Finding a Job: Build Something Real

https://blog.stuartspence.ca/2025-07-finding-a-job-build-something-real.html

by zulban • 1 year ago

2 7 1 year ago

blog.stuartspence.ca

zulban4• 1 year ago

Sometimes I find myself rewriting the same comments online over and over. That's when I write a blog post to just link to that. Let me know what HN folks think!

langfo• 1 year ago

I started as an apprentice electrician at 16 years old way back in the late 1980's for a large company. I believe the reason I was successfully offered the apprenticeship was due to bringing to the interview my completed and working LED VU meter Dick Smith electronic kit (big in Australia at the time). It was something real they could hold and look over. I remember them spending a fair amount of time looking over my soldering, cutting of component legs and wiring. Then asking a few basic electronics questions. Something real pre-internet to stand out from the crowd :-)

zulban4• 1 year ago

Very nice.

Years ago I applied to a weather centre for their data and supercomputer team. I color-printed screenshots of a game I made: a 3D Mars sim with real Mars terrain data where you built and collected data from Mars weather stations. Similar to your story I think. Super helpful to have something real in an interview instead of just a piece of paper.

ykonstant• 1 year ago

I cannot build a project that earns money, even pennies, because that would have very complicated tax implications in my country.

I also cannot pay for backend DB because I don't have any money.

Finally, whatever I build would be CLI based or have a native GUI, not web style; I wouldn't want to (nor can I) build a website related to the software.

I guess I cannot build something real. Darn.

zulban4• 1 year ago

There's no way that you have a computer with internet access but cannot afford a few dollars a month on a micro instance backend. My database for a big project is on the same machine as my web server which works fine. If you don't own a computer with internet, well you have my sympathy - that's tough.

I didn't say you must build a web product, but whatever you build must have a website.

Maybe English isn't your first language, or you're not trying very hard to understand the spirit of what I've written.

HaroonSaifi17• 1 year ago

It takes a lot of time to building something good, specially when you are learning.

zulban4• 1 year ago

It absolutely doesn't have to be good to be real. Fear of building something crappy is a great way of never building anything real though.

Finding a Job: Build Something Real

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