Harvards CS50 courses in SA

[anelevilakazi12]

Hi all, I nearly lost my mind but I did my first cs50 course. I know it doesnt hold much weight(unless ya done it) without the paid version(either way apparently) of the certificate as it won't count or something of the sort...

Would seeing that I'd completed the course(s) help in the noobie job hunt?

How would I as an applicant be perceived in comparison to the rest of those in the 0-2yr xp by potential employers?

I'm pretty sure I could breeze through other courses or certifications after that. I also enjoy self studying. I'd like to work in Tech. Ideally as a swe or adjacent.

I didn't go to Uni. Came 1st(math & phys) in what wasn't an amazing highschool, so naturally the bar was pretty low.

I'm in a pickle[finances, independence]. I know I should be working on projects(for my profile) but my ideas are a super tall order. They'll take years, & the simple stuff i could ship within a week of looking around some textbooks & youtube. I'd like advice on how to get hired or intern. The journey is difficult alone. I'm the only 'programmer' I know.

& no I didn't not vibe code through the course lol. I'm a 24M. Currently in EC but might be able to move to cpt..

Feel free to ask more or pm.

 

[Agent67]

Hi all, I nearly lost my mind but I did my first cs50 course. I know it doesnt hold much weight(unless ya done it) without the paid version(either way apparently) of the certificate as it won't count or something of the sort...

Would seeing that I'd completed the course(s) help in the noobie job hunt?

How would I as an applicant be perceived in comparison to the rest of those in the 0-2yr xp by potential employers?

I'm pretty sure I could breeze through other courses or certifications after that. I also enjoy self studying. I'd like to work in Tech. Ideally as a swe or adjacent.

I didn't go to Uni. Came 1st(math & phys) in what wasn't an amazing highschool, so naturally the bar was pretty low.

I'm in a pickle[finances, independence]. I know I should be working on projects(for my profile) but my ideas are a super tall order. They'll take years, & the simple stuff i could ship within a week of looking around some textbooks & youtube. I'd like advice on how to get hired or intern. The journey is difficult alone. I'm the only 'programmer' I know.

& no I didn't not vibe code through the course lol. I'm a 24M. Currently in EC but might be able to move to cpt..

Feel free to ask more or pm.

So, you'll definitely have to get more certs, get some projects going on your GitHub (a personal portfolio can be a good start), contributing to open-source projects on GitHub, etc. Since you're, of course, on the back foot without a degree, especially in SA.

On building your own projects, try to build things that you think are interesting or useful. For example, if you like cars, then maybe build an API that returns all listings of a certain car on sites like AutoTrader, WeBuyCars, etc.

If you feel confident enough, try to build something for someone in your community (even for free if need be) that you could add to your CV.

@_kabal_ @Mike Hoxbig Anything I'm missing here?

P.S. Humble Bundle regularly has book bundles for sale (lowest tier is $1 = R20) that could help you out depending on the stack or direction you choose to go in. https://www.humblebundle.com/books

P.P.S Check out KatDev

Katlego Developer

I am a self taught software developer. I make videos to inspire, motivate and encourage aspiring developers.

www.youtube.com

 

[B-1]

Have a look at as many job postings you can find at that level and then figure out how you could meet and prove that you could accomplish those requirements.

Usually at that level people are looking at potential. So showcasing how you are upskilling and will continue to upskil is a good start. Next is showing you can deliver on requirements and will be a good culture fit for the organisation.

Doing certifications, hackerrank(hackerrank.com) and other tests that are fairly reliable will give some indication of your provable skillset.

At the end of the day think of yourself as a business selling your skills as a product and you need to be able to prove you can do what the clients are looking for.

 

[anelevilakazi12]

Got it. I'll probably be back with some updates. Noticed that I'd have to do more work especially with projects while redoing my cv.

Thank you for the insight, I'll focus on having some sort of portfolio linked between all the relevant platforms, then fleshing it out with my progress.

Hackerrank like the SA version of leetcode?

 

[Agent67]

Hackerrank like the SA version of leetcode?

No, not specifically from SA, just another alternative.