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Open Source Helps New IT Grads Get Foot in the Door

Posted by timothy on from the ocasional-bright-spot dept.

Yes, some US IT jobs are disappearing, but Linux.com (which shares a corporate overlord with Slashdot) has a recent story emphasizing the job advantage that involvement in open source projects can give young programmers who aren't planning to ditch their dreams of making a living in the field. The article focuses on one programmer's experience with Google's Summer of Code, which led directly to her job working on the Drupal content-management system. But the underlying message (that involvement in open source projects provides a background of experience otherwise difficult to obtain because of the chicken-and-egg problem of "experience required" job opportunities) is generalizable to many other forms of open-source involvement. Do you have a job that you landed because of your unpaid open-source programming?

6 of 128 comments (clear)

  1. Newsflash! by consonant · · Score: 5, Funny
    Prior related experience works in your favour when applying for jobs in a particular stream!

    Details at 11!

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    1. Re:Newsflash! by moteyalpha · · Score: 4, Funny

      I agree, I have been telling the women who want to be prostitutes in Vegas for a long time that I operate an open source prostitution business and they need to get experience if they want to be successful. I think that work in open source is an end in itself. I find that people who work in open source tend to be talented in many areas of technology. The open source is just a way to apply the knowledge in the broadest possible way.

  2. Unsure in Seattle by OpenSourced · · Score: 4, Funny

    Do you have a job that you landed because of you unpaid open-source programming?

    I lost my last job for using the dead compile times for working on my pet open source project. Then I found another job, so you can say I landed there because of my unpaid open-source programming. Does that count?

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  3. Re:Doesn't work for me by angusthefuzz · · Score: 5, Funny

    Maybe you should get off your ARSS and try working for a different open source project?

  4. Re:Doesn't work for me by 4D6963 · · Score: 2, Funny

    Maybe you should get off your ARSS and try working for a different open source project?

    *pa-da-pshhh!* ;-)

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  5. Re:But how does it help non programmers and PHB wh by dvice_null · · Score: 2, Funny

    PHP: - Sorry, OSS work does not count, besides I have never heard of that project. Have you done any real work in your life?
    Linus: - ...