The world of programming is full of opportunity. There are many jobs to be had, and it’s up to you how you want to navigate this career path. If you want to break into the industry, there are certain steps that will help increase your chances in finding a job. In this blog post we’ll cover 11 ways for beginners like yourself can find their first programming job!
17 Tips for Finding Your First Programming Job
Take the initiative and reach out to companies you want to work with. This could be by email, LinkedIn message or in person at a conference. They may not have any openings now, but they might know of someone who will be hiring soon!
Start building your portfolio early on – it’s important that once you are ready to start applying anywhere else there is plenty of material for them to review. Try creating small projects where you can use what you just learned from online tutorials.
One way to build up experience quickly is through volunteering opportunities: these usually don’t require an upfront commitment and most likely won’t pay much either. Volunteering looks great on your resume and can even help you get a job!
Keep up to date on the latest trends in the industry through reading articles, blogs, tweets or attending events.
Try to create connections with people who are already working in your field – this is often easier than trying to network for jobs when you’re unemployed.
Participate in networking events or conferences, be an active member of your college alumni association and partner with organizations for volunteer work.
Show off your skills by creating videos, blogging or writing about the industry on forums.
Update your resume regularly – don’t rely solely on paper copies as many employers will now request applications through email. Be sure to research how hiring managers prefer resumes to be presented when applying online and take note!
Network outside of just looking for a job: make friends that can introduce you to their connections, go out more often and join groups who share similar interests (such as programming!)
Get involved at school: clubs are great places where students can get experience working with people from all majors, and they’re useful for building up your network.
Join a student organization: make connections with other people who have similar interests as you by joining any number of student organizations on campus! Some popular ones include ACM, IEEE or the Society of Women Engineers.
Develop skills to stand out from others applying for the same position. Learn how to code in multiple languages such as Python, C++ and Java so that employers know you are able to understand different concepts quickly and learn new technologies at their request.
Be proactive about finding jobs. Apply through job posting sites like Indeed–but also think outside the box about places where hiring managers may not be looking! Local companies might need more help than large corporations when it comes to hiring and you might be able to get your foot in the door by networking at happy hours or industry conferences.
Keep a record of all your accomplishments, both on campus and professionally! An easy way is through GitHub*, where you can publish projects, code snippets and other work that shows prospective employers how talented you are for future opportunities.
Participate in hackathons like HackMIT which provide a great opportunity for students from across the country to meet new people with similar interests while building skills necessary for their next job search. This will not only help increase your network but also ensure current programming technologies will stay up to date as there’s always discussions about the latest trends during these events.
Get creative when it comes to applying for jobs. Make sure you fill out your LinkedIn profile and use it as a portfolio of your work experience in the field. You can also create dynamic resumes with programs such as Jobvite, which allows developers to determine how they want their resume displayed on the page based off what information is most important for specific positions*.
Make connections by attending industry conferences like TechCrunch Disrupt, where there will be opportunities to meet prominent people in tech or even Silicon Valley insiders and CEOs who may pass along valuable job leads from previous employers that are looking to expand their team!
