Good Info

From: Jason Cannon

Sent: Tuesday, October 12, 2021 6:06 AM

Subject: No Linux experience? No problem.

Wanna know how I went from frying chicken in a gas station to working as a Linux admin for one of the world's most well-known and respected technology companies?

It was surprisingly simple, actually.

But before I tell you how to get a Linux job with no Linux job experience, I want you to know what's going on in the tech world now...

A recent study performed by the Linux Foundation found that:

Hiring Linux workers is a PRIORITY.  81 percent of recruiters say that finding Linux talent is a priority.

Linux talent is IN DEMAND.  Most employers are looking for MORE Linux talent than other positions.

Linux experts are HARD TO FIND.  85 percent of recruiters say it’s hard to find Linux talent!

Linux pros are PAID MORE.  1/3 of companies say they pay more to Linux pros!  Sorry Windows folks :-(

So if there are a lot of high-paying Linux jobs, why is it "hard to find" people to fill those Linux jobs?

Is it because there is a shortage of people who want those jobs?  (Not it.)

Is it because nobody applies for those jobs?  (Nuh-uh.)

It's because they only hire people with Linux experience.  (Oh, and maybe you thought they wanted certifications or college degrees.  NOPE.  They want EXPERIENCE.)

You see, they don't care if you can pass some generic multiple-choice Linux test or if you went to some fancy school.  Most employers don't have the time (or the budget) to train you in the real-world tasks you'll be expected to do on a daily basis.

Got it?

So how do you get the experience that hiring managers are looking for?  Well...

>>> First, you need to manufacture (or create) relevant Linux experience!

Ok, so you don't need traditional "work" experience, but you do need Linux skills!  This means you have to do the work, even though it's on your own.  If you don't, you'll be "found out" in the interview phase and look like a total fool.  No fun.

Sorry folks, but reading a book is NOT Linux experience.  Printing out a cheat sheet is NOT Linux experience.  Daydreaming about how awesome a career in IT would be is NOT Linux experience.

But what does qualify as Linux experience is doing real-world work on real-world Linux projects.  This means you'll need to create a simple home lab where you can create several real-world-like scenarios.

>>> Next, use that experience in the form of "keywords" on your resume to slip past the HR weasels and land an interview with the real decision maker.

Your mission at this point, should you choose to accept it, is to get past the HR (Human Resources) gatekeepers.  Their job is to weed out as many candidates as possible.

Keep in mind that they are not technical people like you and me.  They don't know if RedHat is Linux or if it's your preferred choice in headwear.  So you have to include exactly what they are looking for on your resume or they'll put you in the "no" pile.

They're going to be scanning resumes for skills -- think of them as keywords -- and sorting accordingly.

By the way, you don't have to be at a ninja-like level for every skill you list on your resume.  Again, take things one step at a time and just get to the interview first.

>>> During the interview talk about your (manufactured-at-home) Linux experience and show you know what you're doing even if you've never had an "official" Linux title in the past.

This is your time to shine.  This is where all your work pays off...  Imagine walking into an interview and talking about all the cool projects you've done.

Interviewer: "Do you have any experience with the LAMP stack?"

You: "Yes, I'm familiar with the LAMP stack.  I've installed several LAMP apps including a help desk app, a project management system, and a web-based database administration app."

Interviewer: "How would you go about finding performance bottlenecks across an entire network of Linux servers?"

You: "I've actually done this before.  First, I configured a performance metrics collection and graphing system.  Then I deployed collection agents on a few different test clients.  Finally, I created a dashboard that included a set of system utilization graphs where I could easily monitor memory, CPU, and other performance statistics."

Interviewer: "What would you do if I asked you to install the same piece of software on 1,000 Linux servers?"

You: "I wrote a shell script to completely automate the installation of WordPress.  First it installed all the dependencies such as the web server and database.  Next, it created a database and an application user.  Finally, it installed WordPress.  So to answer your question, I would use these same skills to script the installation."

Even if you've never had a Linux job before in your life you will show that you actually know what you're doing.  You've proven you have initiative.  You've demonstrated you want (and DESERVE) a "real" Linux position.  You're ready.

Remember that it only takes one "yes" to make all this worth while.

All the best,

Jason

P.S.  My Linux in the Real World course teaches people how to get the relevant real-world Linux experience they need.