building around that skill and knowledge will surely help you land a programming job you'll love.
Whether you are new to computer science or considering web development, embedded software engineering, mobile app development, or any other related position, it starts with a drive and passion.
