How to NOT be the Average Guy with a Bunch of Projects in the Resume in this Job Market ?
We all have seen how brutal the job market has become, especially since the start of this year. Number of open job positions have clearly reduced and applicants for the same position have increased. I was reading a survey where they showed that number of profile with “Open for Work” tag are has significantly increased than the number of “#Hiring” posts on Linkedin. This often leaves us wondering what can be done to truly stand out in this type of job market.
Tag of a good college
A good tier-1 college in your resume can truly open doors of opportunities for you. Being myself from IIT Roorkee, I have experienced this first hand.
People are more inclined to listen to what you have to say. You find it easier to get shortlisted for interviews.
If you have missed this train in your undergrad, do not get discouraged. Masters is still a very good option for you.
Read all about going for higher studies in this post below.
Competitive programming
If you have a real passion for solving hard computer science problems involving data structures and algorithms, there is nothing better than competitive programming. If you can get good at it, interviews of big tech companies will be like a walk in the garden. Building a good profile on any competitive programming platform will clearly stand your profile apart from other candidates.
I was myself an avid coder on Codechef, especially their long contests, which greatly helped in cracking interviews of companies like Adobe, Amazon & Google.
Research internship
If you are in college and planning to do an internship in the next 6-12 months, do try for research internships from colleges in Europe & USA. They will add rockets to your career trajectory because of the exposure you will get there. You will not only learn a great deal, but will also be able to build good connections and add stars to your resume. It will also help you build your SOP for Masters in case you wish to go for higher studies in future.
Open source contribution
Contributing to open source projects is one of the best ways to contribute to the wider software community. Trust me, when you give to the community, the community also gives you back. You learn how real world projects are built, you learn the communication skills required for working in a team, you build connections with experts in the industry.
If you are a student, you can even apply for Google Summer of Code, which is a very prestigious summer internship and pays a lot as well.
Your contribution in open source projects is public and visible to all, so you can always showcase your work to your future employers. It will truly help you stand out from other candidates.
Experience at a high growth startup
High growth startups can provide you with learning opportunities which no other organisation can provide.
You are involved in coding, shaping roadmap, hiring, mentoring juniors and even marketing at times. You get a 360 degree view of how a product is built.
Startups are always in need of people who are enthusiastic and can own a big piece of work. These startups are also a good way to enter from a service based sector to product based company. Experience at a high growth startup can be gruelling in terms of work pressure, but it will truly help you stand out from other candidate profiles due to the exposure you get.
Read all about switching into a product based company in the post below.
It is natural to have more questions on this topic. I am offering a mentorship program to address those questions and help you grow in your tech career. You can check the details by clicking on the button below.