Getting your first tech job

You’ve probably heard all these -

‘Work on real life projects’

‘Join a community’

‘ Volunteer’

‘Take on unpaid roles’

‘Show up on LinkedIn’

Great counsel. All of them. But somehow, you’ve done all these and yet, ‘breaking into tech’ still feels like a pipe dream; something meant for others who have done all the ‘right’ things. While there are no right or wrong actions, this article aims to shed light on the obvious, yet overlooked steps to take while preparing for your first role. Ready? Let’s get started;

1. Revamp your CV:

Your CV is the first point of contact any prospective employer has with you. How do you want to be perceived? How best do you want to communicate your value? What actions do you really want them to take after viewing your CV? Having this in mind will guide you to properly craft a good and winning CV.

When aiming for an interview invite, there’s no need to inflate achievements or projects. Instead, simply focus on showcasing your skills and experiences in a way that stands out. When it comes to creating a winning CV, most coding tech professionals make the mistake of overlooking the important details that should be in their resume, potentially limiting their chances of getting through the next stage. Whilst your programming & coding skills are important, your potential employer might not know this at the point if your CV does not reflect your expertise. Recruiters examine CVs to eliminate unsuitable candidates and to select the right ones. How then will you be shortlisted if your resume doesn’t make the cut?

One more thing — avoid the temptation to make your CV look ‘busy and full’ by filling it with details that do not necessarily meet the job description and requirements. Focus instead on including your major achievements and responsibilities as it relates to the role you are applying for. This way, it is easy for the recruiter to see that you are a fit for the job at hand.

Now, there are so many CV formats and templates out there that can help you. You can take advantage of those. But for every template, be sure to customise to suit your skill and career expectations. This then begs the question- what should I do and not do when customising my CV? Let’s begin with the don’ts

• Avoid copying and pasting; Does this mean that you shouldn’t surf round the web for inspiration? No. It rather implies staying off the temptation to lift words or phrases on the internet to yours. Doing this shows a lack of seriousness and application of mind. Take inspiration from the web but tailor the content to reflect your unique attributes.
• Pay little attention to grammar and spelling: People always say that ‘no one is above mistakes’. That saying isn’t applicable here. Use online editors and grammar checkers to ensure accuracy.

Pro tip: If you are applying to a company in the UK, please use British English spelling and for a company in the US, please use American English. Ensure to set the language option on your laptop.

Next, let’s quickly look at some actions to take;

• Use relevant keywords: Most recruiters use a tool called ATS (applicant tracking system) to help weed out resumes that do not closely align with the role. To navigate ATS screening, use words closely associated with the job ad. Highlight rare and critical skills to increase your chances of making it past this stage. Additionally, do not overinflate your resume just to fit the role. Keep it honest and clean. The table below shows some role-specific keywords. Keep in mind that certain keywords depends on the job description while others are constant

• Typeface selection: The typeface debate has been going on for a while. While it continues, consider using Serif fonts for CVs that will be physically printed and read on paper and Sans serif for electronic submissions. Since electronic CVs are common, consider sans serif as your go-to font.
  ‍
• Use numbers: It is important to qualify your statements with specific figures when possible. Using adjectives like ‘significant’, ‘major’ can be vague but consider adding numbers to solidify your achievements. For example; instead of writing- ‘designed an app that led to an increase in retention’, consider — Designed an app that led to a 25% increase in customer retention
  ‍
• Length: Try to keep your CV to 1 page and at most, 2 pages. Remember that your resume should sum up your professional achievements in a clear and concise manner.

Final tip: ensure to include a professional summary and work objective that captures your key professional attributes in 3–5 lines.

‍2. Prepare adequately for Interviews:Perhaps, the first thing to address when it comes to acing interviews is your mindset. Interviews are a two way street where you showcase the value you bring while understanding how the firm aligns with your career goals. You should not approach an interview with the mindset of fear or trepidation. An interview is the first step to having a win-win professional relationship.Clearly communicate how your acquired skills, projects and voluntary experience all culminate in the value you offer. Interviews are ‘make or break’ moments, so making an impression is virtual. Beyond just making an impression, it is also great to assess the company- Does their value/mission/ vision align with yours? Do you actually believe in the solution they’re providing? Studies show that early career choices significantly impact long term job paths. Alan Seals, an Associate Professor of Economics at Auburn University emphasises the importance of the first 3 years of your career and the quality of your first employer. Since interviews are this significant, how can you prepare to ensure candidate-company fit and secure the job? Let’s take a deep, long look at actions for a successful interview preparation;

• Prepare, prepare and prepare: You probably know this, but let me reiterate- you cannot over prepare for an interview. Go over your CV once again. Read up every information on the company’s website. Read about them in the ‘news’ tab of your Google search engine results, reach out to an employee within the company to know more about your prospective employer. Do not leave this to chance or wait until the scheduled day to just ‘feel it out’ or ‘go with the flow’. Best believe, a lack of preparedness will easily be picked up by the recruiter.

Interview processes differ per job. For example, coding roles might require coding interviews, etc. However, here are general guidelines to help you prepare;

• Understand competency-based interview systems: Competency-based interviews use behavioural questions to help interviewers assess candidates based on a set of critical competencies that have been identified by the employer. In today’s world, most companies are adopting this approach. To get ready for this, list the competencies for the role, analyse how your experiences align, practise your answers with a friend or an interview practice tool.
• Get a firm grip on common and possible questions: Ever gotten into an anxiety fit by just hearing the famous ‘tell me about yourself question’ as an entry level professional with little experience and a limited portfolio.

Not to worry, here’s a template; Talk about a recent project in few sentences (ensure the recruiter can understand the description). Emphasise your role, what you got out of it, technical things you learnt (eg- Because the project required visualising data to review partners for business analysis, I used Tableau to do XYZ). Also include the soft skills acquired and technologies used. Remember to focus on the skills listed in the job description while answering.

• Show motivation: Beyond the financial reward from work, there are other reasons why people work — to find usefulness and belonging, to contribute to a cause they believe strongly in, etc. It is very important to demonstrate and show motivation for the role you are applying to and how you align with the culture, team, cause, etc. Authenticity matters here more than answers from the web. Show enthusiasm!

There are other things to do to get your foot in the door, but we explored these two because they are often the two most crucial parts of the process. In subsequent posts, we will outline industry-specific actions to take to get your dream job.With this knowledge, it’s time to put your best foot forward. Apply for the Junior Web Developer, Junior Product Manager and Threat Intelligence Analyst roles on Propel