LANDING A JOB AS A DEVELOPER
Landing a job can be quite difficult for anyone. But sometimes developers have it more difficult than the others. Many developers sit for hours staring at their computer screens without having any interaction with people. This often leads to them being socially awkward, possibly borderline antisocial and could result in them not knowing what to do to get job opportunities they desire.
Tips on Landing a Job as a Developer
The following are some tips on getting a job interview as a developer.
1. Apply for every open position: Do not hesitate to apply for every job opening which fits your line of work. You lose nothing by applying and gain more when you get interviews. Also do not limit yourself to online job applications alone. Talk to your friends about what you do, you never know who might be interested in employing your services.
2. Be ready to answer the question 'why should we hire you?': For every job interview you are going to be invited for, the major question you are going to be asked is; 'why should we hire you?' As a developer, you should come prepared and know the answer you are going to give.
3. Always refresh your CV(curriculum vitae): Refreshing or updating your CV is very important because your CV is what your potential employer uses to make a first impression of you and your skills. Make sure the content of your CV matches the job position you are applying for. Your skills, job experience and past projects should be made visible on your CV also.
4. Portfolio: Having an impressive portfolio is a good way to land a job as a developer. A portfolio contains all the projects you have ever done, but you can remove the ones you are not really proud of and leave the ones you think your interviewer will be impressed with.
5. Make use of cover letters: Cover letters are a good way of expressing yourself, do not hesitate to use them. It is a way of telling your interviewer about yourself, achievements and other things they need to know.
6. Practice your skills and work on acquiring more: Practice makes perfect. Keep on practicing your skills as a developer and if possible work on acquiring more. For example, let us say you have fully learnt to be a back-end developer, you can go ahead and learn to be a front-end developer which makes you a full stack developer, and like that you have upped your game in the developers' world and made your skills more desirable.
7. Constantly surf the net: Constantly check the internet for new job openings. You can not just search occasionally and expect for a miracle to happen, no you have to keep on searching frequently and also search for tips on how to ace interviews.
8. Have a strong self esteem: It is normal for anyone to be nervous during interviews but try to get it under control. Do not let your nerves get the better part of you during your interview. Talk clearly and at a pace you are comfortable with. Your choice of outfit too can help boost your self esteem.
9. Work on your social skills: Like I said earlier before in the introduction, many developers sit for hours staring at their computers without having an interaction with people and this can make them borderline antisocial, to break out of this can be hard but you have to try. Learn how to interact with people, attend meet-ups with other developers, anything to improve your social skills because it would go a long way to help you during job interviews.
10. Ask your interviewer questions: Once your interviewer is done asking you questions, do not hesitate to ask him or her questions about things that seem confusing to you. This makes you seem as if you are really interested in working with or for them. But do not ever ask about the payment on an interview, it is a no-no, in short, ask questions but do not be too forward.
11. Make your passion known: Show your interviewer that you are passionate about the job you applied for. You can do this by using cover letters and being expressive during physical interviews. Talk about your previous projects and how you can not wait to do more. Let your interviewer see that you are ready to work with them.
12. Defense of projects: Another trait interviewers like to see in applicants is their ability to defend projects they have done before. Therefore, you should be ready to defend your projects to prove your competence.
13. Make known your ability to work in a team: Developers could work as a Lone Wolf, but most times they work with other people in a team. Let your interviewer know that you have the necessary interpersonal skills for you to work as a team member.
14. Be prepared: Hope for the best but prepare for the worst. Be prepared to get rejected but do not give up. Keep on putting yourself out there until you get what you want.
15. Follow up: After the interview, you can decide to send an appreciation message to your interviewer a day or two later. It helps let the interviewer know that you are very interested in the job and keeps you in their mind.
Written by: Olawumi.