7 Mistakes of a Tech Job Search: Part 1 of 3
by Jeremy Schifeling
To land your dream job in the tech industry fast, here are the job-search mistakes commonly made and ways to correct them:
- Believing that you didn''t belong. Non-coders occupy majority of tech jobs. Here are statistics from the census:
- 5% of Tech workers in a company are computer science degree holders.
- For every single (1) technical job created, four (4) non-technical jobs are created.
- Companies have three (3X) times as many non-technical workers as Techies. These people come from different backgrounds and majors. Majority are Liberal Arts graduates.
- Coders can''t do it on their own. They need someone to manage, market and protect the codes they are creating.
- Try to be someone you are not. Here are ways to correct:
- When you apply, be transparent with your background. Showcase your accomplishments and sell your strengths. Remember to focus on these distinctions in your cover letter.
- Don’t try to put information in your resume that does not sell you.
- Remember that Tech was founded by weirdos. Use your unique background to your advantage and not an obstacle.
- Be fixated with only the most frequently targeted companies in the Tech industry like Google, Facebook, Apple. Things to remember:
- Talent the scarcest resource i.e. Yelp lost billions of dollars because they were not able to hire good salespeople (not coders or tech experts) in a tight labor market.
- Don’t put your eggs in one basket (scarcity mindset). There is so much opportunity outside of the well-known companies; you just need to broaden your horizons (prize
mindset).
- Explore start-up companies (new or experienced) that can pay you the same amount as Google, Facebook, Apple.
- Focus on titles and not roles. Remember:
- Titles could mean nothing.
- Dig deeper into what you do and emphasize your role/s.
- Match your current roles to what you want to do. In that way, you will see the connection/s.
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.