You can’t avoid the tech job search, even if you’re on the inside. A job search is just one of those things that we all need to do at some point in our lives. I have been in the tech field for almost two years now and I’ve learned a lot about what my experience has taught me about how to get a tech job, especially in Austin, TX.
When I first started working, I worked for an older company that only worked with the same clients who had been with us for over a decade. It was a great place to start, but when I decided it was time for a change and I wanted to move into an agency setting, that’s when my research began on how to find a good tech job.
Here are 5 things no one tells you about the tech job search:
What’s a job search like when you don’t have an impressive resume? And what about when you don’t code for fun? And what if you’re not in tech? What if you’re just a normal person who wants to get into an awesome field but doesn’t know where to start? Here are five things no one tells you about the tech job search.
First, a little bit about me: I’m a marketing/business/design type who fell into the world of tech. I started doing marketing for a bootstrapped startup, and then I took on leadership roles in two different accelerators: one in San Francisco and one in New York. I’ve worked with dozens of startups and helped them through the hiring process.
But my perspective is different than most of the advice on career sites because I’m not a programmer or developer. (I can do some basic coding, but it’s pretty ugly.) I know how to recognize that someone is good at their job, but I don’t know how to do it myself. So, take this article with a grain of salt: it’s not intended to be an instruction guide or something that will guarantee you a job at X company; it’s more of a primer on navigating your way through the tech world
There are five things no one tells you when you’re searching for a job in the tech field. The first three are:
1. You will be rejected (even if you’re overqualified)
2. You need to know someone to get your foot in the door
3. There is a lot of competition, so you need to make yourself stand out
The fourth is that networking is important because you never know who you might meet and what they might be able to do for your career. Fifth and lastly, you need to persevere through all the rejection and face-to-face interviews before getting your foot in the door.
The first thing you need to know is that the tech job search is going to take much longer than you think it will.
I’ve been helping my partner, Sarah, search for a new job in tech and she has been looking since August. She has applied to over 100 jobs, had 10 interviews and hasn’t gotten a single offer yet. She’s been going through waves of discouragement and I know her experience isn’t unique. It can be really hard to stay positive when you’ve applied for so many jobs and haven’t heard back from any of them.
The second thing is that you should expect to interview with more people than you are used to before getting an offer. The tech industry moves fast. Your interviewer wants to get as much information about you as possible in a short amount of time. That means more people are involved in the hiring decision than in other industries.
It’s not uncommon for candidates to interview with 5 or 6 people at a company before an offer is made (or rejected). In fact, it was only after Sarah interviewed with the entire team that one company finally decided they wanted her on their team.
1. The job market is competitive for everyone.
Whether you’re a fresh graduate or an experienced engineer, the tech job market is competitive for everyone. It’s important to accept this fact and take it into consideration when planning your next career move.
2. Your resume matters. A lot.
I’ve found that in the tech world, a resume is the first thing employers look at when reviewing applicants. Given this fact, I’ve also found that a majority of tech resumes are written poorly and don’t tell employers what they want to know. If you are applying to jobs in technology, take your time when writing your resume, have others review it and be sure that it showcases all of your skills, experience and accomplishments in an organized way that stands out from others.
3. You are more than just a resume.
Don’t let interviewers put you in the “too good to be true” category if they find you online and contact you (which happens frequently). Be realistic in your expectations and remain down-to-earth when speaking with them about your past experiences and future goals as an employee at their company. Remember – there could be other candidates just like you who also have great resumes and experience!
4. The interview process is not easy or
I read this post on a blog. And it was great to know that i am not alone in the tech world. So we all got into tech because we are passionate about what we do, or hopefully because we like what we do, and a lot of us want to work for the next big thing. And then you start applying for jobs and realize that finding a job is hard. But thankfully, there are resources out there to help you find the job you want.
Here are some things I’ve learned about the job search:
1. The First Step Is To Know What You Want
If you don’t know what job you want, how will you know what jobs to apply for? There’s no shame in being a junior developer and not knowing exactly what you want to do (I’m one myself). But there are different levels of junior developers and different languages out there that also have different jobs attached to them. If you’re a junior front-end developer using AngularJS, look for jobs using AngularJS. If they’re asking for React or Ember, it might be worth looking at those frameworks too but it isn’t necessary.
2. Learn About The Company You Want To Work For (And It’s Not Just Because They Asked You To)
1. It’s not who you know; it’s who they know.
The old adage of, “it’s not what you know, it’s who you know” is true in the sense that it is often your relationships with others that will get your foot in the door for that first interview. However, as we all know, just getting your foot in the door does not guarantee a job offer. I’ve found that many people are just too busy to help others and may struggle to even find time to write a letter of recommendation for someone they knew very well or may have worked with directly. As such, don’t depend on those with whom you have a close relationship to get you hired – rather depend on those people to introduce you to others who can help. It’s often the case that someone else needs something from the person they are recommending you to and they will be more enthusiastic about helping you if they feel that doing so will help them in some indirect way as well.
2. Don’t focus too much on the unimportant aspects of a job description when applying for jobs online.
Many times when I am looking through resumes for new