Thanks to Dice for sponsoring today’s video! If you are looking for a job in the new year, be sure to check out the links below to help you keep your resume up to date, brush up on your interview skills, and prepare yourself for the next step in your career. #Ad #LevelUpWithDice Job Search ➡ bit.ly/4aMaxau Results-Driven Tech Resume ➡ bit.ly/48jaBNx Resume Help ➡ bit.ly/41MbGuM Interview Tips ➡ bit.ly/3voLIRW Leverage Your Personal Projects and Stories ➡ bit.ly/3H53s7F 6 Ways to Blow a Job Interview Without Realizing It ➡ bit.ly/48HMyYw How to Research a Manager Before a Job Interview ➡ bit.ly/3RP06ua 🚀 Transform your tech career with my free weekly newsletter - newsletter.alifeengineered.com/general 💥 Continue the conversation on my Discord server with like-minded viewers. The advice section is **chef's kiss** - discord.gg/HFVMbQgRJJ 💥 My UA-cam content will always be free of charge but if you'd like to support the channel, I'd be honored if you supported me on Patreon - www.patreon.com/ALifeEngineered
Thanks for creating such an informative video, @ALifeEngineered! Your advice is perfect for someone entering the tech career space - or a tech professional who is looking for their next job opportunity.
After putting my profile on @Dice and applying, I get bombarded by third party recruiting companies and scammers. Not sure if this is the expected outcome. Would not recommend.
@@vvert1506New director of my company got the job cuz he was roommates with the old director, he then went and fired the lead engineer for our L6 Automation department and then gave that job to his best friend from another company 😂
“Everybody has a network” is the truest statement. I am extremely introverted, basically a hermit, and my entire network consists of only 5 people (family and friends included) for whom I’m the most capable engineer they know. Almost all of my opportunities (failed and successful ones) have come from these connections alone.
Just got a job at Meta after failing my interview at Blue Origin a few months back. This is 100% on point. I ramped up my interviewing skills after I failed Blue Origin and had to fight my inner demons during that time. It paid off. Really good self psych to prevent you feeling down after failing a good opportunity is to think of these opportunities like surfing. If you miss a wave surfing, you don't go home. You get ready for the next wave. 🏄♂️
thanks for this, I completely bombed my interview at Goldman Sachs today. I have been practicing for the past month consistenly everyday, but that was my first coding interview so I did not know what to expect. I am extremely depressed at the moment, but deep down I know I have gotten significantly better at programming than I ever was a month back.
Wow, @StalkedByLosers congratulations man. I needed to read this, after having failed three interviews with very good opportunities. In the last one I even got a leetcode question which I had already done and still failed. I have reached quite a dark mental state. Perhaps I need to go out and surf once more. Best wishes to you.
Moral of the story: part with your ex on good terms 📝 I want support all people struggling to find a job at the moment. I was looking for a job in 2023 for 5 mo (being a senior engineer with 8yoe) and I hope market gets better soon. The only thing I can tell, there is definitely a moment of luck: like being one of the first applicants or encountering a good company with humane processes, however you have to be prepared to make the best of the opportunity when it finally occurs.
I’m actually considering altogether leaving my electrical engineering life behind. After 2 years of doing mostly electrically testing PCBAs (some design every now and then) at a job that I got right out of college… the company underwent an acquisition, and layoffs started happening. On July 2023, I ended up getting laid off myself. Immediately after since then, I’ve continually applied, updated my resume, took phone calls/emails from recruiters, and interviewed… IN VAIN! For 8 months. All while my skills are rusting. Now I’m only able to shower when I can hit the gym, I scrape and scrounge and buy food when I can eat, and I sleep in my own car. I don’t have my own place anymore; I’m lucky to even sleep under a friend’s roof. Now every time I apply for an engineering job, I just go with the motions. I don’t nearly as much the effort for it anymore; I’m burned out. Hell I don’t nearly have enjoyment in engineering anymore. It’s like I wasted my life. I’m already considering moving into other industries just to even make it in life and just leave engineering behind. If 2 years is my cap, then I won’t bother anymore…
Wow, your story really touched me Eric and almost brought tears to my eyes. I’m really sorry that you’ve come down on hard times, and I’m praying for you. Please don’t give up - life can change in an instant.
@@servantofthelord8147 I don’t have time nor forever to just wait for the market to get better. I’ve gotta do something else to make ends meet and get back to where I’m supposed to be as an adult - my own place, my life ordered as it’s meant to be.
In today’s market, you get very few callbacks, if you spend a lot of time researching and documenting every company you a apply to, the chances of you getting a call decrease. You need to apply 100 companies to get maybe a few callbacks. Say you can apply to 10 companies per day, doing research and documenting, you’ll spend 2 weeks applying and 0 time preparing.
Also, tailoring resumes to each application isn't feasible, especially if you don't want to lie on your resume (or have a mostly empty one). I can understand tailoring the resume in cases where you've done a _lot_ of stuff - in those cases, you'll want to emphasize whatever aligns with the position you're applying to - but if most of your work has been in one or two areas/tech stacks/businesses/what have you, there won't be much to pick and choose to emphasize.
This bit of advice did feel a little out of touch, from the perspective of the person he is claiming to be in the thought experiment. I think it's just in delivery though. The sentiment, I think, is really good advice. The core point being made is that its better to be more intentional with your process. To modernize: perhaps rather than tailoring to each specific company- tailor to a specific type of role or genre of company work environment. There are countless ways to categorize the type of work being done, and the type of environment you will be doing it in. Chunk them and lazy load as needed to save processing time 😄
Yh the only way I was able to get my first junior software developer position which happened or be a big corporation company was actually by applying to as many jobs as possible,tailoring your resumes to few jobs can only works if you do have extensive experience to back it off which I didn’t ,instead what helped me was luck , the projects I had done and my interview skills which I was able to improve it through the failure of multiple interviews
These are great solutions for a healthy economy that isn't flooding entry-level positions with laid-off professionals. In Canada, you'll get maybe 1 interview for every 200 applications. Maybe.
I have a feeling like talking and presentation (even via resume) is the most important part of all of that. You can have amazing skills etc., but in today's world talking & selling has the biggest impact on how you are perceived by the company
For all of us that are having a hard time finding a job in Tech, specially as a Software Developer or Software Engineer, I would suggest looking for other types of Engineering roles within IT. For example, I have been doing Hardware, Operating Systems and Network Engineer the last 2 years through contracting. I have a BS in CS and have only had one Software Engineering job, since I graduated from college several years ago. As Engineers, we should be able to do more than Software Development and Engineering! Hardware, Operating Systems, Network, Server and Data Engineering are other options, amongst like 20 different other tech jobs you can do with a CS degree. Great videos, Steve!!
I have a Master's Degree and can't break into the field; I graduated in the last recession; then I got into sales and did well there. Sales crashed, and I ended up back in Industrial work; someone fell asleep on an electric pallet jack and I almost lost my leg. I left Industrial Work in 11/1, and committed to getting back into IT; Got my A+, Sec+, and Google Sec since between 11/1, and 12/24. I never get technical interviews; I upskill daily, and am studying Machine Learning.
1:42 "She's constantly updating her resume". That's what I lost in many ways regarding my tech career... thank you. No excuses, just keep iterating and not avoiding the post-mortem analysis. thank u!
I can highly relate myself to Bob in this video. All this time, I was doing everything wrong. I should be more disciplined and organized. Thanks for making this video.
The lesson to be learned is to steer clear of job opportunities that excessively focus on algorithmic problems which are unlikely to be encountered again. Instead, dedicate your time to developing a complete application, ensuring to include your own documentation. Implement source control and embrace an agile methodology or another appropriate process. Employ a structured design pattern. This exposure to testing, build processes, and source control is invaluable. New developers have access to an array of resources, often without realizing it. This is not meant to be discouraging but consider this: there are many applicants for the same entry-level positions’ at large tech companies. If you don't get the job and you've spent all your time preparing for their specific questions, you end up with no practical skills. But hey, what do I know? I'm just a random internet sage offering pearls of wisdom. Feel free to stay in that tunnel if it's your cup of tea - just watch out for the occasional echo.
This comment doesn’t have enough likes. Just one fully functional web-app can wow potential employers at small-mid companies and even one of the big guys. It doesn’t even need to be crazy complex, just enough to showcase “Hey I can code, I know a bit about version-control, a bit about pipelines, and overall project management.”. A lot of times, they want to see proof that you’re competent enough.
If you do a phone screen like by calling through bluestacks android emulator, you can do voice -> text and feed the interviewer's questions into chatGPT. Also maybe with chatGPT you can have so much content you control the interview not allowing the interviewer to ask you dumb questions...
The current job market is quite challenging, with scarce opportunities and limited favorable offers or positions. I am optimistic that the situation will improve as the year progresses.
Ugh, and here we go again bashing programmers for playing video games. The most passionate, knowledgeable developers I know LOVE video games; they're what sparked their love for programming in the first place. Pretentious tech bros who network for a living and kill everything in their life they love for the sake of "productivity" ruin this field for people who are genuinely passionate about programming.
This is probably the best advice I've seen of getting a job. Especially the connections part, that is underrated. The story was a great addition to how knowing others and helping them can pay back. Thank you for the effort and for helping others.
Love your videos - I’d like to see one addressing when is the right time to switch teams, or managers. It’s risky switching teams and has a big effect on your career. Anyways, keep up the good work!
I really like the middle ground of several versions of your resume. Tailoring for each job opening seems like overkill, but only having one version has a higher risk of rejection.
while I agree with most of the points, I do not recommend too much on tracking all the jobs applied. I have 8 years of experience, a Bachelor's in finance, a Master's in Marketing, and experience in Consulting and fintech. I stopped tracking where I applied because I never got feedback from my interviews (rarely got even a response email) and got depressed because I feel not worth enough.
One reason many companies are laying off ppl is US passed a new amendment to tax law 174 so now tech companies cannot fully deduct employees’ salary anymore so companies are reducing cost and tax
the short cut is to get in working for a tech company inside & get to know people or get on their education training level getting ready if there is openings specially getting in a 2nd shift or 3rd shift or abcde shift schedule , staffing agencies can help to get in the door or contract work to get experience,,
it’s been so many years for me since i got laid off from my first tech job. i can’t stand doing the work anymore to keep trying to get back in software.
1. Increase your chance of getting hired by staying organized & disciplined 2. The strength in the connections you have in your network can increase the chance of getting a job 3. Get ur interview skills ready even though you’re not interviewing
It’s difficult because entry into the industry is exceedingly competitive and if you don’t have a referral, you may be sending your resume into a black hole.
I always find it funny. Any time when I was in a high end cigar lounge or high end bar when I was slightly younger, people I start talking to always tell me that if I talk to them I would get hired pretty easily with very minimal credentials as long as I could do the basics. The thing is, almost all of them have said to me as they were all established in their fields, is that it is more important to know and be comfortable with the person you are trying to work with than it is their ability to actually work. The ability to talk and have a network of connections is far more important than your actual ability in the job market. As a military veteran of a relatively high end, technical job (I was a nuclear reactor operator), I was already in a huge network of people that refer others that made it easier to find jobs. Then just going out there and talking to people also helped me out greatly as well. Just being able to talk to people is rather important I have come to realize.
Hello. I have a Computer Science degree too (Bachelor's only) I also work at Amazon but laid off due to my disability. (One reason I hate Amazon and eventually they got trouble for it)
Big fan of your content! Re: the content, I'd also say the chances to get a job increase a lot by showing up. In meetups, networking and helping the community in multiple ways.
Sorry, but forget about meetups. I have attended weekly meetups for several years. We're talking 100s of various meetups, all about SW. And from my experience I can say it's a waste of time. Meetups are about bringing together people who are all after different things : attendees are there for either the free pizza/beer, or because they're looking for a job but are relatively inexperienced. Recruiters are there to find their unicorn engineer : a guy who masters everything frontend,backend,DB,infrastructure, etc... and who would accept a below the market salary. And the guys who do the presentations use their presentations as an excuse for promoting their consulting business, or to add presentation skills to their resume. Meetups are about deaf people talking to each other. I agree with the idea of networking, but from experience, meetups are not the place for that.
Am I missing something here? If the person you interviewed is really well qualified, but he failed the interview. Doesn't that mean that the interview process is flawed?
Yes. It has been flawed for years and management who no longer code have been making it worse and worse. It was like this when I graduated in 2018 and somehow it's still like this for me with 7 years of experience in multiple disciplines. I spent my unemployed time launching a business and learning to build software in tech stacks I have never touched. My last interview they said they didn't wanna hire me cause I have only USED pyspark and don't know how it works under the hood. They are idiots.
Person on UA-cam: - Everybody has a network… Person who just came to the country, and the only network they have is a spouse without language and kids to feed: - ok. Thanks.
Wishing you the best! I know many immigrants usually have some type of immigrant community in the country they’ve just moved to - hopefully you have somebody in there that can help you with something.
Listening to this channel made me realize why many large tech companies are so easy to beat even though they have a huge head start and insane resources. They hire the wrong people with the wrong motivations. They are either trying to maximize their earnings by spending all their time on gaining skills that will help them interview better instead of being creative…I would never hire an ex Amazon or ex Google or ex Meta ….unless they could demonstrate creativity and actual achievements and outcomes. Most start ups who load up on ex Amazon and ex Google and ex Meta are going to to run out of money and not have much to show for it…JMHO.
The best video on job search that I've seen recently. Real life stories bring the point home. And I appreciate your willingness to help people get into Amazon! I am not ready for Amazon yet :) but I appreciate that you are not just offering generalized advice but practical help (7:07). I am working on my skills systematically and will get there someday.
Bob has a higher chance by far... Greater number of applications means exposition, something that is well known in an advertising perspective. This also means more chance to interviews and the opportunity to really practice that and improve
A master's degree was useless to begin with. Don't expect to learn useful skills from professors who have little or no industry experience. Which is the case in my experience.
It's getting common and clever people does it.. Pick a work that can feed you and plan for your dream job or venture. Very common in India btw highly educated doing security guard or a gatekeeper or some do nothing job and prepare for civil services.
Thank god I am a natural Alice! As a self taught I know that the master rule is show don’t tell and that looking for a job is a job itself. You need a quality control loop and transform the whole process in an iterative one what brings you eventually closer to what you want. You are the product in that period.
couple things. first, even as a comp sci major im not even trying to land software development positions since im not really interested in that. im literally trying to land entry level IT and cybersecurity positions and have had zero luck. second, the example you used with alice to me is a bit unrealistic and doesn’t seem worth the effort. you said she is doing all these things to help her land a job but what is she doing to support herself right now out of college? why would i put so much time into creating spreadsheets of the 2-300+ jobs im applying to just to not get anything. my point being its not going to change the outcome. again, im not looking for coding related positions just simple entry level IT position that shouldn’t require any certifications or more than a year of experience
That was a great video! Being a Masters student I'm curious to build my interviewing skills. It would be a great help to millions of students like me, if you could make videos to improve the interview skills.🙂
Just have to say thanks, I learned valubale advice from it. Currently I am stuggling with lack of experince and getting well prepared for machine learning jobs, but it turn out harder than I thought, as a comprimise I am searching for backend jobs, and prepare for it everyday, since I am lack of experince and skill as well. Now I spend most of my time on learning backend stuff trying to get a beckend job first and spend small potion on reviewing machine learning knowledge I have spent a lot of time learned previously, I dont have a degree, droped out in college, and trying to get out while stuck in China. Although job market is likely to be much worse this year, I have to stay organized and disciplined. Anyway, Thanks.
Although, the content and information you shared is definitely quality and valuable. The " I don't appreciate your attitude" tickled me and got me. Thank you 😅 Currently trying to pivot into Customer Success and interviewing is my weakness because, anxiety. I also don't have friends and my family is not connected in this way. So I've been trying to put myself out there more on social media and researching as much as I can to prepare.
Excellent video, well done. Another tip I’d suggest to job seekers out there is to differentiate yourself as much as you can. E.g. heavily contributing to an open source program, producing videos/blogs/posts, positioning yourself as a specialist at something, etc… Invest efforts in your personal brand.
I was laid off in 2023 by Microsoft. Finding a new job was rough. I recently posted a new video on things that have worked for me and things that have not worked for me
I think volume is everything! My brother graduated a bootcamp and was able to get job interviews because he applied to so many! He used this service called Apply Ninjas and they apply to like 150 jobs for you but he did it like 4 times. It's hard not to get an interview
Hi Steve! 😊Are you still receiving referral requests? I'd love to send you a link to a position that a recruiter reached out to me about, and thinks that I may be a great fit! I've already applied and will be following up Monday morning.
I'm currently getting a Google Professional Cybersecurity Certificate, and will get all the other google career certificates, I know that my getting these certificates alone won't get me a job, but because I have more certificates, will I be more likely to get a job?
In reality, Alice and Bob both have very low odds of landing an interview. If anything, there's a higher likelihood that Alice is wasting most of her time.
I think the channel is losing relevance and value. The original value prop of is a channel by an Amazon L7 rather than the sea of L4-L6 (or equivalent levels) giving junior - intermediate level role advices. He can offer insight as an industry veteran, but the advice offered in this video are so uncreative and low value, this is what makes me unsubscribe at this moment. If I had to wager a guess, it's due to his "community". Whenever you build a social media presence, the best way to ramp it up is to cater to the lowest common denominator. While plenty of us senior or senior+ engineers may have watched and appreciated his videos, we are not going to be the ones joining his discord or w.e the shit he offers up. This channel will eventually go to something that offers low to no value to the industry folks and only to those starting the career path desperate for tips and community to accept them, or simply mass content consumers to feel like they know some things. This is early days so maybe I'm judging harshly, but it's already reminding me how TechLead's channel went, not quite the same way but the decrease of relevance and value for catering to the masses. For those who don't know, before Techlead became the meme of ex-google ex-facebook ex-husband, he was legitimately offering great tech industry advice and interview insights. Then as he got big, it went to shit. I'm seeing very early patterns here
I was a hybrid of Alice and Bob after being laid off late last year. NeetCode every day, spam applying to companies and barely reading the job requirements. 400+ job applications in 2 months later, I was getting a fair amount of call backs from recruiters, and about half ended up with second rounds with hiring managers &/or technical screenings, and 70% of those calls resulting in virtual on-sites. After this experience, I definitely feel like mass applying does work (along with leetcoding like a madman). The main thing to keep in mind is to not get discouraged when rejection emails came flooding in, because it’s to be expected when applying to so many companies.
@@js2000honda So, if I want to play professional sports at the age of 60, should I not get discouraged when rejection emails come flooding in? Should I just apply to more teams?
Hi, I’m looking into learning a new skill to secure my future in case my business plan doesn’t work. I’m considering learning web development. Is this something you would recommend? I have seven years of experience in customer service, and I am tech-savvy, but I sometimes have trouble staying focused. I would appreciate your advice.
Economy is in the toilet right now.. I used to get weekly LinkedIn mails from corporate tech recruiters but has been DEAD the past 2 years. Fortunately, I am employed but would hate to look for a job next year.
The reality is, I have applied Alice's strategy on Bob's volume. Looking for a job from 10am to 10pm most days since March 2024 with 8 total years of web development experience, 5 of which are MERN stack. Not delivering pizza's yet but I am already on income assistance.
Thanks to Dice for sponsoring today’s video! If you are looking for a job in the new year, be sure to check out the links below to help you keep your resume up to date, brush up on your interview skills, and prepare yourself for the next step in your career. #Ad #LevelUpWithDice
Job Search ➡ bit.ly/4aMaxau
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Leverage Your Personal Projects and Stories ➡ bit.ly/3H53s7F
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How to Research a Manager Before a Job Interview ➡ bit.ly/3RP06ua
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Thanks for creating such an informative video, @ALifeEngineered! Your advice is perfect for someone entering the tech career space - or a tech professional who is looking for their next job opportunity.
can you recommend good sites to practice code on ?
@samgriess438Not myn :)
After putting my profile on @Dice and applying, I get bombarded by third party recruiting companies and scammers.
Not sure if this is the expected outcome. Would not recommend.
The most critical point in this video is “Who you know is greater than what you know.”
I love nepotism!!!
agree 100%
That's always been the case.
@@vvert1506New director of my company got the job cuz he was roommates with the old director, he then went and fired the lead engineer for our L6 Automation department and then gave that job to his best friend from another company 😂
unless if they are out of work then you are screwed
“Everybody has a network” is the truest statement. I am extremely introverted, basically a hermit, and my entire network consists of only 5 people (family and friends included) for whom I’m the most capable engineer they know. Almost all of my opportunities (failed and successful ones) have come from these connections alone.
Can you go into detail on an example? Or multiple if that's ok
I know 2 people and they aren't helpful
I’m a senior engineer. I have never gotten a single job without networking and leveraging it heavily.
If we have no network?
@@nutech1810 Did you watch the video? _Everyone has a network._
I got a job from a phone call from using the word documentation.
@@KeepItFresh02 what how ?
@@nutech1810 build one!
Just got a job at Meta after failing my interview at Blue Origin a few months back. This is 100% on point. I ramped up my interviewing skills after I failed Blue Origin and had to fight my inner demons during that time. It paid off. Really good self psych to prevent you feeling down after failing a good opportunity is to think of these opportunities like surfing. If you miss a wave surfing, you don't go home. You get ready for the next wave. 🏄♂️
thanks for this, I completely bombed my interview at Goldman Sachs today. I have been practicing for the past month consistenly everyday, but that was my first coding interview so I did not know what to expect. I am extremely depressed at the moment, but deep down I know I have gotten significantly better at programming than I ever was a month back.
@zawadsadaf9194 if you got one interview, another one is coming. Get ready 😃
@@zawadsadaf9194 Good luck on the next one you already have one foot in the door
Wow, @StalkedByLosers congratulations man. I needed to read this, after having failed three interviews with very good opportunities. In the last one I even got a leetcode question which I had already done and still failed. I have reached quite a dark mental state. Perhaps I need to go out and surf once more. Best wishes to you.
@@zawadsadaf9194 man I feel you. Rejections are very tough.
Moral of the story: part with your ex on good terms 📝
I want support all people struggling to find a job at the moment. I was looking for a job in 2023 for 5 mo (being a senior engineer with 8yoe) and I hope market gets better soon. The only thing I can tell, there is definitely a moment of luck: like being one of the first applicants or encountering a good company with humane processes, however you have to be prepared to make the best of the opportunity when it finally occurs.
I’m actually considering altogether leaving my electrical engineering life behind. After 2 years of doing mostly electrically testing PCBAs (some design every now and then) at a job that I got right out of college… the company underwent an acquisition, and layoffs started happening. On July 2023, I ended up getting laid off myself. Immediately after since then, I’ve continually applied, updated my resume, took phone calls/emails from recruiters, and interviewed… IN VAIN! For 8 months. All while my skills are rusting.
Now I’m only able to shower when I can hit the gym, I scrape and scrounge and buy food when I can eat, and I sleep in my own car. I don’t have my own place anymore; I’m lucky to even sleep under a friend’s roof.
Now every time I apply for an engineering job, I just go with the motions. I don’t nearly as much the effort for it anymore; I’m burned out. Hell I don’t nearly have enjoyment in engineering anymore. It’s like I wasted my life. I’m already considering moving into other industries just to even make it in life and just leave engineering behind. If 2 years is my cap, then I won’t bother anymore…
Wow, your story really touched me Eric and almost brought tears to my eyes. I’m really sorry that you’ve come down on hard times, and I’m praying for you. Please don’t give up - life can change in an instant.
@@servantofthelord8147 I don’t have time nor forever to just wait for the market to get better. I’ve gotta do something else to make ends meet and get back to where I’m supposed to be as an adult - my own place, my life ordered as it’s meant to be.
In today’s market, you get very few callbacks, if you spend a lot of time researching and documenting every company you a apply to, the chances of you getting a call decrease. You need to apply 100 companies to get maybe a few callbacks. Say you can apply to 10 companies per day, doing research and documenting, you’ll spend 2 weeks applying and 0 time preparing.
100%
Yeah 100%. I felt that part of his video was hokey and BS.
Also, tailoring resumes to each application isn't feasible, especially if you don't want to lie on your resume (or have a mostly empty one). I can understand tailoring the resume in cases where you've done a _lot_ of stuff - in those cases, you'll want to emphasize whatever aligns with the position you're applying to - but if most of your work has been in one or two areas/tech stacks/businesses/what have you, there won't be much to pick and choose to emphasize.
This bit of advice did feel a little out of touch, from the perspective of the person he is claiming to be in the thought experiment. I think it's just in delivery though. The sentiment, I think, is really good advice. The core point being made is that its better to be more intentional with your process. To modernize: perhaps rather than tailoring to each specific company- tailor to a specific type of role or genre of company work environment. There are countless ways to categorize the type of work being done, and the type of environment you will be doing it in. Chunk them and lazy load as needed to save processing time 😄
Yh the only way I was able to get my first junior software developer position which happened or be a big corporation company was actually by applying to as many jobs as possible,tailoring your resumes to few jobs can only works if you do have extensive experience to back it off which I didn’t ,instead what helped me was luck , the projects I had done and my interview skills which I was able to improve it through the failure of multiple interviews
These are great solutions for a healthy economy that isn't flooding entry-level positions with laid-off professionals. In Canada, you'll get maybe 1 interview for every 200 applications. Maybe.
I have a feeling like talking and presentation (even via resume) is the most important part of all of that.
You can have amazing skills etc., but in today's world talking & selling has the biggest impact on how you are perceived by the company
For all of us that are having a hard time finding a job in Tech, specially as a Software Developer or Software Engineer, I would suggest looking for other types of Engineering roles within IT. For example, I have been doing Hardware, Operating Systems and Network Engineer the last 2 years through contracting. I have a BS in CS and have only had one Software Engineering job, since I graduated from college several years ago. As Engineers, we should be able to do more than Software Development and Engineering! Hardware, Operating Systems, Network, Server and Data Engineering are other options, amongst like 20 different other tech jobs you can do with a CS degree. Great videos, Steve!!
I have a Master's Degree and can't break into the field; I graduated in the last recession; then I got into sales and did well there. Sales crashed, and I ended up back in Industrial work; someone fell asleep on an electric pallet jack and I almost lost my leg. I left Industrial Work in 11/1, and committed to getting back into IT; Got my A+, Sec+, and Google Sec since between 11/1, and 12/24. I never get technical interviews; I upskill daily, and am studying Machine Learning.
Keep going!
Thanks a lot for sharing your story , I feel encouraged
Is all that background on your resume? Honestly I would give you a screening just because that's so drastically different than most applicants I see.
@@jamess.2491 Don't give up you'll get what you want in time, you are already on the right path
Christ bro
Comments provided better guidance than the actual video
He literally used nepotism to get into Amazon in 2006, end of review
1:42 "She's constantly updating her resume". That's what I lost in many ways regarding my tech career... thank you. No excuses, just keep iterating and not avoiding the post-mortem analysis. thank u!
I can highly relate myself to Bob in this video. All this time, I was doing everything wrong. I should be more disciplined and organized. Thanks for making this video.
The lesson to be learned is to steer clear of job opportunities that excessively focus on algorithmic problems which are unlikely to be encountered again. Instead, dedicate your time to developing a complete application, ensuring to include your own documentation. Implement source control and embrace an agile methodology or another appropriate process. Employ a structured design pattern. This exposure to testing, build processes, and source control is invaluable. New developers have access to an array of resources, often without realizing it. This is not meant to be discouraging but consider this: there are many applicants for the same entry-level positions’ at large tech companies. If you don't get the job and you've spent all your time preparing for their specific questions, you end up with no practical skills. But hey, what do I know? I'm just a random internet sage offering pearls of wisdom. Feel free to stay in that tunnel if it's your cup of tea - just watch out for the occasional echo.
This comment doesn’t have enough likes. Just one fully functional web-app can wow potential employers at small-mid companies and even one of the big guys. It doesn’t even need to be crazy complex, just enough to showcase “Hey I can code, I know a bit about version-control, a bit about pipelines, and overall project management.”. A lot of times, they want to see proof that you’re competent enough.
If you do a phone screen like by calling through bluestacks android emulator, you can do voice -> text and feed the interviewer's questions into chatGPT. Also maybe with chatGPT you can have so much content you control the interview not allowing the interviewer to ask you dumb questions...
The current job market is quite challenging, with scarce opportunities and limited favorable offers or positions. I am optimistic that the situation will improve as the year progresses.
Ugh, and here we go again bashing programmers for playing video games. The most passionate, knowledgeable developers I know LOVE video games; they're what sparked their love for programming in the first place. Pretentious tech bros who network for a living and kill everything in their life they love for the sake of "productivity" ruin this field for people who are genuinely passionate about programming.
This is probably the best advice I've seen of getting a job. Especially the connections part, that is underrated. The story was a great addition to how knowing others and helping them can pay back. Thank you for the effort and for helping others.
Love your videos - I’d like to see one addressing when is the right time to switch teams, or managers. It’s risky switching teams and has a big effect on your career. Anyways, keep up the good work!
I really like the middle ground of several versions of your resume. Tailoring for each job opening seems like overkill, but only having one version has a higher risk of rejection.
This video came at the perfect time, I'm currently in this situation, got laid off after 1 year as a junior engineer
Thanks, I will reach out to my uncle who works at the church. Wish me luck.
while I agree with most of the points, I do not recommend too much on tracking all the jobs applied. I have 8 years of experience, a Bachelor's in finance, a Master's in Marketing, and experience in Consulting and fintech. I stopped tracking where I applied because I never got feedback from my interviews (rarely got even a response email) and got depressed because I feel not worth enough.
One reason many companies are laying off ppl is US passed a new amendment to tax law 174 so now tech companies cannot fully deduct employees’ salary anymore so companies are reducing cost and tax
Time to change industry
True, they can’t deduct software developers specifically
the short cut is to get in working for a tech company inside & get to know people or get on their education training level getting ready if there is openings specially getting in a 2nd shift or 3rd shift or abcde shift schedule , staffing agencies can help to get in the door or contract work to get experience,,
this is the most realistic and well informed video I have ever came across, thank you
it’s been so many years for me since i got laid off from my first tech job. i can’t stand doing the work anymore to keep trying to get back in software.
1. Increase your chance of getting hired by staying organized & disciplined
2. The strength in the connections you have in your network can increase the chance of getting a job
3. Get ur interview skills ready even though you’re not interviewing
Building your network is definitely the most effective way to build wealth - your net worth is your network.
like this comment if you’re an unemployed Graduate of computer science
What?
Its really that difficult to get a job with this degree?
It’s difficult because entry into the industry is exceedingly competitive and if you don’t have a referral, you may be sending your resume into a black hole.
D'oh@@gil6875
I'm an unemployed supermodel. It's rough out here.
I don’t have a degree in it but I went to college for it. Decided to drop out but I will always pursue computer science
I always find it funny. Any time when I was in a high end cigar lounge or high end bar when I was slightly younger, people I start talking to always tell me that if I talk to them I would get hired pretty easily with very minimal credentials as long as I could do the basics. The thing is, almost all of them have said to me as they were all established in their fields, is that it is more important to know and be comfortable with the person you are trying to work with than it is their ability to actually work. The ability to talk and have a network of connections is far more important than your actual ability in the job market. As a military veteran of a relatively high end, technical job (I was a nuclear reactor operator), I was already in a huge network of people that refer others that made it easier to find jobs. Then just going out there and talking to people also helped me out greatly as well. Just being able to talk to people is rather important I have come to realize.
Alice has a trust fund
Real
😂
No for real
Hello. I have a Computer Science degree too (Bachelor's only) I also work at Amazon but laid off due to my disability. (One reason I hate Amazon and eventually they got trouble for it)
Big fan of your content! Re: the content, I'd also say the chances to get a job increase a lot by showing up. In meetups, networking and helping the community in multiple ways.
Sorry, but forget about meetups. I have attended weekly meetups for several years. We're talking 100s of various meetups, all about SW. And from my experience I can say it's a waste of time. Meetups are about bringing together people who are all after different things : attendees are there for either the free pizza/beer, or because they're looking for a job but are relatively inexperienced. Recruiters are there to find their unicorn engineer : a guy who masters everything frontend,backend,DB,infrastructure, etc... and who would accept a below the market salary. And the guys who do the presentations use their presentations as an excuse for promoting their consulting business, or to add presentation skills to their resume.
Meetups are about deaf people talking to each other. I agree with the idea of networking, but from experience, meetups are not the place for that.
@@johnsmith-ro2tw yeah great point, you're actually spot on, on this.
Am I missing something here? If the person you interviewed is really well qualified, but he failed the interview. Doesn't that mean that the interview process is flawed?
Yes. It has been flawed for years and management who no longer code have been making it worse and worse. It was like this when I graduated in 2018 and somehow it's still like this for me with 7 years of experience in multiple disciplines. I spent my unemployed time launching a business and learning to build software in tech stacks I have never touched. My last interview they said they didn't wanna hire me cause I have only USED pyspark and don't know how it works under the hood. They are idiots.
Great. I think this is general advice you would give to anyone looking for a job. Not just in 2024.
Person on UA-cam:
- Everybody has a network…
Person who just came to the country, and the only network they have is a spouse without language and kids to feed:
- ok. Thanks.
Wishing you the best! I know many immigrants usually have some type of immigrant community in the country they’ve just moved to - hopefully you have somebody in there that can help you with something.
Tracking your spread sheet means nothing if you get 0 interviews. If anything tracking a spread sheet just adds to the time waste
Listening to this channel made me realize why many large tech companies are so easy to beat even though they have a huge head start and insane resources. They hire the wrong people with the wrong motivations. They are either trying to maximize their earnings by spending all their time on gaining skills that will help them interview better instead of being creative…I would never hire an ex Amazon or ex Google or ex Meta ….unless they could demonstrate creativity and actual achievements and outcomes. Most start ups who load up on ex Amazon and ex Google and ex Meta are going to to run out of money and not have much to show for it…JMHO.
The best video on job search that I've seen recently. Real life stories bring the point home. And I appreciate your willingness to help people get into Amazon! I am not ready for Amazon yet :) but I appreciate that you are not just offering generalized advice but practical help (7:07). I am working on my skills systematically and will get there someday.
Bob has a higher chance by far...
Greater number of applications means exposition, something that is well known in an advertising perspective.
This also means more chance to interviews and the opportunity to really practice that and improve
Coding problems have 0 relation to real work. They shouldn't be in interviews.
yes tailor your resume so you make the company feel more special when they reject you. Tailoring your resume just isn't feasible in this market.
I love your story of how you got into Amazon!! Keeping the connection strong is definitely difficult but it is so worth it :) Thanks for sharing!
I needed this, Thank You.
"I know a person with a master's in computer science delivering pizza rn"
A7A
well, I am one of those. now all of those food delvery graduate people are applying for a phd. I am too. After 5 to 10 years, no one needs phd, lol
@@MS-rw3rh ex Uber (driver) ex Amazon (fulfillment center) ex Facebook (market place drop shipper) software engineer lfg
A master's degree was useless to begin with. Don't expect to learn useful skills from professors who have little or no industry experience. Which is the case in my experience.
It's getting common and clever people does it.. Pick a work that can feed you and plan for your dream job or venture. Very common in India btw highly educated doing security guard or a gatekeeper or some do nothing job and prepare for civil services.
Alice Learns AI, perfects DSA, logs all jobs she applied to, tailors her resume for every job she applies to, and solves world hunger all before noon.
Ya, i guess most people lack follow thru, like we'll follow thru when we're motivated --but not when we're down in the dumps
Thank god I am a natural Alice! As a self taught I know that the master rule is show don’t tell and that looking for a job is a job itself. You need a quality control loop and transform the whole process in an iterative one what brings you eventually closer to what you want. You are the product in that period.
Okay I've been following you for the tech advice, but.... I also Dj, when are you going to rock a live set? Joking, love the content.
Yah, but if you're referring people you don't know does your referrals still have value?
I love you information & I will be in touch! You are awesome 🎉
This is solid, sharing it everywhere.
I just came accross your video and i like it. Now I am gonna subscribe.
First time seeing your channel, and I must say "I like your style"
couple things. first, even as a comp sci major im not even trying to land software development positions since im not really interested in that. im literally trying to land entry level IT and cybersecurity positions and have had zero luck. second, the example you used with alice to me is a bit unrealistic and doesn’t seem worth the effort. you said she is doing all these things to help her land a job but what is she doing to support herself right now out of college? why would i put so much time into creating spreadsheets of the 2-300+ jobs im applying to just to not get anything. my point being its not going to change the outcome. again, im not looking for coding related positions just simple entry level IT position that shouldn’t require any certifications or more than a year of experience
That was a great video! Being a Masters student I'm curious to build my interviewing skills. It would be a great help to millions of students like me, if you could make videos to improve the interview skills.🙂
I'm starting to hate tech.
I wanna switch careers and do something else even if it doesn’t pay as much. Do something you really want because life is short
This is the best advice and one can give you in this job market
Just have to say thanks, I learned valubale advice from it. Currently I am stuggling with lack of experince and getting well prepared for machine learning jobs, but it turn out harder than I thought, as a comprimise I am searching for backend jobs, and prepare for it everyday, since I am lack of experince and skill as well. Now I spend most of my time on learning backend stuff trying to get a beckend job first and spend small potion on reviewing machine learning knowledge I have spent a lot of time learned previously, I dont have a degree, droped out in college, and trying to get out while stuck in China. Although job market is likely to be much worse this year, I have to stay organized and disciplined. Anyway, Thanks.
Backend or DevOps will help you. May be MLOps but it is tough to get into ML without a graduate degree.
Congrats on completing almost 2 decades in Amazon. Onto the next chapter!
"schedule a mock interview with friend who is also unemployed... "
😂😂😂
Although, the content and information you shared is definitely quality and valuable. The " I don't appreciate your attitude" tickled me and got me. Thank you 😅
Currently trying to pivot into Customer Success and interviewing is my weakness because, anxiety. I also don't have friends and my family is not connected in this way. So I've been trying to put myself out there more on social media and researching as much as I can to prepare.
Excellent video, well done.
Another tip I’d suggest to job seekers out there is to differentiate yourself as much as you can.
E.g. heavily contributing to an open source program, producing videos/blogs/posts, positioning yourself as a specialist at something, etc…
Invest efforts in your personal brand.
Good advices, thank you
Thanks for this, your videos really help not only in terms of good solid advice, but also in the motivational aspect
I was laid off in 2023 by Microsoft. Finding a new job was rough. I recently posted a new video on things that have worked for me and things that have not worked for me
Amazon was born with you sir.🙌
I think volume is everything! My brother graduated a bootcamp and was able to get job interviews because he applied to so many! He used this service called Apply Ninjas and they apply to like 150 jobs for you but he did it like 4 times. It's hard not to get an interview
experience/references>degrees
Hi Steve! 😊Are you still receiving referral requests? I'd love to send you a link to a position that a recruiter reached out to me about, and thinks that I may be a great fit! I've already applied and will be following up Monday morning.
How do Alice and Bob have somewhere to live without a minimum wage/Dead-end job?🙃
What are your thoughts on AI's impact in the going forward?
What do you think software engineering or cyber security?
Just stumbled on this channel and learned very good advise. Subscribed.
I'm currently getting a Google Professional Cybersecurity Certificate, and will get all the other google career certificates, I know that my getting these certificates alone won't get me a job, but because I have more certificates, will I be more likely to get a job?
I have tip:
- Nepotism is the answer to everything in getting a damn job
In reality, Alice and Bob both have very low odds of landing an interview. If anything, there's a higher likelihood that Alice is wasting most of her time.
I think the channel is losing relevance and value. The original value prop of is a channel by an Amazon L7 rather than the sea of L4-L6 (or equivalent levels) giving junior - intermediate level role advices. He can offer insight as an industry veteran, but the advice offered in this video are so uncreative and low value, this is what makes me unsubscribe at this moment. If I had to wager a guess, it's due to his "community". Whenever you build a social media presence, the best way to ramp it up is to cater to the lowest common denominator. While plenty of us senior or senior+ engineers may have watched and appreciated his videos, we are not going to be the ones joining his discord or w.e the shit he offers up. This channel will eventually go to something that offers low to no value to the industry folks and only to those starting the career path desperate for tips and community to accept them, or simply mass content consumers to feel like they know some things. This is early days so maybe I'm judging harshly, but it's already reminding me how TechLead's channel went, not quite the same way but the decrease of relevance and value for catering to the masses. For those who don't know, before Techlead became the meme of ex-google ex-facebook ex-husband, he was legitimately offering great tech industry advice and interview insights. Then as he got big, it went to shit. I'm seeing very early patterns here
I was a hybrid of Alice and Bob after being laid off late last year. NeetCode every day, spam applying to companies and barely reading the job requirements. 400+ job applications in 2 months later, I was getting a fair amount of call backs from recruiters, and about half ended up with second rounds with hiring managers &/or technical screenings, and 70% of those calls resulting in virtual on-sites.
After this experience, I definitely feel like mass applying does work (along with leetcoding like a madman). The main thing to keep in mind is to not get discouraged when rejection emails came flooding in, because it’s to be expected when applying to so many companies.
This attitude is useless though. What is the alternative? Not applying at all?
I feel like we got too many alice's today who fake it and to make it 😒
@@js2000honda So, if I want to play professional sports at the age of 60, should I not get discouraged when rejection emails come flooding in? Should I just apply to more teams?
Hi, I’m looking into learning a new skill to secure my future in case my business plan doesn’t work. I’m considering learning web development. Is this something you would recommend? I have seven years of experience in customer service, and I am tech-savvy, but I sometimes have trouble staying focused. I would appreciate your advice.
Just became the ceo of google after this video thanks
Do you think the number of vacancies in AI will increase?
And how much harder will chatgpt make finding a job for newbies?
I applied to an Amazon listing where I fit the listing verbatim (and my resume reflected that). Auto reject in less than 24 hours. 🤷♂️
Wow, I am so glad I found this!
Computer Science or Computer Information Systems, I don’t know which to choose. I need opinions please
Economy is in the toilet right now.. I used to get weekly LinkedIn mails from corporate tech recruiters but has been DEAD the past 2 years. Fortunately, I am employed but would hate to look for a job next year.
The reality is, I have applied Alice's strategy on Bob's volume. Looking for a job from 10am to 10pm most days since March 2024 with 8 total years of web development experience, 5 of which are MERN stack. Not delivering pizza's yet but I am already on income assistance.
Great video man!! I mean....They all are, but this was a great one among the great!
Hi uncle steve nice video, i wonder why you never talk about decision to stay or leave a company?
Hey I kept on staring at your watch, what timepiece brand is it?😂
do you think a tech degree matters? i have a econ degree and im interested in tech roles but im not sure what to aim for other than data science
What do you think about the recent development of AI and the future of SDE jobs? Can be an idea for a video
Thankyou so much sir
Step one learn every framework, language and have 5+ years experience in each. That gets your foot in the door😂
Still feels like it boils down to who you know and not your skillset which is... demoralizing to put it PG.
What are your advice for a beginning master's student looking to make the jump from data analyst (not too technical) to being a software engineer?
This is very good advice.
Thanks for sharing this
Your the man Uncle Steve, keep making great videos.