So, this last week I landed my first “official” software engineering job. I came across this job through a technical talent agency known as Gun. They operate on a model similar to that of Toptal. You must pass certain tests to join their pool of freelancers. Companies that they work with must also pay U.S. rates for services. It’s a win for both sides (I will share more about Gun below).
They have worked with many large clients such as Tesla, The Motley Fool, Amazon, Cisco, and more.
The job
The first job I applied for was to integrate an HTML template into a Sinatra Template. This is the job I landed. Not too often I have heard of people in my field of work land their very first job application!
Anyway, now I am doing work for L&M Distributions and Logistics, LLC. based out of the Philadelphia, PA. metropolitan area. My first order of business is to integrate their new template into Sinatra.
If they are happy with the work I do on this template, they will be wanting to hire me for more work. Some of what was discussed is working on their API so clients can streamline their warehousing/distribution with their online shops.
Also, implementing a CI/CD plan as they have only had 1 developer working on the project. I am now the second. So, a structured version control system and CI/CD would be a nice start to allow us to work on different sections of the application at the same time.
I will be posting more about this job as more happens.
More about Gun
Below is some text taken straight from the ‘About’ page of Gun’s website.
Gun.io was founded on the simple idea that when it comes to freelancing, hiring and being hired should be based on merit.
Picture it: the precipice of the gig economy. Freelance marketplaces popping up across the horizon like dandelions in spring. But under the hood of those marketplaces are bidding wars that overwhelmingly result in low-paid work and poor results for clients.
Enter: our founders, freelancers, trying to get paid on said marketplaces.
They quickly realized that two groups of people weren’t winning on these platforms: senior developers who are experts in their craft, and companies seeking to hire these experts.
So, they built a platform to connect companies with vetted freelance talent, committed to helping freelancers compete on merit, not rate.
Here at Gun.io, we envision a radically empowered humanity where every individual can realize their full potential. We believe that requires a new paradigm for work — one in which technologists can engage each other fractionally and flexibly at a fair wage, and companies can access the talent they need to build our future.
Today, our core team is based in our Nashville HQ, working tirelessly to shape the future of the global economy.
Thank you to all who read my blog. Also, a big thank you to Gun, L&M, and Gil for giving me this opportunity. I promise you will not be let down!