Speaking on behalf of software engineers who have to interview prospective new hires, I can safely say that we're tired of talking to candidates who can't program their way out of a paper bag. If you can successfully write a loop that goes from 1 to 10 in every language on your resume, can do simple arithmetic without a calculator, and can use recursion to solve a real problem, you're already ahead of the pack!

1. Employers look for people who are Smart and Get Things Done

2. Employers look for people who Have Already Done Things

3. You can't get a job doing something you haven't done before

Finally, you may even find that

4. Employers Google your name to see what you've said and done

Malcolm Gladwell wrote in Outliers,

Whether or not you're in college, nothing is stopping you from contributing to an existing Open Source project. One good way to start is to add unit or regression tests; nearly all projects need them, but few projects have a good set of them, so your efforts will be greatly appreciated.

I suggest starting by adding a conformance test to the Wine project. That's great because it gives you exposure to programming both in Linux and in Windows. Also, it's something that can be done without a huge investment of time; roughly 40 work hours should be enough for you to come up to speed, write a simple test, post it, address the feedback from the Wine developers, and repeat the last two steps until your code is accepted.

One nice benefit of getting code into an Open Source project is that when prospective employers Google you, they'll see your code, and they'll see that it is in use by thousands of people, which is always good for your reputation.

Here's another good quick reality check, one closer to my heart.

Last Change 4 Dec 2014

(C) Dan Kegel 2004,2005,2006,2011,2012,2014