scrapcode

I have been applying for SWE positions for nearly 2 months now, at an average of 1 application per day. Of the 37% that have responded, nearly 70% have been rejections, to which I send a message thanking them for consideration and asking if they have any constructive feedback in how I might improve either my application, interviewing (if applicable), or my KSAs.

Most ghost at that point with zero response, some have explicitly replied by saying they will not give feedback at all. Only one organization gave any feedback at all, and they really took it to another level by scheduling a 30-minute call with an HR rep to have an entire feedback session.

I’m currently pivoting from a decade+ long career in government, albeit technical and involving development, and the feedback would be immensely valuable to me. It’s difficult for many of these organizations to find a person to actually request feedback from, but even when you can, seems unwilling to offer it.

Is there a liability reason here, or is it just a sheer volume problem at this point in the market?

What types of example projects do hiring managers like to see in a portfolio for junior/intermediate devs?

I've been dabbling in tech and development for over 20 years. I am a self-taught programmer, that eventually completed by BS:CS, that has always studied development books on craftsmanship, data structures, specifics of different languages, and the works.

I've had spouts of freelancing here and there on small projects, but my career took me in a different direction with a whole assortment of different job titles: military, avionics, managing contracts, facilities management, stationary engineering, CAD work, project management, and IT services management. I have been in leadership roles on an acting basis as needed, but have never really felt a calling to go down that path.

By metric of performance reviews and promotions, I have excelled in all of my positions, mostly in part of my ability to leverage software development and my technical skills as whole. I have always leveraged programming to streamline processes and make my organization more efficient. However, my job titles have never directly reflected my software development skills, making it challenging to transition into a formal developer role.

I have gone in and out of periods where I think about "starting again" so that I can be a developer on a real development team, with the title and all of the fame and glory that come along with it (I'm trying to throw some humor in here). For the past week or so I have been trying to put together a boilerplate resume+cover letter package that articulates what I can do, and how I've used these skills in the past to be of value. I’m looking for advice on how to effectively showcase my experience to hiring managers, am open to some certifications that could validate my skills, and suggestions on impactful personal projects to build a strong portfolio.

As I've let me career lead me far away from the developer world, I don't have any network at all in this space. Are there are reputable services or anyone that does this for a living that would be willing to take a peak at what I've put together and give me their opinion on where I could improve to give myself a shot? I am realistic in this pursuit and realize I am looking at junior-levels spots here, and will earn less than I make now in the beginning, but I sincerely do think I can provide a lot of value and just need help and advice as to whether or not I am articulating that well or not. Thank you!

I've been dabbling in tech and development for over 20 years. I am a self-taught programmer, that eventually completed by BS:CS, that has always studied development books on craftsmanship, data structures, specifics of different languages, and the works.

I've had spouts of freelancing here and there on small projects, but my career took me in a different direction with a whole assortment of different job titles: military, avionics, managing contracts, facilities management, stationary engineering, CAD work, project management, and IT services management. I have been in leadership roles on an acting basis as needed, but have never really felt a calling to go down that path.

By metric of performance reviews and promotions, I have excelled in all of my positions, mostly in part of my ability to leverage software development and my technical skills as whole. I have always leveraged programming to streamline processes and make my organization more efficient. However, my job titles have never directly reflected my software development skills, making it challenging to transition into a formal developer role.

I have gone in and out of periods where I think about "starting again" so that I can be a developer on a real development team, with the title and all of the fame and glory that come along with it (I'm trying to throw some humor in here). For the past week or so I have been trying to put together a boilerplate resume+cover letter package that articulates what I can do, and how I've used these skills in the past to be of value. I’m looking for advice on how to effectively showcase my experience to hiring managers, am open to some certifications that could validate my skills, and suggestions on impactful personal projects to build a strong portfolio.

As I've let me career lead me far away from the developer world, I don't have any network at all in this space. Are there are reputable services or anyone that does this for a living that would be willing to take a peak at what I've put together and give me their opinion on where I could improve to give myself a shot? I am realistic in this pursuit and realize I am looking at junior-levels spots here, and will earn less than I make now in the beginning, but I sincerely do think I can provide a lot of value and just need help and advice as to whether or not I am articulating that well or not. Thank you!