Beyond LinkedIn and Job Boards: 3 Methods to Help You Find Software Engineering Jobs
January 23, 2024
Self-learning online or attending training programs are both viable paths to becoming a software engineer. However, with an increasing number of career switchers and a less favorable job market, even if you've mastered the basics of programming and created your projects, you may still face challenges in finding a job due to a lack of software engineering experience on your resume.
If you find yourself in this situation and are unsure how to increase your chances of getting interview opportunities, don't be discouraged. This article will list some resources and programs that can assist recent graduates and career switchers. By leveraging these resources, you can increase your success rate in job hunting.
Referral Network
People with job-seeking experience have probably experienced that for the same position, getting referred internally (referral) is more likely to be favored than applying through the official website. Many kind-hearted engineers provide referrals online. For example, on the anonymous software engineer forum Blind, individuals often voluntarily offer referrals (such as this post); if you have a specific company in mind for a referral, you can also proactively create a post (like this one).
Apprenticeship Program
The Apprenticeship Program is a recent trend adopted by many major companies. These programs aim to recruit a more diverse range of individuals into tech companies, including those with non-traditional computer science backgrounds. The apprenticeship program's evaluation and interview processes are generally simpler on the technical side compared to entry-level engineers. Most apprenticeship programs also have mechanisms for transitioning to full-time positions.
Mentorship Program
In addition to the two methods mentioned above, mentorship programs are prevalent in the industry, both free and paid. A free example is MLH Fellowship, hosted by GitHub. I personally find its approach cool; it assigns you a real-world project that you gradually complete, with group discussions and mentorship mechanisms for assistance throughout the process.
For paid programs, there's Formation, which analyzes your weaknesses and helps you strengthen them. Throughout the process, there is a community for mutual growth, and mentors from major tech companies provide assistance. Formation also has a YouTube channel with many helpful lectures and videos, which I find beneficial and recommend checking out.