Career-Boosting Tips for New Developers in 2022

Career Trends: May 2, 2022
Curated by the Knowledge Team of ICS Career GPS

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Content Credit:

• Article by Keren Halperin, published on geektime.com. Original article link.

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Many developers in the early stages of their careers are trying to navigate the challenges of a market that struggles to spot talent in a crowd of experienced developers and engineers. Junior engineers need to create the foundation for a successful and sustainable software development career.

Demand for developers is growing, but so are the expectations. You have to demonstrate value instantly. Diversify your skillset and learn multiple programming languages to bring more value to the table.

Here are 7 tips to kickstart your career:

1. Build your LinkedIn profile.

• Make sure your online presence is maximised with an active and updated profile.
• Comment on company updates, participate in group discussions and try to get recommendations from Chief Technology Officers (CTOs) or team leads you may have engaged with previously.
• Also, consider engaging with recruiters and head-hunters.

2. Participate in dev events and meetups.

• You need to connect the dots by participating in events, lectures, and conferences.
• The software engineering space is constantly evolving, and you need to stay in the loop.
• Being an active participant in developer get-togethers will boost your networking and allow you to stay ahead of the curve.

3. Establish your presence on GitHub.

• Establish a presence on GitHub (GitHub, Inc. is a provider of Internet hosting for software development and version control).
• Try to contribute to an open-source project on this dev-centric platform.
• Practising with Git and GitHub is a valuable skill you will need to demonstrate sooner than later.

4. Freelance away!

• Like any other profession, software engineering is all about getting started and learning on the go.
• It doesn’t matter if you are unemployed or working your first job as a QA professional or junior developer.
• Some great freelancer platforms are Upstack, Upwork, Toptal, and Gun.io.

5. Join dev communities.

• The online developer community is a giant ecosystem you need to tap into.
• Get exposed to training opportunities and gain exclusive access to job openings that may not be floated on mainstream channels.
• Subscribe to newsletters, track industry news, and spend time on StackOverflow, a community with almost 5 million developers.

6. Appear in interviews, understand the screening process.

• Once your resume is in a good shape, apply for jobs and go on interviews – even those you are unsure about.
• The reasoning behind this is simple: You need to familiarise yourself with the screening process, learn how to follow up with potential employers, and create a professional identity that works.
• This is a huge confidence-boosting hack.

7. Have a realistic approach regarding salary packages.

• The software developer space rewards experience and demonstrated value like any other industry.
• Be prepared to earn less in your first couple of jobs.
• Prioritise landing in companies with fast-paced environments, healthy corporate cultures, and cutting-edge technologies.
• You should also meet with team leaders and the CTO before signing on the dotted line.

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Have you checked out yesterday’s blog yet?

Want a coding job? Hone these hard and soft skills.

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(Disclaimer: The opinions expressed in the article mentioned above are those of the author(s). They do not purport to reflect the opinions or views of ICS Career GPS or its staff.)

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