[Tutor] python projects

[Steven D'Aprano]

On Thu, Sep 01, 2016 at 05:35:33AM +0000, monikajg at netzero.net wrote:
> Hi:
> I have been taking python classes for overa year now and studying and 
> studying it all days long. However, I still cannot get a job as a 
> python automation qa (despite of many years of experience in qa) 
> because everybody is looking for a senior python developers for 
> automation qa jobs. Entry level positions are rare. Is there a website 
> where I could maybe do some python projects for somebody, for free or 
> for low pay? Pretty soon I will have to take a survival job since my 
> savings are ending and when that happens I will not have much time to 
> practice python and all my hard work will go to waste.

I really, really feel sympathy for you. I think that a lot of people are 
in situations like yours. I am lucky enough to have a job that gives me 
time to practice Python, but that is the silver lining in a dark cloud: 
I have time to practice Python because I only work part time (not by 
choice). Very occasionally I get to use my Python skills as part of my 
work, but not often.

So I share your pain.

I'll be honest, I'm not sure what software QA is supposed to do, or what 
skills you have, so I'll have to guess.

I don't know of any *paid* Python projects looking with entry-level QA 
positions, I am sorry, but you might consider helping with some 
open-source projects or even the Python language itself. The work is 
unpaid, but you can list it on your CV and gain experience.

Pick some open-source Python projects run by volunteers, and see if they 
need help with testing and QA. Most small projects need help with 
testing and documentation -- there are lots of programmers who can write 
code but are no good (or, let's be honest, too lazy) to write tests and 
documentation.

Do you have lots of experience with a testing framework like Nose? Maybe 
you can volunteer to work on the framework, and get some skills and 
useful contacts and something to put on your CV. Again, as these 
projects are all run by volunteers, there is unlikely to be any pay for 
it.


Or look at the Python bug tracker:

http://bugs.python.org/

Can you find some issues that you can work on? Bugs that you can fix? 
Find issues that are waiting for tests and write some tests, and put 
them on the bug tracker.

As a beginner, expect that senior developers will want to check your 
work. Sometimes they are extremely busy and patches languish in the bug 
tracker, waiting for somebody to review them.

More about contributing to Python here:

https://docs.python.org/devguide/#contributing

Don't forget the Job Board:

https://jobs.python.org/


And good luck!




-- 
Steve