Getting the first position.
WHAT THE DIFFICULTY IS
Employers want experience, and experience requires employment.
WHAT BREAKS THE CYCLE
Demonstrable work, a referral, or an employer willing to train.
WHAT INTERNSHIPS PROVIDE
Real experience A reference Frequently, a route to permanent employment
WHAT TO ESTABLISH BEFORE ACCEPTING ONE
Whether it is paid What you will actually do Whether supervision exists What happens at the end
WHAT TO BE CAUTIOUS OF
Unpaid arrangements with no learning Roles that are administrative with a technical title Extended periods with no prospect of employment
WHY
They consume time without producing evidence.
WHAT A GOOD JUNIOR ROLE PROVIDES
Code review A mentor or senior colleague Increasing responsibility
WHAT TO ASK IN INTERVIEWS
Who will review my work What would I work on in the first month How do juniors progress here
WHAT TO DEMONSTRATE AS A JUNIOR
Willingness to learn Asking questions at the right point Finishing what you start Reliability
WHY RELIABILITY MATTERS MOST
It is what makes someone worth investing in.
WHAT TO AVOID
Pretending to understand Working silently when stuck for hours
WHAT THE RULE OF THUMB IS
Try for a bounded period, then ask.
WHAT TO DOCUMENT
Everything you learn.
