sjcrank's comments

Mist Systems | Cupertino, CA | Full-time | https://www.mist.com/

Mist Systems, now part of Juniper Networks, is seeking a senior level front end developer to work with our team as we build out web applications for configuring and monitoring large scale wireless networks.

This is a great opportunity to work in a startup environment, using a modern technical stack (React/ES6), innovating at a rapid pace, while having the stability and access to resources afforded by a strong parent company, a leader in the networking industry.

Working at Mist you will be enabling WiFi access for people at schools, hospitals, warehouses, retail stores, and businesses, not delivering advertising, harvesting personal information, or building weapons.

To apply or learn more about the position contact me: [email protected] (I'm the hiring manager)

This link will get you to the handbook content: https://github.com/FrontendMasters/front-end-handbook-2017/b...

I believe the answer to this question is clearly a "yes", if you are building UIs (web or otherwise).

As a 10+ year UI developer I have found that my work is often judged by its design as much as the quality of the code, and that I will not be successful unless good design is a part of the work, and I cannot always depend on having a solid dedicated designer contributing to the project.

When recruiting for web development (heavy JavaScript SPA work), I look for 3 technical skills:

1. Core JavaScript. You should be able to read modern idiomatic JS code pulled from an open source project and explain what it is doing and how you would modify it to add features.

2. Core CSS. You should be able to review Bootstrap source and explain how it works. You should be able to create static HTML/CSS to match UI mockups.

3. Higher level SPA library/framework (e.g. React, Angular, etc). You should be able to demonstrate an understanding of the core concepts of your chosen framework.

I find that these 3 skills are sufficient for productivity in SPA web development.

I like to have a clear title and opening purpose statement at the top, to set the direction for the rest of the resume.

In fact you already have something to work with in this quote: "I'm an all-round developer who cares about getting things done and uses whatever means are best for the job. I'm able to learn/understand tech quickly but this is just a means to an end. I like to focus on the team and there interaction / openness." (but fix the sp of "there interaction")

If the audience sees something like "Senior Software Engineer" followed by the above paragraph it helps them understand how you see yourself fitting into the organization.

Next I would follow with a simple tabular format of skills (languages/frameworks/platforms for example) that is quickly scannable and has been pruned to remove outdated or out of favor technologies.

"the temptation will be to grab at the first thing that offers you something" I actually think this is a good idea, since it will give you a chance to pay the bills while you take your time to find the best next step in your career. Also, like it or not, there is real bias against hiring the unemployed and you are in a better position to negotiate compensation when you are currently employed.

If the offer is one you are seriously interested in it is best to not flat out refuse an exploding offer. An alternative I have found effective is to stall a few days through further negotiation of the offer, with steps such as:

- I have some more questions about the work environment, can we setup a phone call with one of the developers

- I would like to learn more about company benefits, can you send me the relevant information about healthcare options and prices for my review

- the salary offer is slightly below my target, but I am willing to consider it if we can improve the PTO offer: is this a possibility

In my opinion, there's nothing wrong with using raw JS/jQuery for projects - with discipline you can keep the code performant and well-structured. On the other hand, I have found real benefits from React as the project grows in size (current SPA is 50k lines of code).

Overall, my recommendation is to use the simplest approach that works, and start adding libraries/frameworks only when they add clear value.

In my experience the performance benefits are when comparing React to other libraries/frameworks that also provide some level of developer ergonomics. In particular, during the early days of React, it provided great performance in contrast to AngularJS. Not so much when compared to well-written raw JS/jQuery.

I would recommend a small variation of this technique in order to maintain good working relationships with your manager/employer.

Start with a conversation explaining why you believe you should be better compensated, highlighting the value you add to the company, rarity of your skills, market rates, etc.

If the request is rejected, or the increase offered is inadequate, then find an offer at another employer and use this to negotiate (or simply accept the offer and move on).

This approach shows good will, in that you gave your employer an opportunity to make things right before escalating to a threat of leaving.

Regarding the negative thinking, this is a really important point. Consider these two alternative attitudes when on-boarding a new employee:

1. Let's evaluate to see whether the new developer is good enough, so we can fire fast if our expectations are not met.

2. Let's figure out how to help this developer achieve his/her maximum potential for adding value to the organization. If for some reason the developer is unwilling or unable to develop to a level that makes a positive contribution, then we consider separating.

I find the second approach much healthier for the employee and the organization.

Agreed. In fact, the description of the big company environment "barely any work to be done, it mostly involved sitting at a desk and writing some emails all day" is a stereotype often applied to the day to day life of boring large-company developers.

In cases where this is true, a developer who has spent the past 10 years primarily writing emails and doing minimal coding is unlikely to be a strong developer candidate - the blade is dull from lack of use.

My recommendation to OP is to find ways to demonstrate your motivation and skills in order to counteract the stereotype, perhaps through open source contributions.

In the interest of building an experience-diverse workforce employers need entry level, mid level, and experienced developers with skills in their core stack, which in many cases is Java or .NET.

My theory is that technology trends are leading the entry level developers to learn Python, Ruby, and JavaScript rather than .NET or Java, thereby reducing the supply and putting these candidates in high demand.

The UI is rather reminiscent of Teenage Engineering synth UIs: https://www.teenageengineering.com/products/op-1/modules

Nice looking, overall

In addition to these great points, I find it extremely helpful to spend some time reviewing the source of various open source JS frameworks.

You can learn so much from patterns and techniques others are using, but that may have not been documented in the other listed resources.

I have found it is much easier to switch to a new stack within your existing employer than it is to get hired for a stack for which you have no professional experience.

Here are the steps:

a. find employment at a company that requires your niche skillset but also has projects in your desired tech stack (hopefully this is your current employer)

b. learn enough of the desired tech stack on your own to be a useful contributor

c. ask to switch over to a project using your new stack, or volunteer to write tests or help in some other way to get your foot in the door (this may require some persistence and relationship-building)

d. once you have some experience you are ready to add it to your resume and seek your dream job