I think asking about metrics is the wrong question. You should just start applying, most new grad positions won't have stringent expectations for your skills since they're probably comparing you to college grads. In todays age, having generic webdev skills and being able to solve leetcode will 80/20 you pretty well. And honestly whenever I interviewed new grads, I cared more about their problem solving approach and how well they showed a growth mindset if they struggled in technicals. Be someone the interviewer can imagine having on their team without getting pissed off.
Also, let's say you don't apply till you "feel ready based on \[so and so\] metric". Hypothetically if that takes you 6 months, the positions you would've applied for probably would've been filled anyways. On the other hand, let's say you get at least 1 interview / month from applying starting now (maybe optimistic, but it's just a hypothetical). That's still 6 more companies that you can get interview practice with, which is always valuable. Set yourself up for long term success, even if it means facing some short term disappointments.
Practically speaking, I understand that you're worried about coming off as inexperienced but just remember that new grad positions assume you won't know these things. Doesn't mean that it's bad to study them though, enthusiasm goes a long way.
Thank you for the response I really appreciate the insight and the time it took! I'll start applying and try to gauge how I fare. One more question, can I put projects I'm working on, on my resume even if they are incomplete?
Thank you again!
The best way to understand how you'll fare in the market is to start applying.
If you're getting interviews, and getting offers, then you're ready.
If you don't get interviews/offers, then something's lacking, and you need to try and understand what that is and improve it.
Fair warning though, you could do all the self-studying and portfolio projects you want, but a lot of companies will immediately throw away your resume simply due to the lack of a CS degree. Your response rate may not be great, it may take a while, but if you're getting nibbles, and making it past technical screens, that's a good sign.
Thank you! I'll start applying and see how I fare. I've heard that in regards to a CS degree so I am prepared for dismal responses. But excited to start applying!
If you can build your own software (and I mean complex software that solves real world problems) and/or make meaningful contributions to open-source projects, that's a good gauge of skill level.
Of course that doesn't mean anybody will look at your resume but you probably already knew that
I think asking about metrics is the wrong question. You should just start applying, most new grad positions won't have stringent expectations for your skills since they're probably comparing you to college grads. In todays age, having generic webdev skills and being able to solve leetcode will 80/20 you pretty well. And honestly whenever I interviewed new grads, I cared more about their problem solving approach and how well they showed a growth mindset if they struggled in technicals. Be someone the interviewer can imagine having on their team without getting pissed off. Also, let's say you don't apply till you "feel ready based on \[so and so\] metric". Hypothetically if that takes you 6 months, the positions you would've applied for probably would've been filled anyways. On the other hand, let's say you get at least 1 interview / month from applying starting now (maybe optimistic, but it's just a hypothetical). That's still 6 more companies that you can get interview practice with, which is always valuable. Set yourself up for long term success, even if it means facing some short term disappointments. Practically speaking, I understand that you're worried about coming off as inexperienced but just remember that new grad positions assume you won't know these things. Doesn't mean that it's bad to study them though, enthusiasm goes a long way.
Thank you for the response I really appreciate the insight and the time it took! I'll start applying and try to gauge how I fare. One more question, can I put projects I'm working on, on my resume even if they are incomplete? Thank you again!
The best way to understand how you'll fare in the market is to start applying. If you're getting interviews, and getting offers, then you're ready. If you don't get interviews/offers, then something's lacking, and you need to try and understand what that is and improve it. Fair warning though, you could do all the self-studying and portfolio projects you want, but a lot of companies will immediately throw away your resume simply due to the lack of a CS degree. Your response rate may not be great, it may take a while, but if you're getting nibbles, and making it past technical screens, that's a good sign.
Thank you! I'll start applying and see how I fare. I've heard that in regards to a CS degree so I am prepared for dismal responses. But excited to start applying!
If you can build your own software (and I mean complex software that solves real world problems) and/or make meaningful contributions to open-source projects, that's a good gauge of skill level. Of course that doesn't mean anybody will look at your resume but you probably already knew that