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5 Myths About Landing a Ruby on Rails Job
Monday January 4, 2010
Myth #1: To land a Rails job, I have to have at least a year or two of professional Rails experience.
Fact: Actual Rails experience is great if you have it. That may sound obvious, but here's what we mean: even if you don't have any professional Rails experience, you'll gain an incredible leg up on other candidates if you have some sort of Ruby side work you can show off. Even if it's a code sample you whip up and post to GitHub, try to have something tangible you can show that proves you know the basics (or more) about the Ruby language and Rails framework.
Fact: Actual Rails experience is great if you have it. That may sound obvious, but here's what we mean: even if you don't have any professional Rails experience, you'll gain an incredible leg up on other candidates if you have some sort of Ruby side work you can show off. Even if it's a code sample you whip up and post to GitHub, try to have something tangible you can show that proves you know the basics (or more) about the Ruby language and Rails framework.
Myth #2: I'm a life-long Java and C++ guy. Landing a Rails job will be nearly impossible for me.
Fact: All is not lost if you've made your living to date coding in different languages and frameworks. You can make the transition to a career as a Rubyist! We always have several clients looking to interview "raw athletes" who have considerable Object Oriented programming chops. If you're bright, and have the OO experience, you will likely pick up Rails quickly. Many of our clients are on board with that assumption.
Myth #3: To land a Rails gig I've got to have a top 100 ranking on Working With Rails, have co-authored at least one Rails book, and be popular in the Rails community.
Fact: Being a Rails "celebrity" is great, but not required to land a super gig. We love working with the high-profile, popular Ruby guys (and gals) out there. But don't worry if you haven't achieved a popular online presence steeped in Ruby fame. It doesn't discount you from many opportunities we have. When the rubber meets the road (or when the Ruby meets the code?), it comes down to talent and fit. If you're the right person for the job, you'll get it, regardless of your ranking on the various social Ruby sites out there!
Myth #4: If I want to work with Rails, I have to work for an unstable company and sacrifice salary for equity.
Fact: Although Rails is popular with many startups that are just getting off the ground, there are also a good number of stable Rails companies that are self-sufficient, cash-positive, and well capitalized for the long-term. If you choose to work for a startup, equity will likely be part of your compensation package, but that certainly doesn't preclude you from earning a competitive salary as well. We have also worked with a number of non-startups that are starting to adopt Rails at the enterprise level.
Myth #5: To land a good Rails gig I must have a CS degree.
Fact: It definitely helps to have a CS degree but we would not say it is required; we've placed developers without CS degrees. It really depends on the company's needs and style. Some companies (probably even most Rails companies) care more about your Rails talent than your educational background.
Bottom line: Don't be scared off by not having enough experience, the exact right experience, or popularity when it comes to Rails. And, don't be afraid that you'll be risking your whole career if you take a job with a Rails startup. Many Rails companies are innovating, stable, and growing!
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Fact: All is not lost if you've made your living to date coding in different languages and frameworks. You can make the transition to a career as a Rubyist! We always have several clients looking to interview "raw athletes" who have considerable Object Oriented programming chops. If you're bright, and have the OO experience, you will likely pick up Rails quickly. Many of our clients are on board with that assumption.
Myth #3: To land a Rails gig I've got to have a top 100 ranking on Working With Rails, have co-authored at least one Rails book, and be popular in the Rails community.
Fact: Being a Rails "celebrity" is great, but not required to land a super gig. We love working with the high-profile, popular Ruby guys (and gals) out there. But don't worry if you haven't achieved a popular online presence steeped in Ruby fame. It doesn't discount you from many opportunities we have. When the rubber meets the road (or when the Ruby meets the code?), it comes down to talent and fit. If you're the right person for the job, you'll get it, regardless of your ranking on the various social Ruby sites out there!
Myth #4: If I want to work with Rails, I have to work for an unstable company and sacrifice salary for equity.
Fact: Although Rails is popular with many startups that are just getting off the ground, there are also a good number of stable Rails companies that are self-sufficient, cash-positive, and well capitalized for the long-term. If you choose to work for a startup, equity will likely be part of your compensation package, but that certainly doesn't preclude you from earning a competitive salary as well. We have also worked with a number of non-startups that are starting to adopt Rails at the enterprise level.
Myth #5: To land a good Rails gig I must have a CS degree.
Fact: It definitely helps to have a CS degree but we would not say it is required; we've placed developers without CS degrees. It really depends on the company's needs and style. Some companies (probably even most Rails companies) care more about your Rails talent than your educational background.
Bottom line: Don't be scared off by not having enough experience, the exact right experience, or popularity when it comes to Rails. And, don't be afraid that you'll be risking your whole career if you take a job with a Rails startup. Many Rails companies are innovating, stable, and growing!
blog comments powered by Disqus
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