7 Mistakes of a Tech Job Search: Part 3 of 3
by Jeremy Schifeling
Continues from Part 2 with mistakes #6 and #7:
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Confuse research with progress. Here are tips to make your resume recognized and increase your chances of an interview:
- You can only score when you shoot on target
- Invest time in networking - Spend time to increase your relationships and building trust.
- When you apply for a job, remember:
- Include a referral from the network that you have formed.
- Most companies use internal referral system to hire new employees.
- Use LinkedIn alumni tool (linkedin.com/alumni). Here are tips:
- Search for previous co-workers, schoolmates, etc.
- You do not have to know the person personally. You may share previous experiences, etc.
- Approach your network the right way, as follows:
- Give the person a chance to get to know you better.
- Be tactful and diplomatic, not transactional, by delaying your intent to request about a job right away.
- Respect time and expertise.
- Prioritize Prestige over fit
- Prestige does not give you the following:
- It does not get you excited every morning to go to work.
- It does not keep you motivated.
- It does not satisfy your want to do better
- Two (2) things that can define your satisfaction:
- Doing something that you love and value.
- Working with people who share the same values and principles.
- 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:
- The size of the organization you worked for.
- The amount of time spent at work vs home.
- How dynamic or stable was the organization.
- 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.