Hi, I got into programming when I was a journalist, and have since left journalism to be a dev. My first programming role was at a startup that I learned about in this email thread (so you're in the right place) and nowdays I do a c#.net job ... So I've been where you are now.
The thing that has gotten my face out there is having a public GitHub profile. If you put your work there then it becomes a catalogue of what you've done and employers see this as evidence of being keen. The second thing I'd say is Python is a great language but it can only teach you so much. To be a pro programmer, you need to not just be good at one language. One of the most beneficial things I did after I was comfortable with Python was learn c++, because it has a lot of features and pitfalls that python doesn't have. Learning one will teach you about the other. It's been really good for me to read articles when I can, not necessarily about Python, but just general programming concepts. As I've learned I've applied those principles in my profiles on GitHub, and my projects today are better as a result... And believe me my first ones were shockers, but that's ok. Other than that, I'd second what others have already said. So that's how I did it. I applied for many, many jobs and was rejected many times. So a combination of being lucky, being determined to learn, and being really persistent with applying for jobs every week got me there. Hope that helps, On Saturday, 9 September 2017, <melbourne-pug-requ...@python.org> wrote: > Send melbourne-pug mailing list submissions to > melbourne-pug@python.org <javascript:;> > > To subscribe or unsubscribe via the World Wide Web, visit > https://mail.python.org/mailman/listinfo/melbourne-pug > or, via email, send a message with subject or body 'help' to > melbourne-pug-requ...@python.org <javascript:;> > > You can reach the person managing the list at > melbourne-pug-ow...@python.org <javascript:;> > > When replying, please edit your Subject line so it is more specific > than "Re: Contents of melbourne-pug digest..." > > > Today's Topics: > > 1. Re: How do I become a python developer? (William ML Leslie) > 2. Re: How do I become a python developer? (John Knight) > 3. Re: How do I become a python developer? (paul sorenson) > > > ---------------------------------------------------------------------- > > Message: 1 > Date: Fri, 8 Sep 2017 10:24:39 +1000 > From: William ML Leslie <william.leslie....@gmail.com <javascript:;>> > To: Melbourne Python Users Group <melbourne-pug@python.org <javascript:;>> > Subject: Re: [melbourne-pug] How do I become a python developer? > Message-ID: > < > cahgd1hhda9k1sodjs4ag-yaimrnmnhn1edkn6cj1pfksx55...@mail.gmail.com > <javascript:;>> > Content-Type: text/plain; charset="UTF-8" > > On 4 September 2017 at 15:04, Dylan Pereira <perdy...@gmail.com > <javascript:;>> wrote: > > Hi, > > > > I just had a general question. I have used python before and have loved > it. > > I would love to work as a python developer. I don't have any previous > > experience except for writing a few python scripts in a previous role. > What > > would employers like to see when they hire a junior python dev. What > does it > > take to break into the industry? > > > > I've got a bit of a list of things I expect people to know if they say > they are a professional developer, and all in all it's a few days of > study to become familliar enough with all of this set. You don't have > to know any of these inside out, but if they were bought up in an > interview you should be able to show some familliarity. > > * Know how to use a DVCS. The one you are most likely to be asked > about is ``git``; and both github and bitbucket offer free git hosting > so try to get good at managing and describing your changes. Ideally > learn to manage feature branches, too. Version control is a matter of > good hygeine. > > * Know how to use a debugger, either in your IDE or editor, or PDB in > a python terminal. You won't often need to use one (as writing tests > and printing stuff is usually so much quicker), but it will mean a lot > for your sanity if debugger commands are not something you have to > learn while frantically trying to figure out what went wrong. > > * Oh yes. Tests! Know how to write a test, and run it using the test > runner. Do not get into the habit of running the test file directly, > it teaches you bad import hygeine. If you're on a posix system, Ctrl-R > in bash is a lifesaver for finding your last test command, modifying > it, and running again. Mine often look like ``pytest > foo/bar/test/test_baz.py`` and pytest can figure out from the > ``pytest.ini`` in the current directory where the package root is. > With unittest, use package names, like ``python -m unittest > foo.bar.test.test_baz``. > > * Know at least one web framework. Even if you're not doing web stuff, > it's really handy to be able to go from "these two systems need to > talk" to working communication in a few minutes. And also requests. > For bonus points, lxml.html or BeautifulSoup if you must. > > * Be familliar enough with some database library that you can spin up > a database for trivial tasks. For small stuff, I tend to use > sqlalchemy.core on top of sqlite3. Be able to declare a schema, > create a database, insert rows, query for them. Some Pandas and > postgres knowledge tends to come in handy too. > > * For bonus points, be able to build python packages. Know how to > write a ``setup.py`` and upload your package to pypi. It goes without > saying that you should understand how to lay out your source package - > understand how an import statement becomes a lookup in sys.modules and > a number of lookups on the filesystem, and then finally how paths are > mapped to module and package names. Here's a really nice article on > that subject: http://blog.habnab.it/blog/2013/07/21/python-packages- > and-you/ > > I want to thank you for the question, too. When I got my first > programming job, the largest program I'd written was probably around > 100 lines, to visualise something for a school project. Programming > was just something I did in the quiet hours. So I give the above list > not to discourage you from applying for work already, but rather that > these are the things an employer will most appreciate not having to > teach. > > -- > William Leslie > > Notice: > Likely much of this email is, by the nature of copyright, covered > under copyright law. You absolutely MAY reproduce any part of it in > accordance with the copyright law of the nation you are reading this > in. Any attempt to DENY YOU THOSE RIGHTS would be illegal without > prior contractual agreement. > > > ------------------------------ > > Message: 2 > Date: Fri, 8 Sep 2017 10:58:50 +1000 > From: "John Knight" <john.kni...@tequity.com.au <javascript:;>> > To: "'Melbourne Python Users Group'" <melbourne-pug@python.org > <javascript:;>> > Subject: Re: [melbourne-pug] How do I become a python developer? > Message-ID: <005601d3283d$a2785eb0$e7691c10$@tequity.com.au> > Content-Type: text/plain; charset="iso-8859-1" > > Nice helpful comments there - I would also suggest getting involved in > local > MeetUps and offering your "services" pro-bono to solve some real life > problems and get projects under your belt > > All the very best, John > > John Knight?/?Tech Agent & Founder? > M: +61 402 234 813 > Saltworth Pty Ltd? > P: +61 3 9670 9056? > Atlantis Tower, Suite 3201/288 Spencer Street. Melbourne, Victoria 3000 > http://www.saltworth.com.au > ????????? > > -----Original Message----- > From: melbourne-pug > [mailto:melbourne-pug-bounces+john.knight <javascript:;>= > tequity.com...@python.org <javascript:;>] On > Behalf Of William ML Leslie > Sent: Friday, 8 September 2017 10:25 AM > To: Melbourne Python Users Group <melbourne-pug@python.org <javascript:;>> > Subject: Re: [melbourne-pug] How do I become a python developer? > > On 4 September 2017 at 15:04, Dylan Pereira <perdy...@gmail.com > <javascript:;>> wrote: > > Hi, > > > > I just had a general question. I have used python before and have loved > it. > > I would love to work as a python developer. I don't have any previous > > experience except for writing a few python scripts in a previous role. > > What would employers like to see when they hire a junior python dev. > > What does it take to break into the industry? > > > > I've got a bit of a list of things I expect people to know if they say they > are a professional developer, and all in all it's a few days of study to > become familliar enough with all of this set. You don't have to know any > of > these inside out, but if they were bought up in an interview you should be > able to show some familliarity. > > * Know how to use a DVCS. The one you are most likely to be asked about is > ``git``; and both github and bitbucket offer free git hosting so try to get > good at managing and describing your changes. Ideally learn to manage > feature branches, too. Version control is a matter of good hygeine. > > * Know how to use a debugger, either in your IDE or editor, or PDB in a > python terminal. You won't often need to use one (as writing tests and > printing stuff is usually so much quicker), but it will mean a lot for your > sanity if debugger commands are not something you have to learn while > frantically trying to figure out what went wrong. > > * Oh yes. Tests! Know how to write a test, and run it using the test > runner. > Do not get into the habit of running the test file directly, it teaches you > bad import hygeine. If you're on a posix system, Ctrl-R in bash is a > lifesaver for finding your last test command, modifying it, and running > again. Mine often look like ``pytest foo/bar/test/test_baz.py`` and pytest > can figure out from the ``pytest.ini`` in the current directory where the > package root is. > With unittest, use package names, like ``python -m unittest > foo.bar.test.test_baz``. > > * Know at least one web framework. Even if you're not doing web stuff, it's > really handy to be able to go from "these two systems need to talk" to > working communication in a few minutes. And also requests. > For bonus points, lxml.html or BeautifulSoup if you must. > > * Be familliar enough with some database library that you can spin up a > database for trivial tasks. For small stuff, I tend to use sqlalchemy.core > on top of sqlite3. Be able to declare a schema, create a database, insert > rows, query for them. Some Pandas and postgres knowledge tends to come in > handy too. > > * For bonus points, be able to build python packages. Know how to write a > ``setup.py`` and upload your package to pypi. It goes without saying that > you should understand how to lay out your source package - understand how > an > import statement becomes a lookup in sys.modules and a number of lookups on > the filesystem, and then finally how paths are mapped to module and package > names. Here's a really nice article on that subject: > http://blog.habnab.it/blog/2013/07/21/python-packages-and-you/ > > I want to thank you for the question, too. When I got my first programming > job, the largest program I'd written was probably around > 100 lines, to visualise something for a school project. Programming was > just > something I did in the quiet hours. So I give the above list not to > discourage you from applying for work already, but rather that these are > the > things an employer will most appreciate not having to teach. > > -- > William Leslie > > Notice: > Likely much of this email is, by the nature of copyright, covered under > copyright law. You absolutely MAY reproduce any part of it in accordance > with the copyright law of the nation you are reading this in. Any attempt > to DENY YOU THOSE RIGHTS would be illegal without prior contractual > agreement. > _______________________________________________ > melbourne-pug mailing list > melbourne-pug@python.org <javascript:;> > https://mail.python.org/mailman/listinfo/melbourne-pug > > > > ------------------------------ > > Message: 3 > Date: Thu, 7 Sep 2017 19:00:57 -0700 > From: paul sorenson <p...@metrak.com <javascript:;>> > To: Melbourne Python Users Group <melbourne-pug@python.org <javascript:;>>, > Dylan > Pereira <perdy...@gmail.com <javascript:;>> > Subject: Re: [melbourne-pug] How do I become a python developer? > Message-ID: <b7dd1311-305f-8c00-ce81-48cd14dfd...@metrak.com > <javascript:;>> > Content-Type: text/plain; charset="utf-8" > > There is no one size fits all way. Every employer will have certain > skills they value. > > There are plenty of online courses and tutorials - the more python you > do, the better you will be. Get involved in some python open source > projects and start fixing bugs. > > good luck > > > On 9/3/2017 10:04 PM, Dylan Pereira wrote: > > Hi, > > > > I just had a general question. I have used python before and have > > loved it. I would love to work as a python developer. I don't have any > > previous experience except for writing a few python scripts in a > > previous role. What would employers like to see when they hire a > > junior python dev. What does it take to break into the industry? > > > > Best Regards, > > Dylan > > > > > > _______________________________________________ > > melbourne-pug mailing list > > melbourne-pug@python.org <javascript:;> > > https://mail.python.org/mailman/listinfo/melbourne-pug > > -------------- next part -------------- > An HTML attachment was scrubbed... > URL: <http://mail.python.org/pipermail/melbourne-pug/ > attachments/20170907/ab2b5943/attachment-0001.html> > > ------------------------------ > > Subject: Digest Footer > > _______________________________________________ > melbourne-pug mailing list > melbourne-pug@python.org <javascript:;> > https://mail.python.org/mailman/listinfo/melbourne-pug > > > ------------------------------ > > End of melbourne-pug Digest, Vol 135, Issue 4 > ********************************************* >
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