Software Development and Programming Careers (Official Discussion Thread)

[The Spirit Of Jack Trice]

See, I took a course in college designed as a career prep and one of the things they emphasized was how Resumes are looked at for 6-10 seconds on average, they also encouraged us to limit our resumes to one page for that very reason. So, I don't have a lot of space to give up. I left a link to my Github and hoped for the best. Also, made sure to mention Agile Development as I keep seeing it referenced and I enjoyed the style.
Thanks for the notes.

 

[Obreh Winfrey]

Thank you for the suggestions.

Taken directly from my resume; Two strongest projects
1.
Developed project solely in Java and designed as a bookstore
Utilized project to build knowledge on UML practices and to introduce students to Agile Development teams
2.
Designed as a sales site aimed at college students
Planned initially as a final class project that resulted in a platform designed to sell various products such as books, electronics, and even furniture
Based focus of the website on school-dependent sites, which means that every school was given their own site, while still allowing students from nearby schools to access other schools catalog
Developed in HTML, CSS, JavaScript, JQuery, and JSON for the front-end
Developed in PHP for the back-end

Weakest Project
Developed in C/C++
Simple Game of Checkers, automated by input of text file

My Resume is always being tweaked, but I have a direct link in my Resume to the first project, so I kept it short.

When you put your resume together you have to keep in mind that you've got to write your bullet points with 2-3 audiences in mind.
ATS

Applicant Tracking System. All of the large companies, and many of the smaller ones, are using ATS screening when you submit your application. It's basically going to compare the contents of your resume against the job description and make a judgement on whether or not you meet the basics. Degree, years of experience, technology skills, location. Your main focus is to make sure you're touching on the requirements laid out in the job description in your bullet points. I'd image that ATS would hit on Java, JavaScript, and front end - maybe tagging you as a full stack developer. If you're aiming for a Java job, make sure you're talking up those skills. Front end, talk up those skills. ATS won't be visiting any links you give, so it won't glean any extra information from them. This is your first hurdle, so spend time on this. Read this to gain an understanding of how to write your resume around it: What's an ATS? How to Write a Resume to Beat the Applicant Tracking System . A couple of years ago I wound up rewriting mine from scratch - blank word doc and put all the information I wanted on there. Then I went back and added formatting for visual interest.

Spoiler

To test against an ATS system I use this heavily: CVlizer - Resume / CV parser for automated processing of application documents . Scroll down, click the "Test Now" button, and upload your resume. DON'T click the "see structured dataset in XML" button, last time I did that I couldn't get this thing to parse for me anymore. Just close out the dialog and reupload. Refresh the page and try again if you let it sit for more than 2 or 3 minutes. Look through what it comes back with. Is it accurate? Start rewriting your stuff so that it paints a better picture of you. Here's a couple of the sections of what it spit out from mine

HR

After it gets through ATS, an HR person is going to look at it. No matter what they might say, they really don't know a lot about technology. They know some buzz words and a very surface view of some of the tech stack the job description is asking for. For them, you're going to want write what you accomplished in that project - and try to quantify it. When I read the info for your first project, and I mean this with no disrespect, it sounds like you just existed. If it's one of your stronger projects you gotta act like it. Similar to ATS, HR people are probably not going to be going through your links, so you have to have that information for them up front. Ask yourself what did I do? How did I do it? Why it important? Your second project gets after that a little better, but try getting some numbers in there. This will also give you talking points if/when you get on the phone with HR and they do a quick screening with you. In the beginning I had several calls where the tone went from to to to

.​

Developers/Technical Minded Interviewers

HR will eventually pass it on to your interviewers. Depending on their schedule, they may only take a couple of glances at your resume before hand. The better ones will start following your links and checking out what you have going on. I know I do this so I can get an understanding on how somebody writes code. Also, if you talk big game in your resume but your GitHub doesn't agree

. You should be prepared for one of them going through and asking for clarification on stuff you have listed. So on your weakest project, I'd make you walk me through what you did and why you made certain decisions. If you overcame a technical challenge then you should definitely have that on there. On my team you gotta be able to problem solve, nothing comes easy, so I want to see that you can get past blocking issues. By the time you've written for ATS and HR, you will have little work to do here. This will just be icing on the cake.​

I recommend going over your resume a couple more times to try to touch on these points. Each of your bullet points should be able to stand on their own and make sense. Your strongest and weakest projects should be indistinguishable when somebody looks at them (easier said than done, I know). It might be useful to start writing strong entries and get them up in your LinkedIn, then pull out what you can and stick them in your resume. That way the information agrees and you'll have a nice pool of bullet points to stick in your resume. The good thing is, once you have a solid base, the process gets easier when it comes time to update your resume again.

 

[The Spirit Of Jack Trice]

Thanks for the links.

HR

After it gets through ATS, an HR person is going to look at it. No matter what they might say, they really don't know a lot about technology.​

Yup! Learned that the hard way when they asked me a few questions; what's the 10 mod 55? What's the difference between a stack and queue? How many nodes does a binary tree have? And I sat there waiting for them to tell me if it was complete, full, etc.

When I read the info for your first project, and I mean this with no disrespect, it sounds like you just existed. If it's one of your stronger projects you gotta act like it.​

None taken, I appreciate the constructive criticism, because what I'm doing at the moment sure as hell isn't working. You're right though, it's a good project, but it was a quick decision for a semester long grade. Its solid, but it lacks personality. I've spoken about it to interviewers before, and one of the things they always bring up were issues with the design. Other than absent members there were no overall problems. There was another option at the time, but we couldn't establish enough use cases.

A couple of years ago I wound up rewriting mine from scratch - blank word doc and put all the information I wanted on there. Then I went back and added formatting for visual interest.

Did the same thing for my current. Thought I touched on the good points will have to use that link to improve it. Thanks.​

 

[Serious]

question for coders.....

How the fukk do yall remember all the syntax rules....


I feel like that's the hardest part, just getting hung on fundamental stuff like not knowing when to use a parentheses

/rant

 

[Responsible Allen Iverson]

question for coders.....

How the fukk do yall remember all the syntax rules....


I feel like that's the hardest part, just getting hung on fundamental stuff like not knowing when to use a parentheses

/rant

You need to code regularly so you don't forget the rules

 

[Secure Da Bag]

question for coders.....

How the fukk do yall remember all the syntax rules....


I feel like that's the hardest part, just getting hung on fundamental stuff like not knowing when to use a parentheses

/rant

• SQL (declarative language)
  
• Scheme (functional language)
  
• Smalltalk (1st OO language)
  
• Python (OO language)

Program in one of the above if you don't want to deal with syntax.

You need to code regularly so you don't forget the rules

This is the right answer.

 

[Originalman]

How did you all go about getting your first software dev/engineering position out of college?

I've been trying LinkedIn, but I keep getting tossed out in the first round of screening, I'm thinking it's the application tracking software, but I'm not sure. I've been focusing on specific cities for my searches, kept focusing on jobs that programmed in languages I know well, but I keep receiving those "going in a different direction" emails.

I've had more luck getting responses with actual career fairs. Got a couple leads, had a couple phone interviews, one assessment with EPIC, Resume is neat, although there isn't any corporate experience yet, which I assume is what's holding me back.

Background update: CS major, senior year looking into post grad work. I've have 3 separate gits(I'm trying to push them all into one), my gits have personal projects & class projects, the one on my LinkedIn has a majority of my projects. Java is my strongest suit, but I can program in Java, Python, C/C++, PHP, HTML & CSS, Javascript, basic knowledge of Verilog, SQL and variations of it. I'm great at Java, my C is garbage, but that's because C is a garbage language in my humble opinion. Solid foundation just need that push to corporate.

If you are black have you tried going to a NSBE convention? Where are you located and are you trying to look at positions out of state or only in yiur area?

 

[Originalman]

Man this documentary was piff...
2 hours long. I only got 75% through it.....

But i just read this article on Machine Learning and Policy.....
https://www.belfercenter.org/sites/...ublication/MachineLearningforPolicymakers.pdf

and this one paragraph, regarding the topic of bias stuck out to me:


In other words study and learn machine learning brehs

@-DMP- @Insensitive @Originalman @dora_da_destroyer @Black Panther @Rawtid

Good info brotha and perfect timing.

Brings me to this article I read last week on united healthcare and their racist bias algorithm.

https://www.google.com/amp/s/www.bi...lgorithm-accused-of-racial-bias-gets.amp.html

 

[Serious]

Good info brotha and perfect timing.

Brings me to this article I read last week on united healthcare and their racist bias algorithm.

https://www.google.com/amp/s/www.bi...lgorithm-accused-of-racial-bias-gets.amp.html

Can't say I'm surprised. That's how cacs roll.

They just switch from one platform to the next bringing their same biases and beliefs.

The hard part is proofing it, because unless someone has access to the data along with a extremely proficient background in math or stats, they won't be able to interpret the inequity.

 

[The Spirit Of Jack Trice]

Yes, I'm high-waisted.
I haven't been to a NSBE convention. I'm located out of the midwest and I'm looking at positions that are for the most part available, I need to gain corporate experience, so I can't be overly picky. Some of my leads are in the midwest like Chicago. Although, I'm looking more towards the south, Texas, Georgia, and the East Coast.

If you are black have you tried going to a NSBE convention? Where are you located and are you trying to look at positions out of state or only in yiur area?

 

[Deflatedhoopdreams]

question for coders.....

How the fukk do yall remember all the syntax rules....


I feel like that's the hardest part, just getting hung on fundamental stuff like not knowing when to use a parentheses

/rant

I think that was the easiest part breh. When I first started I just hammered tutorial after tutorial. Documentation after documentation until I knew all of the syntax.

Then practice practice practice. As you write stuff you start seeing what needs to be where and when you try to run the script it will tell you where you fukked up in the error message.

Memorization through muscle memory. Same as learning math growing up. When I see a algebra question I know exactly what it says and what steps to take to solve the question

 

[Serious]

I think that was the easiest part breh. When I first started I just hammered tutorial after tutorial. Documentation after documentation until I knew all of the syntax.

Then practice practice practice. As you write stuff you start seeing what needs to be where and when you try to run the script it will tell you where you fukked up in the error message.

Memorization through muscle memory. Same as learning math growing up. When I see a algebra question I know exactly what it says and what steps to take to solve the question

You need to code regularly so you don't forget the rules

• SQL (declarative language)
  
• Scheme (functional language)
  
• Smalltalk (1st OO language)
  
• Python (OO language)

Program in one of the above if you don't want to deal with syntax.




This is the right answer.

thanks brehs....

Just venting...

I signed up for DataCamp recently but I'm practicing certain concepts on Jupyter as well...

I get the premise, but man precision required to know when to put a comma or bracket is insane.

 

[Deflatedhoopdreams]

thanks brehs....

Just venting...

I signed up for DataCamp recently but I'm practicing certain concepts on Jupyter as well...

I get the premise, but man precision required to know when to put a comma or bracket is insane.

Yeah. Just keep grinding at that stuff.

 

[Originalman]

Yes, I'm high-waisted.
I haven't been to a NSBE convention. I'm located out of the midwest and I'm looking at positions that are for the most part available, I need to gain corporate experience, so I can't be overly picky. Some of my leads are in the midwest like Chicago. Although, I'm looking more towards the south, Texas, Georgia, and the East Coast.

Yeah then brotha I would advise to at the NSBE convention in March 2020. Also with myself being from the midwest I know how saturated the market can be.

Glad you keeping your eyes and ears open to gigs in other states.

 

[Originalman]

Can't say I'm surprised. That's how cacs roll.

They just switch from one platform to the next bringing their same biases and beliefs.

The hard part is proofing it, because unless someone has access to the data along with a extremely proficient background in math or stats, they won't be able to interpret the inequity.

Yep and that makes the racism even more covert.

Also glad you peeping Frontline. They have the best investigating reporting on american tv.

If you ever have a chance do so digging on YouTube for their old documentaries from the 80s and 90s. The reporting is such piff. Got damn their report on NFL mob ties, the Debeers diamond cartel, the italian banker Roberto Calvi who may have been killed by the vatican, mafia or the masons and the BCCI banking scandal are so solid.