How to land a job as an entry-level developer
This is a piece by www.wearelaika.com, a platform for matching Tech professionals with companies. Check out more content here.
Finishing your education and throwing yourself in the job market isn’t a simple process. You are usually expected to have some experience, and you might get stuck in a vicious circle. Conventional education doesn’t always teach us about practical skills when it comes to job seeking either.
So, sometimes it feels like the person who finds a job quickly is the person who can present themselves best and create a personal brand.
Being hired takes more than skills, experience, and manners. It takes diplomacy skills, a strategy to be seen and remembered, and an X-Factor that will make you stand out from the rest of the applicants for a job.
So, before you craft a CV and send that scary first job application, read these simple advices on how to land a great job, even with zero experience.
1.Navigate smoothly
Pull and Push simultaneously, at all times.
Climbing career ladders is no big deal — many did it before us and many will after us. How fast will that be happening? It’s up to you and it’s up to luck.
Here is some Push and Pull techniques you should follow:
Bring the Job Market to you
Try your best to become visible to potential employers, recruiters and CEOs of companies. Use the right words and channels to catch the attention of the right people.
Create the best LinkedIn profile you can and choose the right titles and keywords.
Visit events and don’t be afraid to start discussions and spark a dialogue about different topics.
Ask for learning suggestions and be part of communities focusing on your career field.
Create your own personal brand
Employers and recruiters usually get a lot of job applications. sometimes even from unqualified applicants. So, it is expected that they turn to other channels to cross-search you as a potential candidate, like LinkedIn, GitHub, Stack Overflow, or your own blog or website.
The sooner you put yourself out there, the better. Make yourself be found.
Make your career focus clear
Don’t say you are a Junior Software Developer in the title on your LinkedIn, and then say you are working as a Customer Support Specialist in your Experience field. Say “Currently looking for work as a Junior Developer”, or “Studying Software Development”.
Ask good questions on forums and groups
Sometimes a good question or looking for a suggestion can prompt a discussion and bring you to the right people. Your name will be familiar to recruiters in the future, and it will be easier for them to sort you in the potential candidates if you know you are active in your community.
Write articles in your field of expertise
This is your way to have a personal SEO strategy — when someone googles you, they will find proof that you care and you contribute to your peers, but also like to keep learning and reading.
Volunteer on events and be part of School Alumni Associations
Your school or academy probably has events focusing on employment. volunteer there to meet new people. Take part in Job Hunting events, as a volunteer or participant.
Also, you can be part of a school club or association. Organize events and help new people reach employers. That way you will learn more and stay closer to the important people.
2.Find an opportunity
There are many places you can search for a job, online and offline. The conventional ways of searching for a job now are usually online. But, offline Job Hunting events, conferences, seminars, showcases, and similar happenings are also a great way of learning about companies that are hiring at the moment.
Here is where can you find suitable jobs and a place to be noticed:
Job Boards
Job Boards are the contemporary newspaper for employment. You can find every kind of job online now, and thankfully, most of these job boards have many filters and parameters that make it so much easier for the job seeker to only see opportunities suitable to their skills, needs and experience.
Even if you aren’t looking for a full-time job at the moment, you can put yourself out there, create a portfolio and an opportunity might show itself to you.
You can also use job boards offering freelance or part-time projects to build up on experience.
In-office jobs, remote jobs, temporary jobs, freelance opportunities… There are over 100 job boards at the moment. Find some at www.wearelaika.com too.
Social Media
Social media channels are perfect for you to stay in touch with the openings at a company, but you can also use them to learn about the company and its culture.
Follow your favorite companies to make sure you know about an opportunity when it shows up, and to get introduced to what they value most in an employee and what is their company culture like. Read their content and stay up to date with their projects and products. That way, you will be a step closer to a job there — you will know all about the company.
You can also join user groups. Don’t forget to remove your Ad Blocker — that way the certain company’s Ads will target you in the future.
Be the one to start the conversation
Introduce yourself and tell the world you are looking for a job. The job might find you. Don’t just wait for your lucky chance — create it yourself.
3.Learn about the company
Before you apply for a job, or in the case of being offered an interview, make sure you know all the important things about that certain company that will help you with a decision and make you look like the best potential candidate.
There are many reasons why you should research a company before deciding to work there, but most importantly, it matters because you have to be sure you have the right scope of capabilities and that you will fit well in that culture.
Here are the most important things you should focus on:
Requirements & Job Description
Do you match the must-haves and the nice to haves? Years of experience, tech stack, languages, availability, location, special characteristics that they value in a candidate… all of these are important information you should know the answer to. If you aren’t a completely perfect match, how easy it is to get on board? Ask that question because that will make it so much easier for you as a candidate.
About the Company
What is their industry? do you see yourself working in that field for a long time? Are you passionate about the line of work that they do? Do you see a future in that market, is it profitable future-proof? What’s their landscape? What type of software are they building?
Values
What’s important to them? You should have the same core values with the company you work at, and be able to fulfill the requirements they have too.
What is their tone of voice? Do they sound too uptight and corporate? Do they sound too friend and hence, too good to be true? Do they seem like they value their team?
What type of personality are they looking for? Is this a culture you see yourself in? These are very important factors, even though it might not seem like it at first. This is what makes you stay in a job.
4.Prepare
Preparation is key for a successful job search. You have to know what you are getting into, and you have to do your own research.
Focus on the style — are you applying to work at a Bank or at a startup?
Read their content and research their tone of voice. What values are important to them? You should know the best way to express yourself, to show them you can meet their needs.
Different companies require different kinds of weapons and different communication. You can’t expect to have a one-size-fits-all approach to all job interviews. Every company is a different culture and has different methods they decide on.
Another thing you should definitely prepare to execute perfectly is your self-presentation. Make sure it corresponds to the company’s culture.
Are you a doer who likes a challenge? Or are you a great team player who enjoys a game of fussbal with the colleagues after work? What’s the story you are going to tell?
And lastly, prepare the best assets from your arsenal. Your CV, LinkedIn, Portfolio should be aligned with the job requirements. Make sure to put an emphasis on the ‘must have’ and ‘nice to have skills’ they are looking for.
5.Apply for jobs
You shouldn’t dread applying for jobs. It is a sea of possibilities, and you have to swim through it. Apply for jobs that fit your capabilities and character. You have to be out there.
A piece of general advice when it comes to applying for jobs is to be realistic. Don’t undersell, but be honest and realistic about your capabilities too. It might seem smart to wing it at the beginning and learn as you go, but that will be easy to see from the start.
Applying for different job openings requires a different approach. Here are some of the methods:
Automated applications
Companies use all sorts of tools for this. From Typeform, to direct applications on LinkedIn, some of these tools are simple. Others aren’t simple at all, and that’s ok. Just make sure to apply in the correct method they expect, and in a timely manner.
Email applications
If the company stated talents to apply via email — do that. Make sure to follow guidelines for a subject line. Write a good message to accompany your beautiful attachments. Be careful with the right format, subject, and send the email during work hours. This will show that you are organized and respect the private time of other employees.
Informal applications
If the company does not have a job ad at the moment — but you like them very much — reach out to the recruiter on LinkedIn and be honest. ‘I’ve been following your company for a while and I really like what you’re doing. I decided to reach out hoping we could work together someday.’
6.Slay the interview
The interview is probably the most important part of the process. You can have the best resume and perfect application for the job — but the interview is when you have to show that you are the right person for the job. And it’s not just about your experience and expectations — your personality, manners, resourcefulness, and thinking will also be evaluated.
Here is what you should prepare on:
Questions
First and foremost, expect questions about yourself. What is your previous experience? What do you want out of a job? Why did you apply for this job? Where do you see yourself in the future? What do you value most out of a job? These are only some of the questions you might be asked (apart from many other, technical questions).
Company-related questions are also to be expected. You might be asked about how much you know about the company, the products they work on, the history, etc. Here is where your preparation comes to shine.
Problem-solving questions make you stand out. Being a good problem solver means understanding a problem, defining constraints and finding the easiest way to solve them by taking high-level requirements and translating them into concrete steps. You might be asked situational questions where you’d have to think of a solution to a problem on the spot.
️Technical Skills
Prepare a folder with all your projects/code ready to be screen shared.
Communication tips
Focus on clarity, not big words. Present yourself as a pleasant person, good colleague and a trustworthy fellow. Don’t try to be someone else, just let your personality shine. Just be professional and polite.
Join groups
Like we mentioned before in the Push and Pull strategies, being part of a group that is relevant might make your name familiar and help you stand out.
Being part of a community is of the utmost importance when it comes to your personal progress, but the progress of the community as well. You can find your group where you will exchange best practices, tips, and experience, and lean on their support when you need it.
Join Facebook, LinkedIn, Quora…
Become a part of all relevant societies.
Ask questions and spark debates. Share interesting tips and tools that will help your peers. Ask for opinion on a subject you are not very familiar with and would like to learn more.
Help others
Engage in meaningful conversations with peers, answer questions when you know the answer, and give your opinions. Share blog posts on important and interesting subjects. Write an article about something you are an expert on.
Share
Become a part of the group by giving added value.
If you find a useful piece of information, a tutorial, a webinar, a free online lecture… Share it! Don’t keep that knowledge to yourself. The whole community will appreciate it.
