Ask HN: How to make yourself more attractive to companies as a developer?

24 points by soldveggie ↗ HN

8 comments

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Have a portfolio, post free things on Github, write about what you do as a developer. Sometimes you have to pay your dues and do at-cost or volunteer work.
All solid advice. Involvement with an open source project with decent name recognition can give a leg up with all of this.
I would add to that, make sure your github account is listed on your LinkedIn or other profiles online.
Is it better to have one big project in the portfolio or multiple smaller ones?
It's better to be well-rounded and doing projects that reach an audience. Maybe a couple small projects and a whale. Or a couple whales. Bonus points if you continue to work on that project for more than 1 year. It helps demonstrate your experience and value.
(comment deleted)
At which stage of the process?

If it's about getting initial interest at all, you want to do things that builds your brand or you can put on your resume. Write a blog, maintain a personal website, do side projects, etc.

If it's about getting past one of the screening stages, you'll want to focus more on soft skills. Voice coaches and voice therapists are a thing, and speaking in a likable way is extraordinarily under-emphasized. Similar things with body posture, confidence, and communication style in on-site interviews.

If you're getting a lot of "we like you, but not sure you're a good enough coder" then it's time to binge-solve problems in "Cracking the Coding Interview". The problems will help some with the last paragraph of issues to some extent as well.

Be professionally visible, beyond a Linkedin profile.

Regularly attend Meet-ups, Conferences, and Workshops. Build-up a network of friends & industry contacts. Think of them as your personal brain-trust, guys you can tap into for guidance.