Struggling to find your first job in software?

I find myself becoming even more passionate to help junior developers find jobs. As a technical recruiter, our clients hire us to find talent for their organizations, but rarely to hire up-and-coming junior talent who have all of the skills, motivation and passion to be contributors to any software development team. I won’t make money spending a few hours each week trying to connect a junior developer to a job, yet I find myself often doing just that as it is so rewarding to connect an eager developer to a great manager/team. 

Breaking into software development is tough...you often hear how much the Tech community is lacking talent, and it’s true! There are far more open jobs posted than there is talent looking. That said, it’s often mid-level to senior level developers that are most heavily sought after. So when I have an opportunity to speak with candidates who have graduated from college with a CS degree or an established and credible software development bootcamp and they are still searching for that first job months after graduating, I am motivated to help them find ways to separate themselves from the pack. Here are just a few tips on how to land that first position in software.

1. Don't give up!

Job hunting in general is tough. No, it’s not just you! A good majority of interviews nowadays don’t just test your ability to work with a team or your ability to code...they test your ability to interview (somewhat counter productive, I know). Interviewing is a skill and one you get better at with time and experience. It can be daunting to sit across from a CTO and a Director of Software Development, or standing in front of a team to whiteboard a solution but it gets easier! I promise!

Answering the age old question “Tell me about yourself” may take a few attempts to conquer. Are you being too long winded with your answers or are you not elaborating enough? Once you learn to relax and just have a professional conversation no matter the room in front of you, it gets much easier...the key is to relax, and relaxing can take time and practice!

2. Find a mentor.

I’m a recruiter so I talk to many people in the community. When I first became a technical recruiter, whenever I found myself in a position where I had no idea what I was talking about, I’d pull out the “I’m new” card. When you mix up Java and JavaScript and say “Sorry, I’m new,” developers will almost always want to help. They’ll save you, tell you more about the technology you just screwed up talking about, and help alleviate any confusion you might have. In my experience, the developers who want to help others are abundant in the Nashville community and make up 95% of the people I speak with. 

If you're a junior developer, believe me when I tell you there are many senior developers out there who would be more than happy to network with you and encourage you. Don’t be afraid to ask one to coffee, lunch, or even “ask them to be your mentor” whether you work with them or not. They’ll be able to offer you tips on your resumes, networking, companies or recruiters to check out, simple encouragement, and much more! Whether they have a job available at their company or not, they know people and that connection might just be the difference. 

3. Remain active on GitHub

This is one I don’t see occurring as much as I’d suspect. Your code on the internet can go a long way in selling you to hiring managers. Build things regularly and use GitHub! If you have an active GitHub, not only does this show that you’re passionate about this field and in it for the long haul, but it is also an easy way to share your code with hiring managers. Not only that, but it’s further practice and helps you remain sharp during an often draining job hunt :)

If you have an active Github, I'd recommend putting it near the top of your resume and make it easily accessible.

4. Networking

Get plugged in...and smile while doing it! Go to Meetup.com and find local events happening near you. Get to know people in the Tech community, have conversations, and tell your story to others. Again, people want to help others, especially eager juniors in their field. Network on LinkedIn, add other developers on LinkedIn and get to know them. If you want to take it a step further, create a Twitter purely for professional reasons (no politics, sports, etc) and network with others there. 

Also, make sure you’re part of your local Slack channels. In Nashville there is a NashDev Slack channel as well as a BoroDev and others. The NashDev Slack channel has a #beginners_and_mentors channel as well as #jobs and #introductions channels. Your local Slack channel is a great way to learn about jobs, companies hiring, network, and learn more about the technologies you’re passionate about. 

5. Build your brand and resume

Above, I talked about remaining sharp while on your job hunt but it is also an opportunity for you to build your portfolio. Find small businesses in the community that might need a little bit of help for cheap. Go to Freelance websites to find additional projects that will not only help you build your portfolio for your resume, but also help you become a stronger developer. Build your brand by utilizing LinkedIn and creating your own personal website. Again, people want to know who you are, so don’t be afraid to tell your story on your personal website (without going overboard, of course). 

6. Use recruiters, formally or informally.

I know, I know..I’ve heard it all and some crazy stories. Not all recruiters get back to you. Some recruiters lie to you. Some recruiters may have used you or ghosted you...but there are a lot of good recruiters out there. Many recruiters got into the field because they’re passionate about helping connect others to opportunities. 

Here’s the thing...if you’re a junior developer, don’t expect us to be Superman. It is rare that companies use 3rd party recruiters in Nashville to fill junior level positions? Why is that? Recruiting companies typically charge anywhere from 20% to 25% of first year salary as a placement fee. Pair that with an abundance of junior applicants and much more supply than demand, and it doesn’t make much sense to spend money on a fee. There is only so much recruiters can do to help some developers, but tenured recruiters know people and know the community and market quite well. Utilize recruiters, ask them for critiques on your resume or how you interact with others. Ask them what companies are quickly growing or have a history of hiring junior developers. We aren’t perfect, so if we are slow to respond, don’t be afraid to follow up with us! Many of us really do care about your success!

7.  Use LinkedIn as if you were in sales (this one isn't for everyone)

Assume you see a job that you are extremely interested in. Maybe you come from a nursing background and this is with a EHR company. Maybe you worked in food and beverage for 10 years and see a company working in the restaurant space. Maybe you come from an extensive background in media, and want to work at a BMI, iHeart, Warner, etc? If you see a job posted that could truly be a fit, or very close to a fit, go ahead and apply (if you think no recruiters would be working on it.)

• If this is with a massive company like an HCA, I'd recommend reaching out to an internal recruiter at HCA on LinkedIn. Introduce yourself, tell them you applied, and that you'd be very interested in an interview (sales mindset, be as creative as you'd like with this!).
• If this is with a midsized company of 50 employees, with 1 Director of Engineering, message this person on LinkedIn and do the exact same as the above.
• With startups, you can be very creative! If a company is very small, don't be afraid to message a CTO or Co-Founder and ask if they need help with any small tedious tasks, even on a contract or part time basis.

Note: The difference in the large company like HCA, and the midsized company, is often the process of how they receive resumes. A large company like HCA has an extensive HR department and talent team. The resumes will go straight to that team and the hiring managers will almost never see the applications as they come in. With a midsized company, an HR representative may review the resumes first as well, but typically a Director of Engineering has more authorization to go around the process and tell the HR they'd like to schedule an interview with you. With large companies, there are typically strict processes and rules in place when it comes to hiring, so it's often best to simply reach out straight to HR/Talent.

Additional Note: Be conscious of the other junior developers! Don't spam messages all over town and expect this process to work for other junior developers in 3 months! Be very mindful of if a job is close to a fit for you if you're going to go this route. I'd recommend trying this with less than 10 companies, some of which may be remote in other states. Also, don't be bummed out if this doesn't work for you. Sales is tough :) This is, however another method that gets your name to the top of the pile via networking.

8.  Don’t give up! 

Back to number one, job hunting in general is tough. Keep your head up!

Check out HunterMitchem.com to learn more about me and get plugged in. Always here to help.