COVID19 has been disruptive to all of our lives. It has forced a lot of people to work from home and/or lose their childcare. Some of us are losing...
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I have not been interviewing for a year. You are incredible.
But I have been interviewing for a few months now and every rejection stings. I have a folder labelled "applied to" in my Gmail and that list is growing way too long. Today I got my first "we wanted to give you the role but we have a hiring freeze" 😭 It was a great role. And even more than that I know that means I have to keep interviewing which just about breaks me too. I'm so sorry you have been doing this for a year. Your posts are always inspiring and I hope the perfect opportunity comes to you soon. If you ever want some one to commiserate with feel free to reach out. ❤️
Ugh. I know how much it sucks to hear that. I’m so sorry. You’re right though, it just means you have to keep interviewing because you’re that much closer to finally getting that offer. ♥️ (ps I’m saying this as much to myself as I am to you lol).
Same to you about reaching out!
Victoria, I'm sorry to hear about your rough journey trying to break into a software development career. All I have to say is that you have the right mindset and drive to make this career choice a success. Don't stop pushing and never stop learning when you land your first full time role.
I can't offer a sure fire way to land a position, but I can offer you my time to review your resume and maybe provide some application advice. I've been a hiring manager for many capacities and would like to share my knowledge of what I look for in a software engineer. Plus I hate to see smart strong minded people not being able to a reach their goals. If you'd like to chat, DM me.
At work my manager has been looking for a new dev for a few months now. We wound up interviewing someone who was working at another agency, and extended an offer to him, which he accepted. Then COVID19 happened and we had no option but to rescind it, leaving him in a position where he'd already given his notice at his current role, but with nowhere to go to.
It's frustrating for us because we needed another dev, and once this crisis is over we'll probably need to start the recruitment process from scratch. But I also feel really bad for him because he's been left in a bad situation through no fault of his own.
Our existing dev team has also been hit - three devs and a project manager have been placed on furlough because we're unlikely to have enough work for them, while the rest of us have accepted a cut in our hours to 80%, with a corresponding drop in pay. I happened to have a big project lined up that will keep me busy well into May, so I was not placed on furlough, but that was pure luck. It's quite likely that many of our peers may also face the prospect of redundancy in the near future.
It took me well over a year to get my first role in 2011, and that was without the spectre of COVID 19 hanging over us all - I can't imagine how bad it must be right now. In the current climate it's extremely hard for even experienced devs to find something new, so don't lose hope. If your situation allows, such as if you're on furlough from a non-dev role, it might be a good opportunity to pick up a new framework or library, or learn something else you've not had the occasion for before.
From the perspective of being outside of tech (without professional experience) there is no shortage of candidates. I feel like the idea that there is demand for web developers is just a myth. It may be that the sector is just completely paranoid about "junior" developers, but there really isn't much of point to wondering about this. From the perspective of someone trying to enter the field, there are only closed doors. This was true before COVID-19.
I gave up last year on trying to find a job (change careers). I decided that I needed to focus on my ongoing hobby projects (diving deeper into the tech stack) and to look for new skills to acquire when planning any new projects. Maybe one of these projects will lead to an offer? At the very least, I won't be riding the rollercoaster any more.
If you truly enjoy building software, I hope this frustration won't impact your motivation. Hang in there.
While I haven't been interviewing for as long as you have, COVID19 has impacted me more or less in the same way as it did to you - from losing my new job due to its financial impact on my company to having offers paused for the same reasons at new companies I interviewed - so I really feel those roller coaster of emotions!
Like some other posters who already have commented, things aren't necessarily easier for those of us with a bit more experience, so the fact you're still motivated to search for over a year just shows how tough you've been. Any companies who eventually deserve to hire you will be lucky to have someone who has such a strong, perseverant character!
Good luck to us! 🥳
I 100% understand this struggle. I actually decided that, instead of a job I’ll freelance and just build my own apps to monetize. It’s not for the faint of heart, I can assure you of that! But, not feeling like my worth is tied to a job application is so freeing to me that the challenge of freelancing is worth it.
The job search can be so, so frustrating at the best of times, I can't imagine how horrible it must be at this time.
I always hit a point where I start applying for part time, filler positions in the middle, and then that usually leads to the position I'm in now where I do marketing and work on the floor in a local small business.
I'm so glad you hopped back on that roller coaster, and hope you have lots of luck coming your way!
I feel your pain... personally I feel that browsing through jobs and applying takes a lot of time away from me, which I could have used to improve my skills. But then... we also have to do it. Before covid I already realize it's pretty tough, after covid it's even more... as laid-off experienced developers will also compete for limited roles, which previously might be reserved for juniors. Every day after a period of binge application I feel guilty I haven't studied... and angry and frustrated there aren't many opportunities for juniors. Sigh*
Thanks for your honesty and your insights in interviewing at this difficult time. You are amazing and I hope that you get a role that you're looking for soon! Fingers crossed for you.
Thank you for sharing this! You are so resilient and positive, some employer is going to be so stoked to snatch you up soon! Keep slayin
♥️♥️♥️
I feel you and I really admire your resilience.
Good luck! For the number of openings, it's astonishing how many folks I know continue to have difficulty getting hired after losing previous jobs to outside forces, even prior to the current crisis.
Hi, if working remotely works for you then feel free to apply at Emumba: emumba.com/careers. We are actively hiring nowadays.
Good Luck with your job search.
Stay Blessed :)
Your transparency is courageous and inspiring. Thank you for sharing so much of your experience ♥️
I totally get where you're coming from! Currently feeling overwhelmed by the lack of opportunities and increase in competition in the job market. We can do it!