Beyond B-School
7 Mistakes of a Tech Job Search: Part 3 of 3
by Jeremy Schifeling
by Jeremy Schifeling

Continues from Part 2 with mistakes #6 and #7:

  1. Confuse research with progress. Here are tips to make your resume recognized and increase your chances of an interview:
    1. You can only score when you shoot on target
    2. Invest time in networking - Spend time to increase your relationships and building trust.
    3. When you apply for a job, remember:
      1. Include a referral from the network that you have formed.
      2. Most companies use internal referral system to hire new employees.
    4. Use LinkedIn alumni tool (linkedin.com/alumni). Here are tips:
      1. Search for previous co-workers, schoolmates, etc.
      2. You do not have to know the person personally. You may share previous experiences, etc.
    5. Approach your network the right way, as follows:
      1. Give the person a chance to get to know you better.
      2. Be tactful and diplomatic, not transactional, by delaying your intent to request about a job right away.
      3. Respect time and expertise.

  2. Prioritize Prestige over fit
    1. Prestige does not give you the following:
      1. It does not get you excited every morning to go to work.
      2. It does not keep you motivated.
      3. It does not satisfy your want to do better
    2. Two (2) things that can define your satisfaction:
      1. Doing something that you love and value.
      2. Working with people who share the same values and principles.
    3. How do you find the best place to work for? Look back at your past experiences and think about your happiest work experience and consider the following:
      1. The size of the organization you worked for.
      2. The amount of time spent at work vs home.
      3. How dynamic or stable was the organization.
      4. Go to LinkedIn, do an advanced search and create a matrix of the organizations you want to work for based on the factors mentioned in a, b and c above.


Jeremy Schifeling is the Founder + Chief Nerd at Break into Tech (https://www.breakinto.tech/), a site for anyone who wants to land an awesome tech job, no matter their background. Previously, Jeremy interned at Apple, hired at LinkedIn, and served as an executive at a VC-backed startup - all after starting his career as a kindergarten teacher! Contact Jeremy at jeremy@breakinto.tech.