Ask HN: How to get a job/an internship in programming with EE background

Hi,

I'm currently doing a combined BSEE/MSEE with a strong focus on software (mostly MATLAB, C and Python) and I was wondering how to get a job/entry position in programming. In school, we do a lot of coding with multimedia (think audio, video compression, wavelets) and telecommunications (i.e. LTE, 802.11, SIP, RTP). I'm having a hard time finding openings for these skills. I'd like to start doing some work on the side and gain experience while I'm completing my degree and writing my thesis, but most companies only accept candidates who already graduated. Does it makes sense to apply to positions whose requirements I don't fully fulfill and see if I can wager an internship from that? OR maybe complete my degree and hope that they don't want any work experience? I'd be grateful for any ideas/pointers!

Thanks!

2 comments

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techdevman 11y ago ↗

I got my degree in EE and applied for software jobs and got one. I worked on side programming projects and taught myself basic programming (C++ at the time). When I interviewed I was able to 1) show that I understood concepts like polymorphism and object-oriented development, and 2) cared enough to work on software projects in my own time.

I did get burned on a few interviews where I claimed to know C and then they asked some difficult pointer questions that were out of my depth. Truth was I had done C++ and a little bit of C in one class but not much. So you need to be able to pass a verbal interview and a coding interview.

If I were you I would also suggest not trying to get a job in one of those sub-fields right away, but instead look for any decent software job, get some experience, then look to move into a niche area.

shellmayr 11y ago ↗

Yeah that's a good approach, thanks for the reply!