How To Create The Right Job Profile For Your Next Interview
This article is part of series of articles for helping fellow candidates crack abroad jobs, specifically European jobs, from their home country. Mostly, it is catered for us Indians wishing to know the right techniques to crack European jobs. However, individual steps can be used for anyone looking to get a new job in European market, so feel free to pick and chose the steps relevant for you!
All the information is completely free of cost, and DO NOT require you to visit consultancy and waste tons of money there. It is my own knowledge that I built while going through the complete process.
Please find the steps below:
a) Step 0: Introduction and how recruitment works.
b) Step 1: Tips on creating a killer profile.
c) Step 2: Building the right resume and cover letter.
d) Step 3: Strategy of applying and sponsorship ready job portal links.
e) Step 4: Insights on actual interview process and conclusion.
Hopefully, the above steps could help anyone land their dream European job, and that, would be the success of this post!
Introduction:
In this article, we explore the nuances of building a good profile. We also see the most common job openings available, especially for Europe. We also understand the importance of having an updated Linkedin profile, and share some tips on enhancing it.
Step 1: Build the right Profile.
Hopefully we are clear that recruiters want a tailor made skillset with high level of experience when hiring externally, it is very important to build a solid profile for the job openings you seek.
A quick background about me: I started out my career as a Telecom developer in C, working on 4G stack (even wrote a book on it). However, I felt there was more to the tech world than 3gpp specifications. I switched to Ops and Cloud domain, worked in Deloitte as DevOps consultant, than at AWS as a Senior Cloud Support Engineer.
I had a rare skillset of working in Telco cloud, and that worked in my advantage as I was applying. I got a job in one of the best Telecom firms of the world: Ericsson, in Ireland, without referrals, directly from India. I also got through couple of startups in Berlin, Germany.
Likewise, you must build your own unique advantage and success story. If you are just starting out, or are wondering what kind of roles have the maximum chance, the following would help as a guide in deciphering the type of roles available:
- Pure backend development in Python/Javascript/Java, maximum openings, hiring begins from 0–2 years of experience: This is the hottest opening right now, with almost every engineering firm having a software developer opening. Backend development skills could also help you move abroad with as little as zero years of experience. Recently MAANG firms have hired fresh graduates directly from India to their London HQ. Similarly, many startup firms help give you a foot into the doors of Europe if you have a competitive graduate profile, a few projects/competitive coding experience, or even a master’s degree. Just 2 years of experience is best to go ahead and apply (ofcourse the more the years of experience, the better your chance!).
- DevOps/Cloud Engineer, second maximum openings, hiring begins from 3–6 years of experience: The role in which I am hired for! Unfortunately the way DevOps is, you can’t apply without experience, as you need to work in production to understand the different nuances (and pipelines) related to Cloud engineering. That being said, anything above 3 years of experience in DevOps, and you are good to. Certifications and big brands in the CV are the key, as they would help differentiate your profile with the rest.
- Niche skillsets, variable openings, hiring begins from 5+ years of experience: Mostly, these either fall to three areas:
-> particular niche language such as Fortran, Dotnet, Kotlin etc.
-> A particular niche tool/library such as Salesforce, DPDK (device drivers), SAP.
-> A particular process/knowledge area such as Telecom development in 5g, Data center operations.
-> Data science!
Whatever the niche is, you would need to show some years of experience in this to demonstrate your expertise, ideally 5+ years. The openings would be limited, but it would almost certainly guarantee an interview call, as these roles are very hard to fill by.
In all cases, having an updated and active LinkedIn profile is a must!
You must realize that there is no monster.com, or indeed.com for recruiters. Specifically for India, European recruiters scout profiles on LinkedIn. So for eg, recruiter might search “AWS engineer + CKA + Python” on LinkedIn, and check the top profiles. They might also see some of your viral posts, and contact you there.
I cannot stress more on the fact of having an active and updated LinkedIn profile. Many of my friends who have come to Europe, have been directly contacted by recruiters over LinkedIn. So polish your LinkedIn straight away as the first step.
Updating LinkedIn is is quite easy, all you need to do is update the profile with the relevant information. A few tips on making your LinkedIn profile shine out:
- A good summary with the right keywords is the most important factor in having a good profile. Research around for summaries, and create a 250 word small summary which highlights your career, as well as contain enough keywords to keep you up in the search :).
- The main content for jobs would be copy pasted from the resume. A detailed discussion on resume is for next steps.
- LinkedIn provides a great section called “skills”, which you can add and link to multiple jobs. Use it to add the relevant skillsets you believe your recruiter would search for.
- Do add a good professional photo, alternatively just have a photo so to have your face visible.
- Other sections such as Certifications, Volunteering are recommended to top your profile.
- Finally, having skill endorsed by LinkedIn (by passing their exams) is really helpful for showcasing your mastery over skillsets.
That’s it for this post folks, check the other parts for more info!
