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#jobs-discuss
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2017-03-10
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thedavidmeister11:03:14

@akond ok, well i'm not quite ready just yet, but check back with me in a couple of months 🙂

lepistane11:03:44

i am beginner in clojure aand intermediate in programming (studying cs). i feel like people who work in clojure are experts that happen to use it what would make me employable remote or on-site what do i have to know/make to be able to find job in clojure?

thomas12:03:20

@lepistane Enthusiasm. But that would be a major requirement for most jobs.

thomas12:03:09

and just start coding and put your code on Github (or equivalent). make what ever simple example you can think of

jiri.knesl13:03:44

@lepistane do pull requests to Clojure projects. Write couple of blogposts. Go to Clojure meetups. Start something cool in Clj and publish it. There are many ways.

arnaud_bos15:03:57

First: I've worked, and plan to work on Clojure again whenever possible, but I'm by no mean and expert. Second: I have strongly mixed feelings about the whole "contribute and show your code" thing. I mean, not everyone has got time to do that, and compare the time you spend at work with the time you have left after more important activities to "show your code". It'd bet there's no comparison. I'd say: do not focus on Clojure exclusively but keep using it if you like it, do find good companies doing great products and gain experience. It's likely you'll spend most of your time at work, working on closed source stuff, not on some open source code that will get you visibility. I mean, of course you like Clojure, and of course I too, would rather like to work on Clojure stuff more than any other technologies I've used in the past. Nonetheless, gaining experience first is critical in order to later be able to have better opportunities and better chances to get a role in tech you like and projects/companies you like. As much as I'd like instant gratification too, and some lucky few do get it, I've gradually made my mind up to the idea that in order to find better opportunities, I first have to work for it. And "lesser interest" in other technologies doesn't mean you can't enjoy some that would let you work on fantastic projects. That's my 100% subjective advice 🙂

arnaud_bos15:03:45

Also, most of the Clojure offer I see are not about searching for "Clojure experts", but for skilled developers with proficiency, familiarity or interest in Clojure.

lepistane15:03:31

that's why i said that they are pros who happen to use Clj tnx for your advices basically listen to your heart and focus on stuff you are interested in (projects) something will come up tnx

jstew15:03:59

@arnaud_bos That was very insightful, thanks. I understand the part about time... I'm working 99% on closed source stuff and most of it in ruby, being a father, my free time is not usually spent hacking on clojure, so I don't have much to show. Most of my clojure code is internal utilities at work, or a personal itch that I scratch. I'm getting to the point now where I learn a new language, and I'm spoiled by clojure so much that I miss things from clojure all of the time.

jstew15:03:43

Which tells me that I should probably be coding in Clojure more than I'm coding in Ruby, Go, or whatever the flavor of the month is.

slipset17:03:22

FWIW, I've found a job where Clojure is my only language, apart from Clojurescript ;). Since I started, we've hired two new people, neither with prior Clojure(script) experience. My thinking is that it's (as someone said here recently) is that when we're hiring devs who are open to Clojure and shows all the other traits we're looking for.

slipset17:03:14

Whoah. That last sentence was not very coherent.

slipset17:03:42

Said simpler. Prior knowledge of Clojure is a small plus for us.

tjg22:03:59

YMMV, but I definitely +1 the suggestion to go to meetups:

tjg22:03:00

• Some prefer to hire from their social circles, or get to know applicants over long periods. Because hiring on an impersonal labor market is like a roll of the dice. Teaming up with someone, working hours a day with them, is not as easy as commonly assumed.

tjg22:03:02

• You can get inside knowledge on the company's inevitable dysfunctions. To make a more informed choice.

tjg22:03:06

In fact, may work to build a name in a certain problem domain, like healthcare or food. (Rather than a solution domain like programming language.) To avoid competing with zillions of devs. More freedom to choose your tools and working conditions.

tjg22:03:15

I also +1 that prior knowledge of Clojure is only a small plus in my view. Because I don't want to limit myself to the small pool of Clojure experts. Potential teammates have to be understood holistically. People have diverse strengths, and programming abilities are only a subset.

tjg23:03:33

(For that last part, Eric Normand claims, "Novice Clojure programmers can pair with experience Clojurists for a short time and get productive. Most companies don't do much formal training." If true, that eases concerns about initial Clojure proficiency.)