Finding a job in technology, especially when you're just starting out, can feel intimidating. But don't worry, here are 7 tips to make your job search easier and more effective.
If you're looking for a job in the tech world for the first time, you should keep in mind what employers are and aren't looking for in this field:
🚫 Things that matter less and less to employers in technology:
- Your professional degree
- Certifications
- Your social circle
- That you do what you are told without thinking
✅ Things that matter more and more to employers in technology:
- How much you have learned
- What you have done apart from work
- Your code or portfolio
- That you question and think critically
With this in mind, here are 7 tips for you to develop your professional profile so you can have a successful application.
7 tips to develop your professional profile
✅  Create a GitHub account (if you are a Dev)
✅  Have a portfolio on Behance or Dribbble (if you design).
✅  Keep your LinkedIn updated
✅  Sign up on Get on Board and make yourself visible to companies.
Now you may be wondering, how do I fill my page if I have no experience? If you are a Dev, do tests or experimental projects, for example a mock mobile app. If you design, you can redesign existing apps or design a fictitious one from scratch. In any case you can also work for free for a friend's startup or donate your work to a volunteer or a non-profit organization.
✅  Participate in hackathons
✅  Attend meetups and webinars
✅  If there isn't a meetup or webinar of what you like, organize it yourself!
Many of the people you'll see in the community are (or will be) technology leaders at startups and large companies. And if they remember you, they'll want to work with you.
Even better than freelancing, create your own startup and run it in your spare time:
✅  Form a team with your friends/colleagues.
✅  Improve it periodically.
✅  Try to sell it or turn it into a product.
Many companies will find you not because of your main job, but because of what you did on other projects. Why? Because this tells companies that you can learn new things that will complement your regular job, you understand what it means to be entrepreneurial (and startups like that), and you show initiative and autonomy ( highly valued).
Your cover letter is a written text (not a CV) that summarizes your skills, experience, and learning.
✅  Take care of the wording.
✅  Show it to others and ask for feedback.
✅  Mention your work and side projects.
✅  Translate it into English.
Many companies review the cover letter before the CV. If that is our real first presentation, we will of course want to make the best impression.
✅  Many companies are multinational or work with clients in the US or Europe.
✅  The best documentation is in English.
✅  Many important working tools (and technical concepts) are in English.
You don't need money to learn, just the desire. You can download Duolingo and take the full English course. You can search Youtube for pronunciation and vocabulary videos. Try to read articles or documentation in English every day, and make a new document with all the words you learn. You can translate things into Spanish, practice with your friends, join language groups, etc.
✅  Check Get on Board to see what new technologies are on demand. You can also check insights.getonbrd.com
✅  Stay on top of new programming languages, frameworks, apps.
✅  Read sites like Wired, HackerNews, or FastCompany
✅  Take free online courses (Khan Academy, Coursera, edX, Udemy) on new technologies.
Remember that companies will be much more interested in your interest in learning than your diploma. And everything new you learn, put it into practice!
✅  Look for jobs that don't require previous experience or internships.
✅  If you don't get a job, ask for feedback (many companies give it 😉 ).
Remember that also at Get on Board we have coach, where you can see real-time recommendations to improve your job applications.
We hope your professional development and job search are successful. We at Get on Board will keep 'interfering' so that there are more quality tech jobs in the market.
Cover: Photo by Christina @ wocintechchat.com on Unsplash
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