Ask DN: Self-Taught Developer and Entry-Level Jobs?: Hello all, With the onset of the new year, Ive made a resolution to find a new job doing what I love by the end of 2015. I have an unconventional educational background for people in this field and have taught myself most of what I know about development and design using resources like what I find here at Designer News and tutorials at places like Lynda and other online design and coding resources. After I finish a couple of projects that are currently on my plate, Ill have a decent enough portfolio (I think) to start looking around for full-time jobs. (Right now Im freelancing and working another full-time job.) In general, Im looking for advice about this transition from self-taught freelancer to full-time front-end developer. What do I ABSOLUTELY need to be able to do to be thought of as a serious candidate? (Is there a magical checklist somewhere?) How do I present my portfolio and educational background to prospective employers given the context of my self-teaching? I want to find a good balance between telling employers what I can do right now and what Ill be happy to learn to do to meet their needs. I dont want them to think theyre getting somebody who doesnt know anything, but I also dont want to overestimate the depth and breadth of the skill-base that Ive developed over the last several years. I love teaching myself, but this is perhaps the main drawback of not having a more formalized system of education–its hard to know where I am in relation to my peers in the field who have real jobs. ;) Thanks for your time and your thoughts. --Chelsea
Posted on: Tue, 20 Jan 2015 23:27:08 +0000
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