Hacker Newsnew | past | comments | ask | show | jobs | submitlogin

First, take a deep breath, and try to be less overwhelmed -- there IS a lot going on, but you can only do what you can do. And realize you've already put a big accomplishment on your side -- you completed a degree. You are able to take on a long term commitment and complete it -- that was a 3 or 4 year deal! Next, stop fretting about what you DON'T know. There is no one out there that knows everything about all technologies.

You said you don't know how a DB works, or ray tracing. Are you building a DB engine, or doing stuff with computer graphics? If yes, then you have some learning to do. If no, then that's okay. Find out what you WANT to do. C? Java? Python? Javascript/Node.js? ... and then look for spots where you can do more of that.

You asked whether you should "suck it up, get a tech support role" -- two things here. Financial situation is first -- can you afford to be a bit choosy, or do you need money right away? If you need cashflow, you might have to compromise. If you have more flexibility, you can look further. One thing I suggest is finding a worthy (non-profit) project and seeing if you can help them while honing a skill. For instance, if you want to be a full-stack developer, helping a project get a new or updated website online. Do it in stages; get something informational (plain html) to start, and then add dynamic stuff (events/news/signup) as you build confidence. You will get a reference and a live portfolio piece, and they get something that helps them.

Last but not least, realize this is an ever-changing field -- even if you were an expert in a tech last week, next week it might be fading from fashion. As long as you are willing to learn, I think you'll be good.



Guidelines | FAQ | Lists | API | Security | Legal | Apply to YC | Contact

Search: