3 Strategies to Land Your First Developer Job
“Don’t give up, someone is going to be lucky to hire you!”
“The first job is the hardest. After that, recruiters will hit you up all the time.”
“Study algorithms. You’ll never use them but that’s how they evaluate you.”
These are the endless phrases I heard while hunting the elusive first Developer job.
For an industry that seems to be fighting to hire engineers, shockingly few tech companies are willing to take a chance on juniors, especially if you’re from a non-traditional background (i.e. no CS degree — or maybe any degree).
Job fairs with only eight hiring booths and at least 600 candidates clamoring to hand recruiters a resume. Horror stories about juniors submitting over 500 applications and still not receiving an offer.
Entering the software engineer world isn’t for the faint of heart or easily offended. You’re going to be ghosted, rejected, and challenged. It’s a trial by fire that is perpetuated by those who came before us.
I’m not here to fix it. Instead, here are three suggestions to help improve your workflow so you’re applying smarter, not harder.
1. Set a schedule.
It’s easy to burn out or be lazy while job hunting. The mind-numbing process of browsing LinkedIn isn’t inspiring. Set a schedule.
There are so many skillsets covered in any engineering interview that it’s important to stay sharp. I found my best schedule looked like this:
Monday: Job applying
Tuesday: Code Challenge + Flashcards
Wednesday: Code-Along Tutorial
Thursday: Theory Study
Friday: Side Project
Why this schedule?
The start of every week was devoted solely to applying to jobs. By browsing job boards weekly, I rarely missed new listings and consistently filled my pipeline. Instead of wasting time searching every day, knock it out just once per week.
Made it to a final round interview? Don’t stop. Your dream company called you back? Don’t stop.
Getting over rejection is easiest when another opportunity is lined up. I only skipped Monday Job Applications when my pipeline was too full with interviews and take home projects (what a great problem to have!).
The other days are a blend of studying concepts and executing code. Theory matters, but so does actually writing code and solving challenges.
Spot your current weaknesses and dive into those. Feeling CS thoery heavy? Start building side projects and following video tutorials (Frontend Masters, Tyler McGinnis, FreeCodeCamp).
Coming from a bootcamp? Drill down on data structures and algorithms. The unfortunate truth is that if you can’t pass medium level Hackerrank or LeetCode problems in 60–90 minutes, you’ll be screened out before even talking to a recruiter. Use a real whiteboard. Write it out. Explain out loud. Don’t code for the first 20 minutes while you game plan.
2. Track Your Applications
Do you know how many jobs you’ve applied to? With which companies? What contacts do you have there? Can you pull up the original listing before your first interview with them?
If the answer is no to any of these, it’s time to start job application tracking. Try out my Google template here (like in the above screenshot) or use Huntr (a non-spreadsheet tracker). Make sure to add every job you apply to — and track your progress until the end.
Looking back, it helped immensely to visualize my progress. Sure, there were a lot of rejections. But I’m proud to have also made it to several final round interviews with big companies!
This also highlighted when I wasn’t networking well enough. Many junior engineer roles are never even publicly listed because applications inundate recruiters. Internal referrals to get a foot in the door are key. Reach out on LinkedIn, go to events hosted at that company. Ask for help.
Date tracking revealed when I was slacking off and how to estimate how long the process takes. It was a full two months from applying to signing an offer when I finally accepted a role.
Include the original listing and title you’re seeking to make the phone screen easier. Sometimes over a month passes before you hear back. You won’t remember what they were looking for. Plus, the listing highlights company values and traits you need to demonstrate.
Lastly, make sure to share your job tracker link with a mentor or accountability partner. Knowing my mentor was checking on my list weekly kept me on track.
3. Cap Studying at Four Hours
Let’s face it — burnout is real. You don’t have to be working to exhaust yourself to the point of no longer enjoying code.
Chances are you’re job applying after finishing studies. Whether those were at university and spread out over four years or at a bootcamp and crammed into a hectic few months, your brain needs a break.
Find your best schedule (20 minute pomodoro timers, 1 hour deep study) and cap it at four hours daily. Beyond that, your brain probably isn’t retaining much.
Get outside, pickup a hobby that doesn’t involve a screen, go see friends and family, exercise. Take care of your physical and mental health.
Once you’re hired, it’s going to be a whirlwind. Enjoy this break now. If you’re studying well and a good engineer, chances are, you won’t have this extended break again for several years.
