[Tutor] Python jobs with no work experience

[Leam Hall]

David,

I came to programming from an electronics technician background, and I don't really have a lot of computer science in my course credits. What I do have, and what you seem to share, is a passion for learning. If that is true, then you're in the right place.

Your PL/B background gives you at least two advantages. You already know how to program, and if I understand PL/B then you've already learned how to translate business needs into code. Python is easy to learn, widely in use, and you can spend the rest of your career doing something in it. The real challenge will be to find what you want to do; what aspect of life are you passionate about? What concepts do you go home and tinker with? Find that, and you'll probably find several Python projects who could use your help. That will give you the experience sensible employers want.

EdX and Coursera have lots of great beginning Python courses. If you already have some Python skills, and you really want to make a long term career move, I'd suggest:

	https://www.edx.org/course/building-modern-python-applications-on-aws

Many workloads are moving to serverless, and the sooner we ramp up to that the better our careers will be. If you're strong in maths, then data science and machine learning are also Python strengths and there are courses for those as well.

Bottom line; Python is a good language to base your career on. Just figure out what you want your career to be.

Leam



On 4/17/22 20:09, david savage via Tutor wrote:
> Hi...thank you for this ability to ask questions.  I have dabbled with Python (Windows), but have never had the opportunity to use Python in a job.  I have been a PL/B programmer for the past 28 years, and recently got laid off from my job.  Because of the scarcity of open positions in this programming field, I'd like to get an entry-level position with a company that utilizes Python.  Someplace where I can actually increase my understanding of Python & therefore put it to good use...in an actual productive environment, but I'm not aware of any company that is willing to take on a programmer who doesn't have actual work experience using Python.
> 
> So, anyway, that is my dilemna.  Can someone give me any suggestions on how to get my "foot in the door".....so to speak ?   My PL/B programming career started soon after I got hired on as an operator, running PL/B programs all day.   I think learning PL/B was a requirement of the job, & so I thought "this is going to be a great career for me", so I learned it.   I do enjoy PL/B, but if I knew then what I know now, I would probably have ran in the opposite direction.
> 
> I have already checked out the web site of the maker of PL/B, as the job postings on there are not taken down, even when the jobs are filled.
> 
> So thanks for whatever advice you have..  If I knew what, in Python, specifically to focus on learning, then I will not feel like I'm spinning my wheels.  I'm even willing to start at the bottom.
> 
> David

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