[LRUG] To do or not to do

[ruby-people at ruby-people.com]

Dear Vahagn,



I do agree with what Matt and Luis have said. I would add just a few more thoughts.



>From an onlooker's perspective, the challenges faced by developers looking for new opportunities are not dissimilar from other skilled workers. A potential employer wants assurances that they are hiring someone who can do what their CV says they have done. Almost every interview I have attended has had this aspect to it. My background is in editorial science, and in the interview for my previous job I took a genetics test and I was asked to write a short article on a scientific subject during the interview. 



>From an open source developer's (and recruiter's) perspective the situation is different in that a potential employer measures the candidate's ability and enthusiasm for the job by their contribution to the open source community and the availability of their work in cyberspace. Put simply, they expect to Google you. Employers consider an open source developer to be an open source contributor. I think this kind of expectation is unfair and the standards are too specific. It creates a hurdle for excellent developers who are not active in the open source community for one of a number of reasons. In this instance an employer might ask for sample codes from previous employment, but even here a developer may be restricted by privacy laws from sharing this. In this scenarios I have found developers can get very discouraged and despondent, and it can appear there is no light at the end of the tunnel. 



For those in this predicament, here are a few suggestions for getting by:

 

-         Remember you are not alone. It is not (most of the time) because you are a poor developer, but because you have not yet had the opportunity to demonstrate your ability. And there are many others in the same situation as you.



-         Look for opportunities where you can work on some kind of commercial project, either your own one, or with a company on lower benefits than you might normally demand, or perhaps even a voluntary role. I talk to people who would love to have someone do a quick job and can't afford to hire - so I'd love to connect anyone who wants this kind of thing, just get in touch.



-         Consider working abroad for a short while. Sometimes a stint abroad where RoR skills are scarce might be all you need to market yourself better.



-         Don't stop learning - it may be the difference between you and another (stale) developer. Keep your development skills sharp, and an employer will know you are worth hiring because you have enthusiasm even if you haven't had the opportunity to work on a savvy commercial project.



Best



Micky

micky at ruby-people.com

 



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