u/Jaded-Office-3788

Hey everyone,

I’m looking for some candid advice on how to stand out and actually get a foot in the door in this space. I graduated with a B.S. in Computer Science & Engineering from UC Merced a few weeks ago.

My college curriculum was heavily focused on standard Software Engineering, but the more I've looked into the mainframe space, the more fascinated I've become with them. I think applying my background to modernization would be a really rewarding challenge.

I'm currently preparing to interview for an upcoming mainframe apprenticeship, and I want to make sure I hit the ground running if selected. To prep, I've been putting in the groundwork:

• Finished the IBM Z Xplore All-Star badge.
• Completed the IBM Z 101 Certificate.
• Currently reading Introduction to the New Mainframe: z/OS Basics and Murach's Mainframe COBOL. (They seemed like the most popular book recommendations here)

My questions:

1. How does a US-based candidate actually work their way into this field? When looking at job boards, true entry-level mainframe roles seem practically non-existent. Are there specific sectors, companies, or hidden pathways I should be aggressively targeting?
2. Coming from the standard SWE world, I'm used to the idea of building GitHub portfolios, but I'm realizing that might not translate perfectly to enterprise iron. Do entry-level portfolio projects even exist/matter in this space?
3. If portfolios don't carry weight, what specific topics are the absolute most important for a junior to master in order to prove they have the right foundation and aren't just a tourist?