Q&A related to the Dan Crews interview. Read the full question below, and listen to bonus content from the podcast:
Hey Tyler,
I am a recent management grad looking to change careers and move into a dev role. I have spent the past couple of years teaching myself Ruby on Rails, vanilla JavaScript and React. I have put together a portfolio of the projects I have worked on and an active GitHub account but I am having trouble getting interviews. I think without a formal CS background or 3-5 years of experience it can be difficult but I am looking for advice and mentoring on how to chart a course as a junior developer as well as any opportunities you may know of.
Thank you,
OP — July 12, 2019, 8:26 AM
Hey OP,
You’re absolutely right. It can be difficult to get a development job with a mismatched background. I just published an episode today talking about how one of my friends got into development with no technical background. For him, he started in tech support and then applied his self-taught skills in solving problems when they came up. It took several years, but eventually he was the lead PHP developer. Now he is leaving for California in response to a dream development job offer that a head-hunter tracked him down for.
If you’re interested in that episode it is anchor.fm/managerjs/episodes/Interview-with-Hiring-Manager-Dan-Crews—part-1-e4jle4
Getting a formal development job with your background is always a possibility, so keep trying. But it is a distant possibility given how many trained applicants can jump ahead of you in line. The crucial element is experience. Getting paid to write code will make you look better, and be better. Be willing to look far afield for your first paid coding job. In Dan’s case, it was in tech support. For many others, they take a job in their formal training but keep their eyes open for other internal needs that they can fill.
You’ll probably have greater luck pivoting from one formal role to a more development role in a smaller company. In small companies, they can’t afford to hire a specialist for every task, but they normally have tasks of every type. So a capable and eager employee can really write their own job description over time.
Of course, you should never work somewhere under false pretenses. And don’t expect to be able to completely mold your job in a matter of months. But if you add skills to your toolbox and work somewhere that needs those skills, you will eventually be using them professionally. Once you have some real practical experience, you can consider continuing your growth where you got your start, or jumping to a new company where your formal role can be more aligned with your ideal role.
Don’t accept a job anywhere with the intention of working there less than two years without making that clear. People have well connected networks and you can’t afford to burn others. And don’t create a series of jobs on your resume that are all less than three years. People will eventually see you as a career minded opportunist and be reluctant to invest in you.
I hope this is helpful to you. I can’t really tell what stuff is obvious to everyone and what is new. Academic creep.
By the way, is it alright if I use your letter in my blog? I would anonymize you, unless you would like credit for the question. It’s spooky how on-topic your question is.
Wishing you the best,
~Tyler — 9:55 AM
Hey Tyler,
Thanks for getting back to me. I will check out your interview. You are welcome to use my letter if you’d wish.
OP — 4:32 PM
The foregoing conversation took place on the Brigham Young University Connect hub for students, recent graduates, and alumni mentors.
OP is doing just about everything right. He has a portfolio, active GitHub, applying for jobs, seeking out mentorships. I believe he will eventually succeed. Unfortunately, there will always be luck involved.
There are things you can do to improve your odds. Getting a four year degree in a related field from a respected university isn’t nothing. If you have that, you have a head start. If you don’t, you’ll have to work and be creative to make up for it. OP is doing all that he can at this point.
