Q:
I recently graduated with a computer science degree and desperately need a job to bring in money.
I have little experience or showcase projects outside of school, and need advice on best approach to landing work quickly.
I think Android is my best route, since my capstone was in Android development and I know Java best, Do you think focusing on Android jobs is my best bet or should I focus on other types of jobs?
A:
First, these recent articles might help you optimize your resume and ramp up quickly on key skills to increase your chances of landing work.
It's probably a good idea to target Android roles, if that's your strongest area.
A few other tips:
- You should definitely have a working example in your area of focus. Doesn't have to be polished or complex, but employers want to see that you have practical skill carrying something across the finish line.
The key is to start super simple with something you can push to the Google Play store in a few days. Maybe just one activity with a few UI elements. Once you've worked through the full development cycle, you can add complexity incrementally, focusing on a specific skill that improves your jobs chances (e.g. multiple activities, JSON feed parsing, async tasks & services, unit tests, local data storage, push notifications, etc.)
- I see a lot of listings for Hybrid Android (HTML5 in a native wrapper) developers . Getting a basic familiarity with Cordova/Phonegap, HTML5, CSS, JavaScript, & AngularJS (or React) could help your chances a lot and also give you a shot at front-end web dev jobs.
- The hiring bar is generally lower for contract jobs than for full-time, and contracts can be a great opportunity to get experience quickly. Be open to both arrangements.
- Don't shy from roles that ask for 3-5 yrs exp. if the other requirements aren't too steep. I've seen a number of positions listed as 'senior' but with a clearly 'junior' pay rate. So the employer will likely settle for a junior person eventually.
- Companies farther outside the Seattle core (Everett, Tacoma, Renton, Kent, Olympia, etc.) are struggling to compete with name-brand tech companies in SLU. This can be to your advantage if you're willing to do a long commute.
- Companies outside the tech hubs, esp. in areas w/ little dev talent are also struggling to hire developers with current skills. Most people can't relocate for 6-12 months, so if you can, this might get you a job and experience quickly.
