Ask HN: Apply to dev jobs with little experience of the language required? | Hacker News Reader

Ask HN: Apply to dev jobs with little experience of the language required?

Look for explicit statement in job offer or just send question before applying, I did that many times and usually got some response. If you don't get any response then it means that it was not worth applying anyway. :)

What kind of statement, and question? Thanks for your experience on the matter.

"Java or C++" is such type of key phrase/statement, but there are other ones, depends on job profile you are looking for. Front end devs should rather avoid job offers, which mention some particular javascript library as an must have requirement.

Question is simple: I don't have a lot of professional experience in required language/technology, but (here goes something interesting about you), should I apply to your job offer?

Is it worth trying? Should you show at home learning and dev of the Lang? Do you only apply as intermediate or junior regardless of other development experience?

Depends. Startups likely will not have the flexibility to allow for R&D. Large companies likely will have the financial flexibility for R&D, and will expect you to publish/share your discoveries.

There's also all sorts of circumstantial conditions for which anyone would hire you, for instance, if you have a radically unique background that no one could possibly let walk out the door.

So unique experience may trump skill requirements, just need to make it clear how it can benifit them, thanks

Indeed. If you've solved a generally applicable problem of computer science, you can leverage that. If you've solved a generally applicable problem of computer science within a tech stack that aligns with the [EDIT: company in question], all the more power to you and the likelihood that they will want to hear what you have to say as an expert on the subject.

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