Career advice needed

The Juan That Matas

Hi,

I am a mid-late 20's guy who graduated in computer science and software engineering. When I finished my degree I found it difficult to get a development job and ended up working as a cloud computing engineer for the last 3-4 years. There is no programming involved in my current job at all. I am looking now to move back to a programming career.

-Most jobs posted look for 2-3 years programming experience. How strict are employers on this?
-Could i still apply for graduate positions even though i am not only out of college?
-I used Java mainly in college but studied a lot of other languages also. What is the best language for career prospects?

Thanks in advance!

Media999

Whats your portfolio like?

My Portfolio pretty much got me my job in development. Graduates interviewed for the same job literally had nothing to show.

Just so happened that one project i had in my portfolio was pretty much exactly what they wanted me to work on.

The Juan That Matas

I haven't done much in the last 2 years to be honest. I have done a lot of website development which probably isn't much good. Apart from that my final year project in college was developing an iPhone app. Whats the best way of improving my portfolio? Just doing projects myself in my spare time??

Media999

Pretty much. Try make them commercially relevant. Database driven Java programs id suggest. Thats what did it for me.

neil_hosey

i found in the past the easiest way to build a portfolio was to just reinvent the wheel.. ie. copy a pretty wellknown site such as daft.ie or something..

that way most of your time wont be spent on the logical requirements and functionality as you use the copied website to figure that out.

You can spend the majority of your time improving your skills in the different technologies you want to use for that site..

feylya

What about moving into a role that uses your experience as a cloud computing engineer? I'm assuming that was an ops style role? You could use that experience in a site reliability engineer role, where you're writing code and tools for infrastructure.

The Juan That Matas

Thanks for the replies everyone! feylya that would be the ideal situation alright...now i just have to find that job :-P

Media999

Would you be capable of building a good Java app that implements your cloud computing experience for your portfolio while you look for that job?

Would seriously help to have something like that in your portfolio when applying for those jobs.

TrustedApple

Wouldn't Take a word of Media999 as he has no background expect being a drop out in Software Dev in college.

So wondering how some one took him on as a programer with no degree or background of any kinds in IT.

Evil Phil

Don't make it personal folks.

Tar.Aldarion

samapple789 wrote: »

Wouldn't Take a word of Media999 as he has no background expect being a drop out in Software Dev in college.

So wondering how some one took him on as a programer with no degree or background of any kinds in IT.

That's retarded, obviously if you do a project to show your skills you have the skills, programmer at work had no degree yet knew far more than my degree + masters would ever have taught me. I know a few similar.

Media999

samapple789 wrote: »

Wouldn't Take a word of Media999 as he has no background expect being a drop out in Software Dev in college.

So wondering how some one took him on as a programer with no degree or background of any kinds in IT.

Assume much?

Who says you need a degree to sit down and teach yourself? Someone with no initiative like yourself i suppose. Jealous as hell because youre about to graduate and still no work yet i dropped out and have a good job.

Nothing in the world stopping you opening Eclipse or intelliJ and putting together a portfolio.

TrustedApple

Media999 wrote: »

Assume much?

Who says you need a degree to sit down and teach yourself? Someone with no initiative like yourself i suppose. Jealous as hell because youre about to graduate and still no work yet i dropped out and have a good job.

Nothing in the world stopping you opening Eclipse or intelliJ and putting together a portfolio.

But you need a degree to prove you can do the job ...... Would you take on a doctor with no degree who just sits down at home teaching himself ?

Sorry but i do have a job ? and a extremely well paid one . Also i am not about to Graduate i have my 1st degree ? I am doing a add on year for my LV8 ?. Then I am doing my masters .....

Some one is assuming a lot about me ......

I also have a portfolio online ....... You really need a kick in the ass

Media999

Ask Bill Gates if you need a Degree to be a programmer.

TrustedApple

Media999 wrote: »

Ask Bill Gates if you need a Degree to be a programmer.

What has that got to do with anything ?

Media999

Your about to graduate a lvl 8 IT Degree?

What college? Ill make sure not to send my kids there.

Tar.Aldarion

samapple789 wrote: »

But you need a degree to prove you can do the job ...... Would you take on a doctor with no degree who just sits down at home teaching himself ?

Sorry but i do have a job ? and a extremely well paid one . Also i am not about to Graduate i have my 1st degree ? I am doing a add on year for my LV8 ?. Then I am doing my masters .....

Some one is assuming a lot about me ......

I also have a portfolio online ....... You really need a kick in the ass

Would you really trust a doctor with such a low level degree, how did you get your job?! Do they know about this?!

But you need a degree to prove you can do the job

Hahahahaha

Tar.Aldarion

samapple789 wrote: »

What has that got to do with anything ?

Maybe the fact that he is a billionaire drop-out programmer?