andrewburke.ca - Want a Rails Job?

Posted on: 2007-08-10 09:01:05

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• If you've never really programmed before, read Learn to Program, which introduces you to the basics of programming, conveniently using Ruby.


• If you have some time, read Code Complete so you know how to actually *write* useful code.


• Read The Pragmatic Programmer to get some good ideas and habits.


• Figure out how to use a version control system, like CVS or Subversion or Git


• It's handy to know how to work with SQL databases - the basics are pretty straightforward, and there are a number of resources online. Rails lets you ignore a lot of database stuff, but you'll do better if you know what's going on.


• You may want to do some research about data structures and design patterns - although I've found that for day-to-day work you don't need much, and in fact too much architecture can get in the way. For structures, the most important thing to know is: an array holds information sequentially, while a hash holds information by key. The only design pattern I use a lot is the Command pattern, which keeps my business logic clean and manageable.


• Learn how to use a text editor well. I'm crazy and use EMACS, but TextMate is a good choice on the Mac, and there are bunch of decent Windows editors as well.


• If you're unfamiliar with what a modern website looks like, read Head First HTML with CSS and XHTML, which is cheerful and friendly and has lots of pictures.


• Here's the most important part: read Agile Web Development with Rails - by the end of the first section, you'll have built a functional Rails app with cool things like security and ajax.


• Write some software. It doesn't have to be big - in fact, you should write several small applications, so you get a feel for the whole life-cycle of a project. Consider a time tracking system and a billing/invoicing tool - you're likely to need them soon anyhow!


• If you want, read Rails Recipes and Ruby Cookbook for more advanced techniques.


• Blog about Rails a bit - if you've figured out something tricky, include the code for the solution. This will make you at least seem like you know what you're doing and people looking for solutions will find you and link to you, giving you Google-Love. If you're able to build this blog with Rails, all the better.


• Get a website and put your resume on it. You should know how to do this now.


• Get your profile up on Working With Rails. My server logs show a steady trickle of traffic to my site from here, and some work offers have mentioned finding me on this site - and it's free so why not?


• If you're in the Toronto area, go to Rails Pub Nite every third Monday of the month. It's low key and friendly and there's beer - and what else are you going to do on a Monday night? - and you can meet lots of other Rails people too. I've passed work to people I've met at these Pub Nites, and vice versa. If you're elsewhere, look for Meetups (the Bay Area has a lively Ruby/Rails Meetup community), Facebook groups, or start up your own.

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