[deadfall]

I faced one issue with choosing between the two. Startups won't hire junior level people or people without extensive knowledge about the technologies they are using. With most startups they all have very different "stacks" so it is hard to catch up on the all technologies. Startups are trying to get a product up and running quickly for investors or create more value to get more customers. I interviewed at startups that I would love to have worked at and showed knowhow but was never sent an offer. I now work at a huge company with way more flexibility in the projects and time constraints. I love bigger companies as a software engineer for the learning experiences. Needless to say take risks when you are young and have nothing to lose (paraphrasing Steve Jobs).

P.S. I worked at a consultant software firm and it was the worst. I pretty much worked by myself going to clients then coming back. No team atmosphere to spread knowledge and challenges with.

[pmiller2]

+1 to your comment. I'm facing some of the same issues looking for a startup job. I have 2 years of professional experience with Python, and have concentrated on Python jobs, but haven't yet gotten better than a generically warm response, except once when I was brought in for a week-long "audition." (And, in that case, I feel that I just barely missed the mark and they were able to find someone just slightly more suitable to their requirements.)

Since then, I've started learning Django (as I feel that's probably the easiest route toward getting a job), and made some progress, but the state of Django tutorials being what it is, I'm starting to hit a wall with it. To that end, I've registered ReadySetDjango.com (no content there yet, so no need to bother visiting) and am working on changing that situation.

And I wonder if the situation is significantly different with larger startups, of, say 100-ish employees. At that level, it seems like they can afford to hire for demonstrated ability in related areas rather than expecting one to be able to ramp up in 2 days.

Anyone who has some advice or input on my situation, I welcome you to email me (contact info in profile). I'm wondering if the results I'm getting are because I'm just not what they want and I'm wasting my breath, or if I'm not presenting myself correctly.

PS I live in the Bay Area and would love to meet up with any of you who are also.

[deadfall]

I just learn Python/Django for a side project over the last couple months and launching tonight. I like it way more than rails, that's for sure.

If you went to a big university try Google, Facebook, etc. They don't care what you code in, they just want to see if you understand programming fundamentals and problem solving capabilities. The bay area is flooded with Junior and Entry level developers so it is hard to land a spot. You have to go to networking places. The best way to find a job is by meeting someone who is hiring.

come listen to Jeff Atwood speak (created Stackoverflow.com) https://www.eventbrite.com/e/jeff-atwood-founder-of-stack-ov...

[pmiller2]

Unfortunately, I went to Small No Name College for undergrad, Large But Not Terribly Well Known University for grad school, and didn't major in CS or Software Engineering either time. So, yeah, I'm showing up to many, many networking events these days. :P In fact, I'm writing this from the Bay Area Python meetup where Guido is speaking.

[deadfall]

I went to a no name community college and learned everything pretty much outside of school. I have found it not to be such a problem. People are more interested in what you have created or what you are capable of building.

[phantom_oracle]

The jobs are in Rails because the momentum is there.

If you really want a dev job at a junior level working at a startup, maybe you should try switching your stack and including Rails.

Fortunately, they have a decent and welcoming community, so landing a gig won't be as hard as with Django (where most job posts require: Senior Developer with 5+ years exp.)