But even in interviews, they will ask you the basics such as binary search and hashing. I never encountered linkedlist as interview questions, but have discussion with the interviewer about them along with space and time complexity, even though you can use the STL libraries for those which ‘optimized’ it for you.

Knowing the basics of algorithms and how it’s structure will allow you to know when to use certain apis or when to code something to make the program more efficient and run faster when it has to do say 100k of calculations.

(I worked with someone who wrote his own ‘vector’ because called push function without preallocated memory wastes space.)

Note that these interviews are application developers for developing trading financial software used by banks.

Yes, I did come from C/C++ background. But all in all, to being a developer is not just knowing the language. It’s also coding and knowing how to architect the system so it’s maintainable, extensible, etc. That should be applied to everything, not just knowing the language. This should be true even if it’s doing Excel programming although, architecting is not as a necessary. But the person still needs to at least know how to program.

I mean I know a person who got a job doing access, vb, and excel as a contractor, but had no coding experience, but find it tough to when she has to really code something in vb even when she knows the language because putting things into sequence,which in a way is like an algorithm, has a different mentality set than knowing the language.

Now I don’t know what kind of marketable language you are talking about.. maybe it’s C#, ruby, php. vb.. but I dabble in them as a hobby and the basics still applies to me.. you have to code, not only know.

Most of the companies don’t do business like Microsoft’s anyway … they simply want business applications developers and not low level C / Assembly / C++ Programmers.

Yes, you are right in advocating for open source coding or your own pet projects. Keep in mind that an open source coding project has a lifespan that spans years, so don’t wait before turning that experience into a job.

Yes, contract jobs are actually easier because companies have a Try before you Buy experience.

Nope, this has nothing to do with worrying about competition. And actually it is not different in 2010 … things are pretty much the same. That is why I am asking developers to learn a marketable skill ,,, the example you gave of HTML is not one of those marketable skill that gets you in through the door.

Your views are typical of those who coming from perhaps C / C++ / Java backgrounds. They typically find jobs hard to get and I don’t classify those among the type of marketable skills that get you in through the door.

What languages do you code with?

Nowadays in 2010 are different than the 1999 or 2000 when everyone who knows how to type HTML is a programmer whent they are not.

The companies will give technical interviews. Then if you are competing with people who have more computing experience than you while both of you ace the technical interview, guess who are they going to hire?

Basically for someone without experience in the real-world computing and want to do REAL development jobs in 2010ish, they have to either know someone, have to know your stuff, find a small company that needs someone badly now and no competition with other interviewees or it’s 3 months contract to see how you do. It’s a combo of the above.

If you really want REAL development work, you should actually read up not only on the language syntax, but also some algorithms AND also know how to apply and code. (I seen people who knows the language inside out, but can’t program… it’s like knowing the french syntax, but don’t know how to speak french which is also possible btw).

Maybe do some open-source coding or your own pet projects to make sure you do like it (most people think they do, but they then realized they don’t).

finally, go for contract jobs as you will be more likely higher probability to be accepted than a permanent job.

It is those languages that make you marketable. If you are really skilled in those languages, you will get a job, because employers can’t find enough developers to quickly fill their positions.

You can by focusing on sharpening your skills (which is within your control) knowing that you can do nothing about your experience beacuse experience is accumulated over time.

You can because every in the space of a year, you can make your resume marketable by working on real-world software applications that you will add to your resume. It is the combination of those practical applications and learning a marketable skill … that “Pus Your Career In OverDrive!”

Anyone can do If and write a few trivial classes.. but how many will know what reinterpret_cast is and also better yet.. the difference between

struct testsize
{
int a;
double b;
char c;
};

vs

struct testsize
{
char c;
int a;
double b;
};

besides of the obvious char c placed on top of int a.

Those some people with 10 years experience still don’t know. Also when it comes to architecture software design so the software is flexible, extensible and maintable, those will require experence .. in YEARS..

Tell a rookie to do that and tell an experience guy to do that and you will see one is building a dog house and the other a real residential house. Design comes with experience.. but learning a language can be just 3 months.. but a language is just a tool.

What you are saying is like saying everyone can be a house builder by learning how to use a hammer and a nail and tools.. which means everyone can be a full fledge software developer who can build Excel software by just learning the language. That is absurd.

There is way more to software development (notice it’s DEVELOPMENT) or programmer than learning a language. This is also way most company are giving incorrect technical test. Knowing is different than applying.. sigh.