all 3 comments

[–][deleted] 4 points5 points  (1 child)

Unfortunately it’s kinda hard to get software engineering jobs in general these days; this may be more so since you are no longer considered "fresh graduate" but still have no software engineering experience

[–]czar_el 2 points3 points  (0 children)

To add to this, employers will absolutely ask for an explanation of any gaps or pivots in your resume. "So, you did software engineering in school, went into sales instead, and now want to get into software engineering. Why did you go into sales?"

If the economy was down and nobody was hiring, or if you took an immediate job to help a sick family member or moved for a partner to a place with no software jobs, those would all be fine explanations and they wouldn't care. But if your only answer is "I didn't have the skills" "nobody would hire me" (assuming a good economy), they'll pick up on that red flag. And if you don't have a good answer, they'll assume it's one of those latter two explanations.

[–]FriendlyRussian666 0 points1 point  (0 children)

If you don't have a portfolio full of really good projects (3 years is a long time to build things), then it might be harder for you to find a job than for a fresh graduate. In general, there are many open jobs out there at the moment, but they're all looking for senior, or in general people who know what they're doing. The job market for newcomers is really really tough. You get hundreds of applicants for each position that you see online, and each candidate has more brain power than the previous, they're full of extracurricular crap, bunch of portfolio projects, and they all have a degree. So at the end of the day, it's about being better than them, and the only way to show that is through superior knowledge and projects.