Career path - where next?

[Philip Semanchuk]

On Jan 12, 2011, at 11:37 AM, Alan Harris-Reid wrote:

> 
> Hi there, I wonder if any Python folk out there can help me.
> 
> For many years I was a contractor developing desktop and web applications using Visual Foxpro as my main language, with Foxpro, SQL-server and Oracle as back-end databases.  Unfortunately Foxpro was killed-off by Microsoft, hence my work dried-up and my last 'big' contract ended about a year ago.  Since then I have taken time off programming doing house-renovation, and in the last 6 months I have been updating my programming skills by learning Python (3) with SQLite, JavaScript, HTML and CSS to a level where I can create and deploy data-based web-sites.
> 
> My situation now is that I am reasonably comfortable with the above languages and am now in a position where I wish to return to employment using my new and/or existing skills (contract/permanent, full/part-time or teleworking).   However, I have yet to find any UK vacancy which will accept a relative 'beginner' - they all require at least 2-3 years Python in a commercial environment.  It's a catch-22 situation - it's hard to get a job without experience, but you need a job to get experience in the 1st place!
> 
> I would even consider doing small projects for nothing so that I can 'get my foot in the door' (although I hope to be wise-enough to know when I am being taken advantage of!).  I am also mailing CVs to agencies I think may be interested.
> 
> If anyone out has ideas as to how to proceed towards achieving my goal, I would be grateful for any advice.

Contributing to open source projects (your own or someone else's) will help to convince some employers that you're worth taking a look at. If nothing else it gives you a public example of the work that you can point them to.

Good luck
Philip