I recently got approached by a recruiter from Meta for a software engineering position. I had a chat with them about my work experience, mostly involving PowerShell, Python, DevOps, and Jenkins, and they said I could move forward in the interview process. However, I have a bit of a concern. I studied computer science briefly in school but dropped out, and many key programming concepts—like Leetcode challenges, hash maps, trees, binary trees, Big O notation, and system design—are quite unfamiliar to me. Since my strongest skill is in PowerShell, I'm unsure if that can be considered 'real programming,' and I'm trying to decide if it's worth my time to seriously pursue this opportunity. What do you think?
4 Answers
PowerShell can actually translate well into other programming languages like C#. Both languages share similar structure since they're built on the .NET framework. I found that when I started rewriting my PowerShell scripts in C#, the transition was pretty straightforward. There’s definitely some valuable programming experience to be gained from using PowerShell, especially if you dive deeper into writing more complex scripts!
I was promoted in my career thanks to my experience with PowerShell automation. When I transitioned to using C#, it wasn't too far of a leap since I already had a solid grasp of scripting and automation. Now, I manage a C# Blazor web application as part of my job, so yes, PowerShell skills can lead you there!
It really depends on what you’re doing with PowerShell. If your scripts are just simple utility one-liners, then it’s more of a scripting tool than programming. But if you’re developing complex scripts with functions and calling APIs, you’re definitely doing programming. I suggest brushing up on concepts like Big O notation, search algorithms, and basic OOP principles. Understanding system design and SQL basics will also give you a strong foundation for the interviews. Don't stress about deeper data structures like binary trees for now; focus on the functional aspects of your scripting experience instead!
Thanks for the tips! I often create complex scripts and functions that handle parameters and API interactions, so I guess I'm on the right track.
PowerShell is definitely a programming language! Just because it’s easy to use and run doesn’t make it less valid. You could check out resources like CS50 for data structures and algorithm principles or AWS Solutions Architect materials for system design. Getting familiar with hash maps, trees, and Big O could really help you for scenarios in interviews. Just dive in and see where your PowerShell skills can take you!
Totally agree! The moment you realize that you can call .NET classes in PowerShell is a game changer. It really opens up a lot of possibilities.