How to prepare to apply for a tech job abroad
By Marcos Godinho, Glovo Software Engineer for Dispatching
The Tech Job market is booming worldwide. You might know someone or have heard about a co-worker who got a job as a Software Engineer in Europe and is now living a great experience.
Have you ever thought about getting a job in Europe but don’t know how to prepare, where to look for opportunities, or you have difficulties with the English language?
Here is a preparation roadmap based on my own experience. It is not only useful if you want to apply for a job. At the very least you will be a better Software Engineer.
I will discuss each step in more detail in the following post.
Prepare your speech
Prepare your personal pitch; a half-page cover letter. It will help you to keep your speech fresh in your mind and to identify your strengths. In the next post I will explain this point in more detail and show some examples.
Focus on English for conversation
Develop your understanding by watching movies and series with English subtitles or even no subtitles. It’s also important to watch technical videos on YouTube because this will help you to fluently master the terms and topics that are certainly the focus of the interviews.
Use online platforms to practice conversation and lose the fear and the shame of making mistakes while speaking English. I will tell you in another post which strategy worked for me.
Evolve your Concepts
Deepen your understanding of the theoretical concepts of software engineering and computing such as Data Structure, Design Patterns, Algorithm Analysis, Big-O, DDD, TDD, SOLID, among others. Learn how and when to apply them. Most modern technology-based companies see the IT professional as an engineer, or a scientist. It’s not just a proficient A or B language coder. Therefore, mastery of the concepts is essential to getting an offer from these companies.
Train for practical programming exams
Hone your skills on platforms such as HackerHank and Codility, as these are tools that companies use to evaluate candidates.
You can dislike or find this method of evaluation questionable. However, almost all companies use these platforms as an initial filter. Therefore, it is important to familiarize your with these evaluation tools. Once you get the hang of it, it’ll be fun ;)
Know the required technology stacks
Study the stack described in the job description of the job for which you are applying. Almost always one of the stages of the selection process involves the completion of a small project using this stack. Usually you have a week to perform it.
Get ready for the interviews
Know your personal pitch by heart. Know your strengths and weaknesses. Research the company and the position. Also, it is important to have enthusiasm and ask relevant questions.
Being familiar with the company’s culture — knowing what they do and how they do it — is highly valued nowadays. Ultimately, you must be able to answer this classic interview question convincingly: “Why should we hire you?”
Conclusion
There is no trick to getting an offer from abroad. It requires preparation and study. Most likely you will get some “no’s” before you get a “yes”.
However, it won’t be a waste of time. At a minimum, you will evolve as a professional and learn a new language. In the next posts I will discuss each of these preparatory steps.
Glovo is a Barcelona-based startup and the fastest-growing delivery player in Europe, Hispanic America and Africa. Our mission is to make city life easier and smarter.
We are growing our tech team right now! A bunch of opportunities for all engineering specialties: Frontend Web and Mobile, Backend, DevOps, Data and other. You can have a look the positions here.
Any questions, I am available here on LinkedIn. Feel free to reach out to me.
