On Jan 12, 2011, at 11:37 AM, Alan Harris-Reid wrote: > > Hi there, I wonder if any Python folk out there can help me. > > For many years I was a contractor developing desktop and web applications > using Visual Foxpro as my main language, with Foxpro, SQL-server and Oracle > as back-end databases. Unfortunately Foxpro was killed-off by Microsoft, > hence my work dried-up and my last 'big' contract ended about a year ago. > Since then I have taken time off programming doing house-renovation, and in > the last 6 months I have been updating my programming skills by learning > Python (3) with SQLite, JavaScript, HTML and CSS to a level where I can > create and deploy data-based web-sites. > > My situation now is that I am reasonably comfortable with the above languages > and am now in a position where I wish to return to employment using my new > and/or existing skills (contract/permanent, full/part-time or teleworking). > However, I have yet to find any UK vacancy which will accept a relative > 'beginner' - they all require at least 2-3 years Python in a commercial > environment. It's a catch-22 situation - it's hard to get a job without > experience, but you need a job to get experience in the 1st place! > > I would even consider doing small projects for nothing so that I can 'get my > foot in the door' (although I hope to be wise-enough to know when I am being > taken advantage of!). I am also mailing CVs to agencies I think may be > interested. > > If anyone out has ideas as to how to proceed towards achieving my goal, I > would be grateful for any advice.
Contributing to open source projects (your own or someone else's) will help to convince some employers that you're worth taking a look at. If nothing else it gives you a public example of the work that you can point them to. Good luck Philip -- http://mail.python.org/mailman/listinfo/python-list
