Programming job in while in college?

[derrickd241]

Alright, this might be stupid to post but I'm currently in college going for my Bachelors in Computer Science and my goal is to become a Software Engineer or something similar.  I have no experience in anything computer related, and I'm just going to be finishing my first coding(python) class in the next couple weeks.  Also, I haven't taken another computer related class yet just got most of my generals done.  Should I just apply to tech companies in the area? I see job postings all the time, but they want me to know Java, C++, etc.  The only language I have knowledge of is Python and very basic at that.  If I apply am I likely to be hired or not?

[DaltonM]

1 minute ago, derrickd241 said:

Alright, this might be stupid to post but I'm currently in college going for my Bachelors in Computer Science and my goal is to become a Software Engineer or something similar.  I have no experience in anything computer related, and I'm just going to be finishing my first coding(python) class in the next couple weeks.  Also, I haven't taken another computer related class yet just got most of my generals done.  Should I just apply to tech companies in the area? I see job postings all the time, but they want me to know Java, C++, etc.  The only language I have knowledge of is Python and very basic at that.  If I apply am I likely to be hired or not?

Wont hurt to apply. A good tactic is to contact local companies and ask them if they need an app or website made. That would help you build a portfolio. 

[Oshino Shinobu]

Best bet is to look for trainee/apprentice positions, or some volunteer work to get some experience in the field. With only basic coding knowledge, you're not going to be able to get a job right off the bat. Most places will be looking for someone with experience. 

[EIijah]

Wait till you've done a decent amount of a higher level language, I thought programming wasn't hard while I did python but even entry level Java killed me  but don't give up hope! If you work hard programming will be fine

[EIijah]

And just to add, there are other computer jobs you could get which will make you a more hire-able person when it comes time for applying for jobs after College, like working at a local computer repair shop or even just as helping people find what they're looking for in the bigger parts stores  

[DaltonM]

Also a LOT of people are going to college for the same thing, Computer Science is booming in this day of smart everything.

 

You're up against people with money. 

[derrickd241]

2 minutes ago, DaltonM said:

Also a LOT of people are going to college for the same thing, Computer Science is booming in this day of smart everything.

 

You're up against people with money. 

yea it definitely is its hard enough finding a job in the denver area the way it is lol

[Nuluvius]

12 hours ago, derrickd241 said:

 Should I just apply to tech companies in the area?

This is a decision that only you can make to be honest. A more appropriate question to ask yourself is: 'Can I manage a job while I am studying?' The workload is relatively light at College level however you can expect this to increase steeply (year on year) once you have entered your degree (assuming you have plans to do so of course).

 

I will relate my own experience: I worked a menial job through my own College course and had absolutely no problems workload wise. When I got to my degree I had the option of taking the standard kind of placement but decided against it for two reasons: One, it would have delayed my graduation by another year, turning a three year degree into a four year degree, something I was reluctant to do given my age at the time. Two, I was renting my own house and needed income. These factors lead me to go out there and find a 'real' job and as it turned out I was lucky enough to do exactly that. Thus I started working in the industry concurrent to the latter two years of my degree.

 

Doing this kind of thing (juggling a job with studies) is a bit of a double edged sword I would say. While I was indeed gaining real world experience and skills that were feeding back into my degree and giving me tangible advantages over my competition (peers), I was also trying to do my dissertation concurrently and the workload and stress almost caused my life and plans to implode around me - I almost lost hold of everything.

 

In the long run however, when running for interviews I have only ever received praise and even awe for the level of dedication that this clearly demonstrates. It paints one in a very positive light to potential employers because they can see tangible proof that you are above all else extremely hard working, driven and reliable.

 

Ultimately it's all down to you and your circumstances, how far you want to go and what you are prepared to do in order to get there.

12 hours ago, derrickd241 said:

I see job postings all the time, but they want me to know Java, C++, etc.  The only language I have knowledge of is Python and very basic at that.

I'd be less inclined to worry about language differences... What's important is the engineering and design principals that are transitory between not only languages but also programming paradigms. The knowledge is inferred and it's all down to how well you can convey that on first impressions - how well you can get your own capability and confidence to do so across in the interview.

12 hours ago, derrickd241 said:

If I apply am I likely to be hired or not?

Remember it does no good to feel intimidated or to let fear and nerves break through in your body language. The word does not owe you anything, you have to go out there and take what you want. It's very much a case of it being your responsibility to yourself to do so...

 

[Gachr]

I wasn't in a situation like that. but what I can input is that I never seen a Python job on the market. Why is that? Pretty much everyone knows it, and there is no demand for it since it's not a very useful language. You should learn one that there is more demand for (Java, C#, C/++) and then think about getting a job.

[Vash Baldeus]

6 hours ago, Gachr said:

I wasn't in a situation like that. but what I can input is that I never seen a Python job on the market. Why is that? Pretty much everyone knows it, and there is no demand for it since it's not a very useful language. You should learn one that there is more demand for (Java, C#, C/++) and then think about getting a job.

What he said, I have a couple of friends who managed to get into jobs while in College.

Some managed to get a job in a Web Dev. company due to their knowledge of HTML & CSS, some managed to get into other companies due to their Java skills they acquired in high school.

So it is possible to get a job, though the question is if you can maintain College and a Job without it blowing up in your face.

 

I'd suggest get a little more experience with the languages, and in the meantime try to get some simple not very demanding job.

[madknight3]

Most intro to programming courses won't get you very close to being job ready. You could always try, but don't be surprised if it takes you a few more semesters to get hired in an entry level position.

 

I'm not sure if anyone mentioned it yet but look into internship opportunities through your CS department. My university had an optional paid internship program that you could take around your 3rd year. You may have one you can take sooner. The reason ours chose third year is that was after you had about two years Java experience (and maybe a semester or two experience in another language or two) and a foundation in object oriented programming, logic, discrete mathematics, data structures and algorithms.

[espurritado]

Well, i'm just going to tell you the same thing my proffesors told me last year: "The difference between what a company asks for in a job add and what they really want is enormous".

The fact is that anyone whith some programing knowledge and some patience and hability can do mostly anything if such person is willing to learn. The companies just ask for someone with a PHd and offet to pay as an intern so they will find someone in the middle to solve their problem

[fizzlesticks]

8 hours ago, Gachr said:

and there is no demand for it since it's not a very useful language. 

I would love to hear why you think it isn't useful.

[Gachr]

56 minutes ago, fizzlesticks said:

I would love to hear why you think it isn't useful.

I just can't find many uses for it... Django? Pi?

[Nuluvius]

7 hours ago, Gachr said:

I just can't find many uses for it... Django? Pi?

That is a highly subjective statement. It has a great many uses and there are indeed roles out there based entirely in Python.

[alex_read]

There are so many great pieces of advice already mentioned here. From my own experiences and those of colleagues and friends around me, there's a couple I'd personally like to highlight and duplicate.

 

1. Programming jobs can usually ask for the world.

Web development experience (ASP.Net C#, VB, Design Patterns, solid authorisation and authentication architecture experience and techniques, implementation and communication with many protocols, Active Directory, LDAP and DirectoryServices or ADSI would be advantegeous, Webforms MVC, HTML (4.01 + 5), XML + XSTL, JavaScript (incl. NodeJS, JQuery), CSS3, bootstrap, NoSQL, MySQL, Hadoop, big data, Oracle, SQL Server.

 

This sounds stupid. But at the same time, I've applied for a few like this myself and this example does exist in the real world. If you analyse that one, many needs are contradicting, there isn't likely a single project which'll need ALL of these. If there is, having it written by 1 person would mean (i) the project would take an age to complete and (ii) the company would take an age to find anyone fitting/suiting with all the needs. Some info sounds really complicated but in reality might be easy (authentication might be for this company just meaning setting a single XML node set in a web config file).

 

What you ought to realise is that a non-technical HR person has likely put the posting together. The wishes are probably scribbled down from a single meeting with a manager who's listing everything he'd like the person to know in an ideal world, but the job only needs ASP.Net with C# on the backend & hopefully a little JavaScript incase the frontend graphic designer might need some programming help/advice to get his design working. If you don't know every single thing on that list, then the company will often try to use this as a bargaining tool to lower how much they'll need to pay you too. It's all corporate politics & a result usually of many parties being involved in the job posting while only a few know what the job entails. You need to learn how to read these and play the game.

 

[alex_read]

1.b. Should you apply? Yes... but not yet.

In the future, apply for everything. Don't be intimidated (as others echo above) - the worst the company can likely say is a "not interested" reply in all reality (or not give any response). However, that's for the future - I'd say you're nowhere near ready just yet which brings me to...

 

2. Be patient, grasshopper

Play with as much code as you can, help people online, write little programs for yourself or friends or to learn a new technology. If family members etc. have small businesses, ask if you can write a script or app to help them. Study & practice like mad. Learn the fundamentals, learn a few different languages. Your route IMO should then either be to get an entry level programming job - a beginner, trainee one, or as above, if an apprentice program is available, take that. Even if you feel on to of your game through self study, these jobs will ease you into the corporate world - introduce you to project lifecycles, interaction with testing & releasing to different development, quality assurance & production etc. platforms. You'll likely learn new programming techniques and industry best practices. You might even get a hand in learning database or hosting configuration and management side. You'll get introduced to the defect management and change management processes - answering customers & some tech support, all of which you likely won't get from home study (at least not in as quick or fulfilling way).

 

At each level & job move I've had, I thought I was at the top of my game, then moved & learnt a whole bunch of other stuff & got a realisation check. Start off slow & learn <star wars misquote>college has taught you well, but you are not a programmer yet</star wars misquote>

[Gachr]

@alex_read mentioned a lot of realities in the IT, but I don't think your case will apply there quite yet. There is a great vid explaining this: