bourbondd

Interesting to see many comments here claiming that side projects don't matter when looking for a job. I've been actively applying for a full-time dev position for the past 3 months and the most common feedback I receive is "We need to see side projects, OSS contributions so we know how you code."

I have about 4+ years in DevOps and in support. I consider myself a programming generalist, which I thought would be enough to at least get a technical interview. Instead of working on a project that will most likely be left incomplete due to fatigue or loss of interest, I rather spend that time learning ways to improve my skills to make myself the best programmer I possibly can be.

I've been considering starting my own blog and write articles about lessons learned or an e-book to express my credibility. Does anyone have any opinions with developers who write blogs/publications in lieu of side projects or OSS contributions?

Oh wow interesting. Will definitely give it a shot then. Thanks again!

Thanks for the tip. This has actually been a bit difficult for me to accomplish. Most of the engineers are tight for time finishing their sprints, so all "mentoring" and feedback is usually done asynchronously via Slack or code reviews.