CareerFoundry
Web
Getting Hired In Tech — The Value Of Work Experience
It’s the catch-22 of the working world: you’re new and you’re looking for a job, but you need work experience before you can even think about getting hired. In circumstances like these, how’s a techie to get their foot in the door? Who can you convince you’re worth taking a chance on?
If you’re facing this conundrum, you’re in luck: every web developer and designer in business today has gone through the same hiring ordeal, and we know the tricks they used to land their first gig.
We’ll cover every angle of the job search, from utilizing your personal network to finding online job opportunities. I’m so confident that these tactics will help you get hired I’ll even go one step further and guide you through how to make the most of your first gig.
How to find your first tech job
When you’ve got the skills for design or development work and you need a job now, the most important thing is to get your foot in the door. Scoring your first gig will help you build your portfolio, gather references, and demonstrate your talent: all things that will make getting your second, third, and fourth jobs that much easier.
John Feldmann, writer for Insperity Jobs, providers of human resources and business solutions to improve business performance, told us:
“Unless you’re applying for an entry-level job, work experience is often the cornerstone upon which a job applicant is evaluated in the technology field. After that, several factors may come into play – education, cultural fit, interviewing skills – but ultimately, employers want to see a track record of success in the field.”
When looking for your first gig as a designer or developer, think more about the experience you’re trying to gain rather than the pay.
Don’t get me wrong – being paid for your work is vital to your career (and your hungry stomach!).
But when you’re starting out and peddling your empty resume, impressing a clienton a low-paying (or pro bono) job can be more valuable in the long run than wasting away as you try to find a paying job. This might mean building a website for a friend, taking on a part-time job, or entering an unpaid internship. But as long as you are confident that you’ll get a great portfolio piece (or pieces) out of your experience, your hard work will pay off.
“If there was one thing I could tell all job seekers, it’s get experience – and get it early. Not only does it help you develop your skillset, but it allows you to get accustomed to the industry/work environment. You’ll have a better idea of how the business works, how to interact with people, and so on. I’m a huge advocate of internships for that reason. If I just hopped into a full-time job without knowing how things worked in an office, I’d be a little overwhelmed. Getting that experience early really does make a difference.”
Ariella Coombs, managing editor for CareeRealism.
When considering which jobs to take on, always remember: do it for the money, the contact, or the experience.
Keeping all this in mind, here are a few tips on how to find a job.
Reach out to everyone you know – and I mean everyone!
When you start your job search, your first step is to tell everyone – and I mean everyone – that you’re looking. Make your announcement through email, LinkedIn,Facebook, or carrier pigeon – it doesn’t matter; just get the word out that you’re ready to take on new and challenging work! Maybe your mom’s friend needs a new website for her flower shop. Maybe your high school music teacher could use some help building an events page.
You’ll never know until you ask.
As CareerFoundry CMO and Creative Director Emil Lamprecht recounts, one of his secrets to getting hired as a new freelancer was to tell everyone he knew that he was looking for work. That meant emailing friends, friends of friends, co-workers, and even ex-colleagues.
Since your resume is probably fairly blank right now and your portfolio non-existent, your best bet is to start reaching out to people who already know you and your work ethic. Given that they know you and probably place some level of trust in you, your existing contacts are more likely to hire you than a complete stranger.
When you write to your friends and contacts, let them know about your career change and the specific type of work you’re looking for. Looking to build websites? Great! But tell them what kind of websites you specialize in. Want to design mobile apps? Let your contacts know which platforms you work in.
Remember: even if your contacts can’t pay much or anything at all, gaining experience can be a springboard to future paying jobs by building your portfolio and helping you gather referrals.
Tap into people you don’t know
Once you’ve told your grandmom, your yoga instructor, and all of their friends that you’re on the market, it’s time to reach out to people you don’t know. And while the Internet can be a great resource for new job seekers,the millions of listed job openings listed online can be overwhelming. Here I break down how to find a job online without pulling out all of your hair.
Your alumni association
If you’ve earned a bachelor’s or master’s degree, chances are your university has established ways for you to network with alumni from your institution. Find alumniwho work in the field you want to enter, and set up informational interviews to learn how they got started.
Even though you might not have met the alumni you’ll reach out to, the fact that you graduated from the same institution is likely to make them more receptive toward you. And you never know: you can get some career-building advice, or maybe you’ll meet your next mentor!
Here are some ways to connect with professionals from your alma mater:
Your alumni association’s LinkedIn group: here you can post about what you’re looking for. If anyone knows of a relevant opening they might pass it along to you
LinkedIn search: LinkedIn offers a great search tool that lets you filter your extended network by university, title, location, and more
Your alumni directory: Similar to LinkedIn’s search, use this tool to search for alumni in the position you aim to enter and ask for an informational interview
Want to read the full post? Check it out on the CareerFoundry blog here. blog.careerfoundry.com/getting-hired-tech-value-work-expe...
Web
Getting Hired In Tech — The Value Of Work Experience
It’s the catch-22 of the working world: you’re new and you’re looking for a job, but you need work experience before you can even think about getting hired. In circumstances like these, how’s a techie to get their foot in the door? Who can you convince you’re worth taking a chance on?
If you’re facing this conundrum, you’re in luck: every web developer and designer in business today has gone through the same hiring ordeal, and we know the tricks they used to land their first gig.
We’ll cover every angle of the job search, from utilizing your personal network to finding online job opportunities. I’m so confident that these tactics will help you get hired I’ll even go one step further and guide you through how to make the most of your first gig.
How to find your first tech job
When you’ve got the skills for design or development work and you need a job now, the most important thing is to get your foot in the door. Scoring your first gig will help you build your portfolio, gather references, and demonstrate your talent: all things that will make getting your second, third, and fourth jobs that much easier.
John Feldmann, writer for Insperity Jobs, providers of human resources and business solutions to improve business performance, told us:
“Unless you’re applying for an entry-level job, work experience is often the cornerstone upon which a job applicant is evaluated in the technology field. After that, several factors may come into play – education, cultural fit, interviewing skills – but ultimately, employers want to see a track record of success in the field.”
When looking for your first gig as a designer or developer, think more about the experience you’re trying to gain rather than the pay.
Don’t get me wrong – being paid for your work is vital to your career (and your hungry stomach!).
But when you’re starting out and peddling your empty resume, impressing a clienton a low-paying (or pro bono) job can be more valuable in the long run than wasting away as you try to find a paying job. This might mean building a website for a friend, taking on a part-time job, or entering an unpaid internship. But as long as you are confident that you’ll get a great portfolio piece (or pieces) out of your experience, your hard work will pay off.
“If there was one thing I could tell all job seekers, it’s get experience – and get it early. Not only does it help you develop your skillset, but it allows you to get accustomed to the industry/work environment. You’ll have a better idea of how the business works, how to interact with people, and so on. I’m a huge advocate of internships for that reason. If I just hopped into a full-time job without knowing how things worked in an office, I’d be a little overwhelmed. Getting that experience early really does make a difference.”
Ariella Coombs, managing editor for CareeRealism.
When considering which jobs to take on, always remember: do it for the money, the contact, or the experience.
Keeping all this in mind, here are a few tips on how to find a job.
Reach out to everyone you know – and I mean everyone!
When you start your job search, your first step is to tell everyone – and I mean everyone – that you’re looking. Make your announcement through email, LinkedIn,Facebook, or carrier pigeon – it doesn’t matter; just get the word out that you’re ready to take on new and challenging work! Maybe your mom’s friend needs a new website for her flower shop. Maybe your high school music teacher could use some help building an events page.
You’ll never know until you ask.
As CareerFoundry CMO and Creative Director Emil Lamprecht recounts, one of his secrets to getting hired as a new freelancer was to tell everyone he knew that he was looking for work. That meant emailing friends, friends of friends, co-workers, and even ex-colleagues.
Since your resume is probably fairly blank right now and your portfolio non-existent, your best bet is to start reaching out to people who already know you and your work ethic. Given that they know you and probably place some level of trust in you, your existing contacts are more likely to hire you than a complete stranger.
When you write to your friends and contacts, let them know about your career change and the specific type of work you’re looking for. Looking to build websites? Great! But tell them what kind of websites you specialize in. Want to design mobile apps? Let your contacts know which platforms you work in.
Remember: even if your contacts can’t pay much or anything at all, gaining experience can be a springboard to future paying jobs by building your portfolio and helping you gather referrals.
Tap into people you don’t know
Once you’ve told your grandmom, your yoga instructor, and all of their friends that you’re on the market, it’s time to reach out to people you don’t know. And while the Internet can be a great resource for new job seekers,the millions of listed job openings listed online can be overwhelming. Here I break down how to find a job online without pulling out all of your hair.
Your alumni association
If you’ve earned a bachelor’s or master’s degree, chances are your university has established ways for you to network with alumni from your institution. Find alumniwho work in the field you want to enter, and set up informational interviews to learn how they got started.
Even though you might not have met the alumni you’ll reach out to, the fact that you graduated from the same institution is likely to make them more receptive toward you. And you never know: you can get some career-building advice, or maybe you’ll meet your next mentor!
Here are some ways to connect with professionals from your alma mater:
Your alumni association’s LinkedIn group: here you can post about what you’re looking for. If anyone knows of a relevant opening they might pass it along to you
LinkedIn search: LinkedIn offers a great search tool that lets you filter your extended network by university, title, location, and more
Your alumni directory: Similar to LinkedIn’s search, use this tool to search for alumni in the position you aim to enter and ask for an informational interview
Want to read the full post? Check it out on the CareerFoundry blog here. blog.careerfoundry.com/getting-hired-tech-value-work-expe...