[sown]

> If you think that's important, why didn't you fix that in the mean time? Knowing nothing else about you, I'd be immediately put off by you not learning on your own..

Speaking as someone in a similar situation, even after I learn what I can, it's still difficult to get a job using the newer languages I've learned. I know that I don't know what I don't know; perhaps I'm missing something, but it's still difficult to convince employers to hire when you've got no experience.

[brador]

No experience? Make a portfolio of your work.

Look, you're selling yourself to the employer/HR. They want the lowest risk with highest upside they can get so they don't get fired for hiring you. If you throw a portfolio at them of good work, they can say, hey, this dude/dudette is a low risk bet. They've covered their ass and you're hired.

[sown]

> No experience? Make a portfolio of your work.

Yes, I've been doing that. I get close to getting hired often this year but they usually find some reason to not hire me. "We think you're a great hire, a really smart person, but ..."

Anyways, having a portfolio is no guarantee, or even a help. The only time people really look at it is if they are already close to hiring you. As in, they really, really want to but there's something else stopping them. Other than that, no one looks at a portfolio.

A good github will not save me, maybe not help me, but can definitely hurt me if they don't like what they see.

I was already told by one potential employer that some code I had written in a pinch for a project looked wrong so no hire.

[brador]

Curate your portfolio, show only your best work.

The best case would be to have experience, without that you need a portfolio. But as you have seen, the portfolio is only to get you through the filter to an interview seat. Then it's up to you to sell yourself and your skills.

[sown]

> Curate your portfolio, show only your best work.

You say these things like I hadn't thought of them. :p :)

[eru]

Indeed. So all the talk about C and C++ vs Java and C# was just an excuse. I am willing to bet there are more excuses hiding.

By the way, I'm happy to give mock interviews and refer people to my employer.

[sown]

> Indeed. So all the talk about C and C++ vs Java and C# was just an excuse. I am willing to bet there are more excuses hiding.

Maybe. That was another poster, though. :) For me, I've spent most of my career fixing bugs. not much new code development. I'm trying to do more in that direction but I lack real honest development experience, even several years into it. I didn't even know design patterns were a thing until recently. shrug.

> By the way, I'm happy to give mock interviews and refer people to my employer.

I might do that. Thanks for the offer.

> I'd be immediately put off by you not learning on your own.. > ...was just an excuse. I am willing to bet there are more excuses hiding.

However, I get the impression you'd hate working with me or near me. I'm kind of slow; I have to take things in kind piece wise until I understand them. It appears to people on the outside that I am a dullard, I suspect. I try to work hard as I can, but people at Google, and you I bet, are smarter and harder working than me. :)

[eru]

I'm lucky that I'm good at technical interviews. That doesn't correlate very much with being an effective developer, but it gives a leg up in the job market. (And even somewhat makes up for dropping out of college.)

> I might do that. Thanks for the offer.

My email is in the profile.

[strathmeyer]

> I am willing to bet there are more excuses hiding.

What you mean like people are assumptive jerks when I ask for help?