Dev Bootcamp: The Job Search Pt. 2
In my first post, “Dev Bootcamp: The Job Search Pt. 1”, I laid out the steps I used to submit more effective applications, as well as to prepare for technical interviews. In this post, I’ll lay out the takeaways I discovered while interviewing, helping me get multiple offers and learn to create second chances for myself after being turned down for a role.
The first takeaway: accept every opportunity to talk to someone. In the previous post, I mentioned how I sent out LinkedIn InMails/emails to follow up my online applications. One person replied back that they didn’t have any current openings, but would still like to talk. I accepted. While telling that person about how I got to the offer stage with a startup, but it turned out they didn’t have the money to bring me on at the time, he suggested I go back and ask them if I could come on in a part-time capacity, or as an intern or apprentice. Duh! I was too busy feeling sorry for myself to even think about that. I took his suggestion, following up with that company and other companies, if they rejected me deep in the interview process. This led to two offers: a part-time role with one company, and a paid apprenticeship with another company, even though I was initially rejected for the full-time role.
To be clear, here’s the second takeaway: if you make it far in the interview process and get rejected, ask to come on in a part-time capacity, or as a paid intern or apprentice. The benefits are on both sides. And, this ultimately increases your chance of being brought on full-time if you do well in the role.
The third takeaway: you’re not off the job market until you start (even that’s debatable). If you get a job offer and think you may have other offers coming in soon, ask for some time (a couple days to a week is usually given) to think about the offer (this is common to do). Then, if no offer comes in within that time span, accept the one you currently have, but negotiate your start date by pushing it back a couple weeks (this is common as well). This buys you time to receive other offers, which if you get, allows you to use your initial offer as leverage to negotiate the new offer. In your first development role, but really in any role, a competing offer is always your best leverage in negotiations. For me, doing this led to a $15k salary bump from the first offer I got.
NOTE: I wouldn’t disclose the names of the companies to each other, just the salary, or the part of the offer package you want to negotiate. Also, don’t try to negotiate an offer after you already accepted it; only negotiate the offers you just received. If you accept one of those new offers, you can then go back and turn down the one you accepted. Always prioritize yourself over a business entity.
My fourth and last takeaway: to supplement your online applications, go to as many meetups and tech events as you can, introducing yourself to people and making sure they know you’re actively looking for a software development role. Best way to do this is: after introducing yourself, ask for their advice on breaking into software development, then ask them to keep you in mind if any opportunities come their way. A couple days later, follow up with them and ask to come check out their office in order to meet their team and learn more about their company. I stumbled onto this takeaway after I already accepted two offers (one full-time and one apprenticeship) and reached out to an entrepreneur I wanted to meet before I started working. I was there to just learn more about the person and see if they had any career advice for me. That entrepreneur ended up giving me an offer on the spot. I started there as a Software Engineer a few weeks ago.
