How to be sure i can apply for a job.

[vitinho444]

Hey guys, so some of you, if not the most part, already have jobs, or at least already worked on some company.

I'm 17 and i'm finishing high school this year, i don't know for sure if i will enter college due to my low grades for an computer science course but i already have some programming skills (if not most of the ones they teach here in Portugal) and if college fails i will try to enter a job with my current skills and with the future vision of learning what i need and want as fast as i can. (im a fast learner btw [when i really want to learn that])

So i have a linkedin profile with some of my skills and projects, and sometimes they send me emails with available openings for my skills (cool feature btw) and i got one at miniclip, here in Lisbon where i live for a database administration. They ask for mysql experience and some other things.

My question is.. I learnt everything on the internet, mainly youtube. I know the syntax for mysql, php and stuff, i know my way around it.. But how can i be sure that i can do the job they ask for? i wouldn't like to apply and then just freeze in the job...

Here's the opening details:

Duties

Your primary responsibilities will include:

Report to the Database Manager for all database administrative tasks
Implement new MySQL databases, MySQL Replication (Masters/slaves), MySQL Cluster servers
Liaise with network and system engineers to get new DB solutions implemented
Provide database support to other technical and operational teams in the company, which may reside in other offices around the globe
Perform general housekeeping and routine maintenance tasks on company database services and supporting mechanisms
Troubleshooting / issue resolution
Database performance tuning via SQL query tuning, MySQL configuration parameters, table design changes
Take initiative to improve stability of the platform by improving process flows, methodologies, and standards for managing the database environment
Provide technical assistance and guidance to other members of the DBA team
Documentation of existing systems and new changes
Please note that this position will require you to be included in the on-call rotation with other members of the DBA team.
Competências e experiências desejadas

We’re looking for a social, hard-working person who enjoys working in a team with other people and is passionate and dedicated about his/her work. The ideal candidate will be strongly skilled in the following:
3 to 5 years of experience with MySQL on LAMP as an administratorWillingness to reach beyond job description to accomplish company’s objectives
Excellent verbal and written communication skills
2 to 4 years of development experience using PHP, Perl, Python, C, C#, other languages
Understanding of replication (master/slave, master-to-master)
MySQL clustering techniques
Proficient knowledge of CentOS / RHEL
Proficient understanding of basic networking concepts
Multi-data centre support
Standard MySQL monitoring techniques
Sharp programming skills: PHP, Perl, Python and bash
An excellent team player
Willingness and flexibility to learn new technologies
Self-­-motivated

The following skills are desirable but not essential:
NoSQL / non-relational database systems experience, such as Redis, Hadoop or Mongodb
Job scheduling systems experience, such as Quartz or Rundeck
Task management / issue tracking system experience, such as Jira

I have 3-4 years with PHP, CSS, HTML, MYSQL (since i started watching halls tuts). What you guys have to say ?

[hallsofvallhalla]

In the past 6 years I went from working construction making barely above minimum wage to Software Engineer making 6 figures after bonus. All with a High School Diploma. Now I am not saying you do not need a college degree. THEY ARE important and I wish I had one BUT it all depends on how hard you are willing to work. Hence why so many people with degrees fail. They think a degree is a pass to a good job. It is not. It is a certificate of training. Just because you get your drivers license does not mean you get a car.

Resumes are for fluff and BullSh*^&ting your way into a interview. ALWAYS be truthful and honest in the interview and it won't matter what you can or can't do in the job. They know what to expect. Be sure to show enthusiasm for the job and learning. Tell them straight up, I may not be the most experienced person you interview but I WILL be the most eager to prove myself and learn.

|Above all YES APPLY. I have been a hiring manager for tech type jobs, both IT and Analytics for my team and I always hired enthusiasm vs more knowledge.

Good luck and feel free to add me to your link'd in if you haven't
http://www.linkedin.com/pub/gene-howell/45/119/963

[vitinho444]

Yeah i think when i reach the interview i will spill everything i know and i will say straight forward that what i don't know for that job, i will put my 100% focus and time on it, to learn as fast and good as i can. I work very good when the organization doesn't fail

I think i already have you as a connection but i really don't know how linkedin works just yet since i didn't spent much time on it. I know that you can have a list of connections with people you worked or you know and they may recommend you and stuff. I think you are already a connection if not add me :
http://www.linkedin.com/pub/vitor-p%C3%AAgas/66/1/133

One question, may i copy some "structures" from your profile? when i say structures, is like ideas for make my profile richer. If you don't mind i would like to add some stuff identical with yours.


About the job offer, i can't just now.. I'm only 17 i don't know if i can work with this age yet.

[Jackolantern]

About the job offer, i can't just now.. I'm only 17 i don't know if i can work with this age yet.

If it is anything like the US over there, probably not just yet. People under 18 can only work a very narrow amount of jobs, such as food service, car washing, etc. You typically can't even work in retail here until you are over 18.

As far as getting a programming job, don't get discouraged. It may take a number of applications to get in somewhere. When they say "4 - 5 years experience" they mean work experience or college. I learned that the hard way before when I tried to get a programming job some years back. It is basically a catch-22 where they want the experience, but very few companies will hire for your first job to get that experience.

It is definitely possible, as Halls proves. But as time goes on it has been getting harder and harder to get into your first programming job without a degree as the number of worldwide CS graduates has been steadily climbing over the last 2 decades.

Here are some things you can do to prepare to apply for a programming job sans degree (you will have some time, as, sad to say, you probably won't be taken seriously until you are around 20, but hey, being too young for something is better than being too old lol):

1. Put some of your best work up on Github. While you are there, fork some other Github users' projects and make changes to them. Do this because A. it shows you know how to use Github, which is expected today, B. it is a technology-based way to showcase your skill, and C. it shows you can read, understand and extend other people's code (a vital skill for a professional developer).

2. Buy an intro/intermediate college programming text book and study it. Almost every professional programming interview is going to ask you questions out of there. A common interview question is "How do you find the last node of a reference-based singlely-linked list?" Things like linked lists, trees, graphs, famous algorithms, Quick Sort, SSSP, etc. are quite dry and boring to study, but you are expected to know them as a professional developer and most self-studying developers miss this stuff. Even for jobs where this stuff may not come up, such as a web developer for fairly basic sites, interviewers love asking about this stuff. Again, I learned this the hard way. (As a slight bonus, a lot of these things are amazingly powerful for game development, such as the famous A* and B* algorithms which game devs ended up using for pathfinding).

3. Immerse yourself in modern design facets, including unit testing, JDoc (or whatever automated documenting tool is available for your language), mocking, major framework and library usage (things like jQuery, Bootstrap, Knockout.js and Backbone if you are wanting to do web development, Boost if you are wanting to use C++, etc.). This will be a big advantage over a lot of people coming out of the university since course work has just not caught up on this stuff yet. Also learn all you can about Agile development. Most software development companies are fully Agile now. Learn the famous acronyms such as DRY and SOLID and know what they mean and how to apply the ideology of them. Those are also common interview questions.

4. Read a good design patterns book. If you are not familiar, a "design pattern" is a pattern of software development that seemed to come up over and over again, so a group of four authors, known as "The Gang of Four", named them and made them official. Learning design patterns allows you to speak the language of developers. The actual Gang of Four book is a bit dense and dry, but it is the authority. A more approachable book is the humorous Head First Design Patterns. I mean, it isn't like it could double as a comedy book or anything, but it does break things up and make it much easier to read (I would still prefer reading HFDP even though it is 200 pages longer than the Gang of Four book).

That is about all I can think of right now, but will add more to it as I think of it.

Hence why so many people with degrees fail. They think a degree is a pass to a good job.

This is particularly true outside of healthcare and STEM fields. I have seen first-hand how the universities will basically tell you if they offer the degree, you will get a job in it. I met a guy a year or so ago on campus who was majoring in "17th Century Spanish Literature" and he said he didn't want to teach, but rather, wanted to work "in the field". What field?! And I know people at my school have reassured him over and over again that there are plenty of opportunities in it.

However, as you said, provided you have the right attitude, healthcare and STEM fields are a pretty safe bet.

[hallsofvallhalla]

I agree with everything Jack said. Everyday there is stuff discussed by my co workers with degrees that I have to stay quiet on as I do not know what they are talking about. Doesn't mean it really effects my job too much, just more work I have to do to get caught up.

Yeah I can see the job in the newspaper

"17th Century Spanish Literature explorer needed! Explore the world and read books about Spain. Must be willing to travel. Pay depends on experience. "

[Callan S.]

I wouldn't even say what you don't know - just say that ' i will put my 100% focus and time on it, to learn as fast and good as i can.'. Talk EXTENSIVELY about what you do know. Indeed before an interview, write down a list of what you do know, in a form that could be conversed about. Attempt to memorise it.

The employers just want to feel that they have filled the position and don't have to worry about it anymore.

Don't give them anything to worry about.

[Ark]

Just as Theodore Roosevelt said: "Whenever you are asked if you can do a job, tell 'em, 'Certainly I can!' Then get busy and find out how to do it.".

[vitinho444]

About the job offer, i can't just now.. I'm only 17 i don't know if i can work with this age yet.

If it is anything like the US over there, probably not just yet. People under 18 can only work a very narrow amount of jobs, such as food service, car washing, etc. You typically can't even work in retail here until you are over 18.

Yeah here they won't take it too seriously unless you have a college degree maybe.

After reading your reply it was a very good "where to start" guide
I think it's time to say good bye to youtube and go on to books. I prefer youtube since you can see what the teacher is doing and stuff.

I agree with everything Jack said. Everyday there is stuff discussed by my co workers with degrees that I have to stay quiet on as I do not know what they are talking about. Doesn't mean it really effects my job too much, just more work I have to do to get caught up.

Yeah I can see the job in the newspaper

"17th Century Spanish Literature explorer needed! Explore the world and read books about Spain. Must be willing to travel. Pay depends on experience. "

Hehe true, there are courses that we can't just imagine how it would be to find a job..

Hence why so many people with degrees fail. They think a degree is a pass to a good job.

This is particularly true outside of healthcare and STEM fields. I have seen first-hand how the universities will basically tell you if they offer the degree, you will get a job in it. I met a guy a year or so ago on campus who was majoring in "17th Century Spanish Literature" and he said he didn't want to teach, but rather, wanted to work "in the field". What field?! And I know people at my school have reassured him over and over again that there are plenty of opportunities in it.

However, as you said, provided you have the right attitude, healthcare and STEM fields are a pretty safe bet.

Here in portugal is something like that.. Like 99% of the programming course graduates get a job, and something like 70% get one before they even finish. I think my advantage (if i got any) is that i got the confidence that i can learn more and i will put my focus on it. The guys who came out of college (here in Portugal) have like some experience in java, c++, and c# i guess.. that's poor..

I wouldn't even say what you don't know - just say that ' i will put my 100% focus and time on it, to learn as fast and good as i can.'. Talk EXTENSIVELY about what you do know. Indeed before an interview, write down a list of what you do know, in a form that could be conversed about. Attempt to memorise it.

The employers just want to feel that they have filled the position and don't have to worry about it anymore.

Don't give them anything to worry about.

Yeah i see your point.. if the job is open they want to fill it ASAP so they won't worry with it for a long time. I need to kick some ass in my interviews

Just as Theodore Roosevelt said: "Whenever you are asked if you can do a job, tell 'em, 'Certainly I can!' Then get busy and find out how to do it.".

That's some good quote.. damn the U.S...

Here in Portugal we have a poet writing to the machines "penetrate him"... and we learn that in school.. shame.. people say "CULTURE" i say "garbage" .. Why should i need to know my country writers and stuff? I would like to know more about how to pay taxes, how to get ready for a job interview, how to write my resume... but they prefer to teach us about some drunk dudes writing some things down.. (i dont say this is not important.. but they could teach this for literature people and not me.. i'm in a freaking science and technology course and i don't see a bit of tech here.. the highest tech in my school is the slideshow for powerpoint presentations -.-