Developer Career Tip #0008---How to get that elusive first programming job with no experience

Developer Career Tips #0008

How to get that elusive first programming job with no experience

I'm forever being asked by my Visual Basic students how to obtain a Visual Basic programming position in today's job market, when you have no 'paid' Visual Basic experience.

I still insist that there are three sure-fire ways to obtain a Visual Basic programming position (at least a junior level position).

The first is to write a fantastic application based on something you know, and showcase that program at your interview. I had a student in a class a few semesters ago who showed me a Visual Basic program he wrote to keep track of the golf handicaps in his weekend golf league. The program was fabulous, and not only did he land a job with it, he's made quite a bit of money marketing it to other golf leagues in our area.

A second way is to volunteer your programming services---choose a charitable or non-profit organization who may be interested in your free services in exchange for the experience it can bring. Several of my students have written programs for their churches---another wrote a program for a local soup kitchen. You'd be amazed at how demanding a 'real' client can be, even one who ultimately isn't paying cash for the product. But the experience is unbeatable--and it's perfectly legitimate to include a non-paid job like this on your resume---even better if the customer is well pleased and will provide a great reference to a prospective employer.

The final way is to take and pass one of the Microsoft Visual Basic Certification exams---start with the VB6 Desktop Exam. Those of you who have been following my tips know that I'm a big believer in using the exams as a way to get your foot in the door. Hiring managers continue to tell me that passing the exam is a great way to get noticed and interviewed---even if you have no experience.