{"id":10465,"date":"2014-01-13T11:30:44","date_gmt":"2014-01-13T16:30:44","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/simpleprogrammer.com\/?p=10465"},"modified":"2018-04-10T13:24:39","modified_gmt":"2018-04-10T17:24:39","slug":"get-jump-start-programming-career","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/simpleprogrammer.com\/get-jump-start-programming-career\/","title":{"rendered":"How To Get a Jump Start In Your Programming Career"},"content":{"rendered":"

Getting started in the field of software development is difficult.\\n\\nNo doubt, if you are just starting out as a programmer, you have already experienced how difficult it can be to get a job without having much or any experience.\\n\\nIf you\u2019ve been a software developer for any amount of time, you\u2019ve probably experienced how difficult it can be to rise up the ranks in this highly competitive industry.\\n\\nI\u2019ve talked to many developers just starting out who are frustrated because they don\u2019t know where they should be devoting their energies to best advance their careers and secure their futures.\\n\\nThere are so many options.\u00a0 So many technologies you could learn.\u00a0 So many paths you could take.\u00a0 Which is the right one?\\n\\n<\/p>\n

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Thinking the right way from the start<\/h2>\n

\\n\\nI\u2019ll give some concrete advice in a little bit, but before any of that advice is useful, it is important to make sure you are thinking about your career in the right way.\\n\\n\"Young<\/a>\\n\\nIt is really important to think about your career as a business.<\/strong>\u00a0 A business you own which employs you.\u00a0 Thinking this way will help you make the right objective decisions about what you should be doing with your time and how and when you should invest money in your career.\\n\\nToo many software developers think about their career in terms of their current job or the job they seek to obtain\u2014that kind of thinking is short sighted.\\n\\nHave you ever noticed how it is easier to advise someone else on a decision than to make that same decision for yourself?\u00a0 The reason is because when you advise someone else, you are able to be objective and not let fear and other emotions influence your advice.\\n\\nBy thinking of yourself as a business, you\u2019ll be able to create that same kind of separation and objectiveness which will lead you to better decisions.\\n\\n<\/p>\n

Actually start a business<\/h2>\n

\\n\\nIn fact, why not go the extra step and start a business right from the start?\\n\\nIt is difficult to get experience without having experience.\u00a0 Most software development jobs require you to already have experience.\\n\\nSo, how do new software developers or developers with limited experience actually get experience?\\n\\nOften, you get a lucky break and perhaps you come into an organization in a QA position or other role and eventually work your way up to developer.\\n\\nThat is the long way.\\n\\nHere is the short way.\\n\\nJust start your own business from the get go and employ yourself.<\/strong>\u00a0 It isn\u2019t hard to start a business.\u00a0 You don\u2019t even have to file any paperwork to start out.\u00a0 You can just do business as yourself in most places.\\n\\nBut what about work?\u00a0 I need to actually make some money.\\n\\nAh, but the point of this starting out business is not to actually make money, but to gain you experience.\u00a0 You can keep your current job and you can run this business on the side.\u00a0 You just need some projects to work on so that you can put some real experience on your resume.\\n\\nIt is pretty unlikely that a prospective employer is going to ask how much money your business made last year, (even if they do, you don\u2019t have to tell them.)<\/em>\u00a0 So, don\u2019t worry about making money.\u00a0 If you are able to get some paid jobs, great, but there is no reason you can\u2019t do jobs for clients for free in order to gain experience.\\n\\nCreate a website for a friend or family member\u2019s business.\u00a0 Talk to local businesses and ask them if they\u2019d like you to develop an application for them for free or very low cost.\u00a0 It doesn\u2019t matter where you get the business from, the point is to get something on your resume that is real work you did\u2014then it isn\u2019t lying.\u00a0 You don\u2019t want to lie on your resume.\\n\\n<\/p>\n

Develop some mobile applications<\/h2>\n

\\n\\nHere is another great thing that your business can do that will not only get you some experience to put on your resume, but will also possibly generate you some extra income and give you something to show at a job interview.\\n\\nI often recommend that developers just starting out build mobile applications, because mobile applications can be built by a single person and are a great way not only to learn how to build an application from end to end, but to create solid proof of your ability to write code.\\n\\nOne of the biggest fears that companies have when hiring developers is whether or not that developer can actually produce anything.<\/strong>\u00a0 You can completely alleviate that fear if you can show the source code for an application you created yourself, and if you have it in a mobile app store and people are actually using it, even better.\\n\\n\"mobile<\/a>\\n\\nIf you are looking to find out where to get started with mobile application development, I have two Pluralsight courses<\/a> on the subject: Introduction to Android<\/a> and Beginning iOS 7 Development.<\/a>\u00a0 You can check those out or find a good book on the subject.\\n\\nHere are a couple I\u2019d recommend:\\n\\n<\/p>\n