You've spent months learning Rails, what now?

https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=6460616

by Apane • 13 years ago

6 7 13 years ago

news.ycombinator.com

So, you've spent months or years learning Ruby on Rails and you're now ready to actually earn some coin with your skills.

Let's discuss some ways to find work as a new Rails developer...

palidanx2• 13 years ago

If you put your resume out in the market, recruiters will hunt you like a shark does an injured fish in the water...

superails2• 13 years ago

Not for senior devs in my experience.

I initially got a number of recruiters. I think they scrape the ruby/rails-users mailing lists and send out spam. I'm also on every Rails job association I can find, and in the RoR LinkedIn list, etc.

I've stated my rate to contractors and tell them I want a 40hr/week remote paying the same with same benefits I have now or enough extra to pay them, and they don't talk to me again.

For senior Rails devs, I've been told (by http://mirrorplacement.com) there are periodically 120k/year USD to manage and dev team lead (close to a SF-area rate) for easily 50-65 hours a week. That's like 73-96k if it were a 40hr rate which isn't that good for a mid-level developer in SF, which is where a few of those positions' companies were based. For remote senior dev who can't work those hours easily, but need that rate to jump, it won't work.

If I contracted and managed my own projects, I could make more, but I don't have the time for that. It is a matter of rate and how much time I want to be spending. I'd like a Rails contracting agency that needs 40hr/week remote developers and will pay them >100k/year + reasonable family benefits and is flexible with time. That isn't common.

palidanx2• 13 years ago

Well, I think in your situation, it would help to compare the odds of scoring a remote senior dev position in another language versus rails.

At least in Southern California where I live, there are several unfilled rails senior dev positions, but you do have to work at the company in person. So it would be more beneficial to compare remote jobs vs in person jobs.

davideous• 13 years ago

We're not a contracting agency, but we pay in that range for 40 hours/week, are a 100% remote company, allow flex time, and with good benefits. Email me at dharris@drh.net if you're interested.

caphill• 13 years ago

Oh I am going to be keeping a watchful eye on this thread.

I have been trying to get a junior position but no luck yet.

subrat_rout• 13 years ago

If you have spent months learning Rails then do you have some projects/webapps to show? I believe initially you should look for small projects. There are few ways 1. Register in elance, odesk or guru and look for projects. 2. Talk to your friends and people in circle looking to implement their ideas to a minimum viable product. 3. Post your new resume along with your github profile on HN.

Getting a full time rails developer will be hard initially if not impossible.

You've spent months learning Rails, what now?

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