Any tips on landing entry level dev job while in the process of getting CS degree? not internship, actual full time job.

How/where to start and is it possible?

Yes! If you have a portfolio of your work online and willing to aggressively research and contact hiring managers directly - not recruiters - you can do it. Get 199 no's and 1 yes then you win!!!

I better start working on that, then. My personal projects are nowhere near adequate. I'm guessing I'd probably need to find some open source projects or the like I'm guessing. Thanks for the response!

When you contact the hiring manager make it concise and to the point. Important - it is all about them. Customize your pitch to their needs. Phone them if possible - .001% of people will phone about jobs in any sector but it works! Don't be afraid the worst they can say is no.
Email also can work. But make the pitch so good they would be crazy not to speak with you. Good luck!

I've been wanting to do the same thing! I haven't got contacted except for internships and I really don't want them unless they will hire me right after.

Thanks again! Definitely will keep these tips handy when the time comes.

If anyone has any tips or has "been-there-done-that", then please feel free to offer some guidance on building a proper portfolio (focus on Java). I know it's gonna take time and hundreds and hundreds of hours. Fortunately (and unfortunately), I have a lot of it.

@Trey50Daniel Take advantage of this rant. Maybe we'll receive even more answers to point us in the right direction!

@MalcolmLo Oh I can offer some advice though. If you don't have a portfolio, I use GitHub as my portfolio. I've done several projects in a couple of different languages. Mine mainly focuses on Java, though, because I feel most comfortable with it.

Personal projects are a big yes!!! My skill levels were meh when I entered the industry (never even got a degree related to development), but my personal projects showed my creativity and passion, and that I could at least get something up and running. I started with low pay at a small company, but I worked my ass off there and and got a 67% jump in salary to go to my next job. Think of the entry level job as a stepping stone, apply to everything you can, and don't be afraid to take chances!

I went for a QA position and moved to development as I continued with my degree. Proving myself sucked, but being a good tester helps me a lot.

+1 for using Github. That's how I landed my first job without a degree. Show that you can write code that works, even if it's not the best code ever.

Also, some places hire people full time as "interns", which is really an entry level position, depending on the company.