5. Traditional & Nontraditional Ways to Find Jobs

Written by Jenn Bailey

Now that you’ve created your resume and portfolio, the next step is to find great positions to apply to. There are a lot of different ways to find jobs, and having so many options might leave you feeling anxious or overwhelmed. Don’t worry if you feel that way — this book is here to help. You’re about to embark on a quest, and who knows what treasure you’ll uncover along the way!

In this chapter, you’ll cover where to start looking for jobs. It will include some tips on how to leverage job sites and other traditional methods, as well as some tips you might not have thought of yet.

What You’ll Learn

• How to use hiring sites to look for jobs.
• Where and how to make connections that could lead to new opportunities.
• How to seek out opportunities that aren’t on job boards.
• How to make the most of the resources you already have.

There’s no time like the present to find some open roles that match your skills and apply!

Traditional Versus Nontraditional Ways to Find Jobs

Many people use traditional methods to find their perfect roles, and for good reason: they’re tried and true because they’re effective. These methods include:

• Using hiring websites.
• Attending career fairs and other events.
• Networking with developer communities.
• Creating connections with recruiters and employers.

Traditional methods are easy to use and sometimes give you important information about companies to apply to or how to improve your application. However, a lot of people use these methods, which means you’ll have more competition.

That’s why you’ll also learn about nontraditional job search methods. Most people never consider creating their own opportunities. This chapter will show you how to do that — and how easy it can be!

You’ll start by exploring the most common traditional job search tool: the hiring website.

Finding a Job Using Hiring Websites

Hiring websites are the most common place to find and apply for open positions. These websites are widely used by employers and applicants, and there are many to choose from.

Here are some popular options:

• LinkedIn Jobs: LinkedIn is the single most important tool you’ll use in your job search. It’s the top professional networking platform, which makes it a great way to find jobs across the globe. Best of all, it cuts down on the “noise” of so many available roles by tailoring the jobs you see to your skills and resume. The downsides to LinkedIn include needing a paid plan to access all the features and an interface that isn’t the most intuitive.

• Indeed.com: Indeed is the largest job posting website, boasting over 3 million jobs — and it’s free for job seekers! It offers powerful features like email notifications that let you receive new job postings matching your search criteria. Indeed also includes company reviews and helpful articles and videos. It’s straightforward to use, although you have to apply for each job individually. Indeed posts jobs worldwide. Some similar competitors to Indeed include ZipRecruiter and CareerBuilder.

• Women Who Code Job Board: The Women Who Code job board has active postings from Women Who Code Partners that have made a commitment to hiring diverse candidates for a more equitable tech industry. There are roughly 200 active jobs at a time. You can search the board by experience level and whether an opportunity offers contract, part or full time work.

• Monster: Monster has been around since 1999, and it’s still a leading platform that features jobs from around the world. It lets job seekers upload a resume and search for jobs at no cost, and its interface is easy to use. You can hide that you’re looking for work from your current employer, if you have one.

• Dice: Dice is popular for tech-specific jobs. It’s free and user-friendly for job seekers, and it includes a strong matching feature to find compatible companies. Dice offers an option to quickly apply for jobs, a mobile app and a salary estimator. Keep in mind, however, that it features only U.S. jobs.

• The Muse: The Muse boasts 7 million monthly users, along with detailed company profiles and career coaching. One of the downsides to the site is that it’s only available in English.

• Glassdoor: Glassdoor really shines as a tool where you can get a feel for a company and its culture. You can see a company’s size and age and read reviews from people who’ve worked there. Some employers even provide information about their interviewing process. It’s not the clearest or easiest to use, but it does have great job filtering options.

• Tech Ladies: Tech Ladies is a woman-specific site that boasts a global community of 100,000 members. You need to apply for the site. After you’re approved, you can access a free job board. You can also take advantage of live webinars on a variety of topics to support you in your career development.

• FlexJobs: FlexJobs is highly rated for finding remote work around the world, although most of the jobs are based in the U.S. Use it to search for full-time, part-time or freelance remote positions. It offers career coaching, events and a wealth of articles, though you’ll need a paid account to use all its features. The interface is a bit busy, but it’s one of the best options for finding work-at-home positions.

• Eurojobs.com: Eurojobs.com is the largest job search site that posts opportunities from Europe. You can search by country and filter via job category. Using this job site is free, and it also includes many articles about working in Europe.

This list is only a sampling of popular job sites, but using them will help you find a wide variety of jobs that fit your criteria. If you need more job websites, Google is your friend. Also, if you’re applying to large companies such as Google or Meta, they have their own hiring portals on their company sites. It’s a good idea to check for job listings directly from the company’s website.

Next, you’ll learn what to consider when choosing a hiring website.

Selecting Hiring Websites

There are a lot of hiring websites, and you only have a limited amount of time each day to search, so it’s important to narrow your options when selecting which ones to use.

Start by thinking about what’s important to you in a job. Then you can pick hiring websites that focus on those aspects.

For example:

• Some specialize in certain countries or localized areas, while others provide a global job search. Are you willing to relocate?
• Some have more postings specific to remote work; others are better for a local search. Would you rather work from home or in an office setting?
• Some are tech-specific or even role-specific, whereas other sites cater to all industries. How flexible are you in the positions you’re looking for?
• Some are more convenient than others and have fewer steps to apply — but you also have more competition. How much effort are you willing to put into dealing with each website?

It’s a good idea to put your resume on many different sites to get it in front of as many different hiring agents as you can. Note which ones have the most promising positions and revisit them often.

Don’t despair if the application process takes quite some time when you start. As you explore the job sites, you’ll gain experience with the tools. Soon, you’ll be making the most efficient use of your time and giving your resume the widest reach possible.

Consistency is an important part of your search. To keep from being overwhelmed, set aside a specific time each day to search through job listings, then commit to that time period. Don’t let yourself avoid the task, but also don’t allow yourself to overshoot the time you put aside for it.

Avoiding Scams

Unfortunately, job seekers can be targeted by scams. Many hiring sites verify their job listings to reduce spam, but some still gets through. Use your common sense, instincts and web safety protocol when utilizing job sites.

Below are some things that should put you on high alert:

• You were contacted by a company that you didn’t reach out to first.

• The offer is too good to be true; for example, the salary is too high for what the position normally pays.

• You are offered a job without going through an interview process.

• The job description and requirements are vague.

• You notice a lot of errors or unprofessional writing in the correspondence.

• The company wants to interview you via a messaging service like WhatsApp, without any video or phone interviews included in the process.

• Contact information is unclear, invalid or not provided.

• You use the WHOIS database to look up the company and find the domain doesn’t exist.

• The recruiter asks for confidential or financial information.

• You’re asked to pay money for any reason.

This checklist includes just a few of the things to watch out for to avoid a scam job posting. Of course, not every one of the things listed are sure signs of scams. For example, if you post your resume on a hiring site, you hope people will reach out to you first. If this happens, however, take a few minutes to research the company that contacted you before responding.

On the other hand, some things are always a red flag. For example, there’s never a good reason to pay someone for a job or to get an interview.

It’s easy to react in the moment when on the hunt for a job. Be sure to think before you act and protect your private information.

Congratulations! You’ve learned a lot about job sites and how to explore the available resources, which has helped prepare you to find opportunities as they surface. Next, you’ll learn about another traditional way of finding jobs: networking.

Networking

Another traditional way to find jobs is by building connections. According to a LinkedIn study, 70% of people found jobs through their connections. In today’s developer environment, there are lots of great ways to network, no matter where you live or what part of tech you find exciting.

Next, you’ll learn about networking options including:

• Career fairs
• Events and conferences
• Clubs for developers
• Online communities and newsletters
• Networking with recruiters and employers

Attending Career Fairs

If you’re a recent or soon-to-be college grad, you’re most likely familiar with career fairs, where employers come to campus in search of entry-level hires. Definitely plan to attend any of these that include companies looking for software engineers.

You can find upcoming career fairs on your campus through your school’s placement office, your Handshake account or by searching your school’s name plus “career fair” online.

If you’ve graduated from a software development bootcamp, the bootcamp might host its own career fair, most likely online. Ask them about networking opportunities and what other job placement assistance they can offer.

Tip: Learn more about virtual career fairs, including where to find them and how to prepare, in U.S. News’ article, What to Know About Virtual Career Fairs.

Attending Events

Attending events and conferences gives you different ways to discover open positions. For example, conferences are often sponsored by companies that are hiring, while it’s common for recruiters to attend to meet candidates.

You can use tools like Meetup to find events in your area. After you sign up, add your interests and search for engaging clubs and groups.

Many popular events in the mobile app development sphere center around iOS and Android, but don’t despair if you’re a Flutter developer; more Flutter events are popping up as the framework gains popularity.

You can also use Google to find local events. Use search terms like “droid con”, “Android events”, “Android conferences” or “iOS events”. Lists of developer events online are another helpful resource. Here are some examples:

• Cocoa Conferences lists conferences for iOS, macOS, watchOS and tvOS developers.
• Android Study Group has a list of upcoming Droidcons and other events for Android developers.
• Flutter.dev’s site has a section for upcoming Flutter events.

Online events and conferences are useful and generally more affordable than their in-person counterparts. However, face-to-face contact is powerful. It’s a good idea to look for both options.

Note: For tips on making online conferences work for you, read Professional Networking at Virtual Conferences: How to Connect Online.

Getting the Most From Conferences You Attend

When you attend a conference, you’ll learn a lot from the speakers, but as a job seeker, the people you meet will be just as important. Here are some ways to make conferences work for you.

Building Connections

Many conferences use Slack or Discord to help participants stay in touch. If you have this option, be sure to join and say hello in the channel to start building connections with other attendees.

It’s tempting to hide out and just listen at a conference, but working the crowd gives you a much bigger advantage. Here are some things you can do:

• Strategically plan to attend the networking sessions and let people know that you’re open to employment.
• If you see people who have a job similar to the one you’d like, strike up a conversation. Ask them for tips and advice.
• Ask the people you chat with what they think about their jobs and if their companies are hiring.

It can feel nerve-wracking to put yourself out there, but it just might lead you to your next position. And even if you don’t immediately find job openings through your networking, you will meet some interesting people willing to help you on your career journey.

Making It Easy for People to Reach You

When you sign up for a conference, be sure to come prepared. If you meet someone who’s interested in discussing a job with you, be sure to have your contact information handy, including links to your resume and social media profiles.

If you’re attending in person, consider going the extra step and bring a printed resume or business cards. Be sure to include a link that lets people view your resume and connect with you more easily.

LinkedIn’s app offers an easy way to do this: a QR code that links to your profile.

To create a custom QR code, tap the search bar:

On the right, you’ll see a QR code button:

Tap that to generate a QR code that links to your profile.

There’s also a Scan tab that will allow you to scan someone else’s QR code:

This is a great way to quickly add contacts on the go.

Following up After the Conference

As you meet interesting people, be sure to follow them on social media and encourage them to follow you as well. This helps you keep in touch after the conference. Over time, this is how you build your network.

It’s also a good idea to follow the presenters and speak to them if they’re available after their sessions. Make a note of any promising connections you make, then follow up. Putting yourself out there isn’t always comfortable, but you may discover new leads, contacts and even friends.

Challenge: At your next conference, set a goal to introduce yourself to at least five new people and exchange contact information. If you’re comfortable, you might be able to exceed this number. This is a great way to grow and move outside your comfort zone.

Participating in Clubs for Developers

Aside from conferences, there are other clubs and events that meet to discuss different technologies. Seeking out and joining these clubs can put you in touch with people working in areas that interest you.

A good place to find these clubs is Meetup.com. You can also check with your local city or county government, local schools and colleges and your local library or recreation center.

Here are some examples of popular clubs for developers:

• Google Developer Group
• Microsoft-sponsored developer communities
• iOS Dev Happy Hour

At these events, you have a good chance of running into people who are either seeking talent themselves or know someone who is. Meanwhile, you’ll stay informed about what’s new and exciting with your platform — which is also an advantage for your job search.

Next, you’ll learn about other resources to find jobs, including online communities and email lists.

Joining Online Communities

Like job sites, there are a vast number of online communities and email lists. To find them, think of the technologies, platforms and code languages you’re most interested in working with, then search for those terms. Adding “+newsletter” and “+community” to your search is helpful.

Reddit has communities centered around various technologies — and even job-specific communities. There, you can talk to people and ask questions.

Another good place to find developers is Medium. Use it to find out who’s writing about interesting topics and connect with those people.

Searching for popular platforms and code languages will lead you to Slack and Discord channels devoted to them. It’s a good idea to join these and check in periodically. Here, you can ask and answer questions and make connections with the people you meet.

Don’t overlook newsletters like Android Weekly. Even if those newsletters don’t post jobs specifically, they help you stay informed of the latest news about your platform. Sometimes, email newsletters spotlight people, companies or events — and they might even hire tech writers themselves.

Tip: Make a specific label or folder in your email for these mailing lists so that you can join as many as you like without filling your inbox.

Additionally, you can join organizations that concentrate on certain segments of the tech community. There are many groups for women, for example:

• Women Techmakers
• Women Who Code
• Lesbians Who Tech & Allies

You could also look for groups that focus on any other segment of the population you identify with. An internet search will bring up many more opportunities.

Once you’ve found and joined some great online communities for your platform, you need to leverage them actively to build connections. Simply joining or subscribing is a good start, but you need to take additional steps like:

• Checking in periodically. Set a reminder so the communities you follow don’t fall off your radar.
• Trying to be helpful. Answer as many questions as you can, even if it’s only to point someone toward useful resources.
• Reaching out to people and building connections.
• Searching for leads about new jobs and new ways to put yourself out there.

Challenge: Set a goal of reaching out to leads you’ve found in online communities to inquire about positions at least once per week.

By joining online communities and subscribing to interesting newsletters, you’ll receive learning opportunities, mentorship and new ways to grow in your field. Next, it’s time to connect with recruiters and employers.

Networking With Recruiters and Employers

As you search for jobs, you’ll come across names of interesting companies and recruiters. When you do, be sure to capture these contacts for your network.

Many employers and recruiters have a presence online, so be sure to follow them on places like Twitter or LinkedIn. That will help you learn more about what they do and see if they’re posting opportunities in their feed. Many recruiters offer tips for job searchers in their social media posts.

A good place to find recruiters is through agencies that specialize in tech recruiting. Searching for phrases like “tech recruiting agencies for mobile developers” or for your specific platform will give you some options. Learn more in Chapter 6, “Working With Recruiters”.

As you find employers that interest you, research them further on sites like Glassdoor or on hiring websites. This will give you an idea if their corporate values align with your priorities and if other developers enjoy working there.

Nontraditional Ways to Find Jobs

You can take a deep breath and pat yourself on the back. At this point, you’ve learned how to use the most common traditional means of finding a job in tech. You’ll now get creative and explore some of the nontraditional ways to find a job.

According to CNBC, up to 70% of jobs are not published.

So, how can you find jobs that employers don’t publish? You can uncover opportunities in different ways. Technology is widespread across many industries worldwide, and everyone’s life is affected by it — which means that tech jobs can turn up in unexpected places. Sometimes, people need your expertise and don’t even know it yet.

In this section, you’ll learn about:

• Finding tech roles in unexpected places.
• Reaching out directly to companies you’d love to work for.
• Creating opportunities.
• Using your existing connections.

These methods let you use your creativity to get an edge over other developers competing for a role.

Targeting Companies Outside the Industry

When you consider dev jobs, you might immediately think about working for a famous tech company like Microsoft, Google or Meta. However, every industry needs technology to thrive these days, and job seekers often overlook lucrative opportunities outside the tech industry.

For example, if you live in a rural area, many agriculture companies utilize tech and need developers. Energy companies, food, finance and insurance companies, and even call centers might need developers to support their business.

Finding large employers in all industries can help you determine which companies might have tech openings. Once you locate them, you can check their company websites or HR departments to see which positions they’re hiring for.

In the next section, you’ll learn some tips for contacting potential employers.

Proactively Contacting Potential Employers

It’s not unusual for a company to need a new employee for some time before they get around to posting a position. This happens especially often with small companies and employers outside the tech industry. This creates an opportunity for you: If you reach out, you can raise your odds of being one of the first to apply. If you’re a good fit, you might be the only candidate.

Here are the steps to take:

1. Research your targets: Smaller software companies or companies specializing in older technologies are great targets. They might be interested in an entry-level developer with a recent education if the opportunity comes to them.
2. Research the company: Look for an HR department you can reach out to, or openings listed only on their website.
3. Find a point of contact: For a medium-sized or large company, begin with their HR department, calling or searching online to get the name of an actual person you can email. If the company’s too small for that, try to find their main telephone number or email address.
4. Be polite and concise: Tell them that you’re a developer seeking a position, then inquire if they have any available. Don’t be discouraged if they’re not interested; it doesn’t hurt to try, and they might even remember you when a position becomes available in the future.
5. Follow up: If you apply and don’t get a response, follow up with a polite phone call or email to HR. Things sometimes go wrong, like an oversight in the application process or a lost resume. It’s worth a call or an email to check the status of your application.
6. Next steps: If the company answers with a hard “no”, cross them off your list. If the company sounds like they might be interested in the future, it doesn’t hurt to call them again in a few weeks. Set a reminder.

After you’ve chased down all the jobs you can find to apply for, you can consider making your own opportunity.

Creating Your Own Opportunity

Aside from applying for jobs with established companies, you can consider creating your own opportunity by looking around and noticing where your skills could help. Is there a local company or organization that could greatly benefit from your skills? Could you build an app that would benefit their current system? If so, you could approach the business and ask.

To do this, research the problems that the company faces, then figure out how your skills can help them. For example, maybe you notice that a local pizza delivery company is getting complaints because customers think their pizzas take too long to arrive. Pitch them an app you could create that lets customers track their pizzas at every stage from creation through delivery, making them less anxious about the arrival time.

By showing businesses how they could profit by hiring you, you can create opportunities where none existed before.

Finally, don’t forget to use one of your most valuable resources: your existing community.

Using Your Human Network

The last resource to consider is your existing human network. This can include the network you’ve built online, but also:

• Family members
• Mentors
• Bootcamp cohorts
• Professors
• Friends
• Local clubs
• Your faith community

Ask your network about the places they work. Do they have positions open? Do they have unmet technological needs you could help address? Do they have friends or colleagues who might be able to help? It’s amazing how many people you can reach once you start asking for help.

Remember to reach out to your LinkedIn followers as well. Sometimes, simply posting that you’re a recent graduate looking for a job and describing your strengths and interests is enough to open doors.

Now that you’ve considered a lot of your options, both traditional and nontraditional, it’s important to follow up.

Following up With Leads

If you follow this advice, you could be getting leads from an overwhelming number of different places: websites, personal contacts, mailing lists and more. It’s important to find a way to organize all that information.

Keeping lists is helpful. If you think a site or a contact seems promising, jot down a note or capture the link. Anytime you find a new lead, add it to this list.

Set specific times on a weekly basis to do repeating tasks like:

• Go through your list and update it. Remove leads that don’t respond, turn you down or lose your interest.
• Check job sites for opportunities.
• Visit interesting company sites to check for new job postings.
• Follow up with contacts to solidify your relationships.

Note who you want to follow up with and when. These may be companies you’ve applied to or interesting new contacts. Following up lets employers know you were serious about your inquiry. Oftentimes, businesses are busy, which means a gentle nudge can help them prioritize your request. It’s not uncommon that the proactive seeker is taken more seriously for the position.

Note: Some helpful free tools for setting reminders, tracking progress and reminding yourself of when to do which tasks include Trello, Jira and Google Calendar.

Do be respectful and exercise caution when following up; you want to walk a line between showing honest interest in a position and being overzealous.

Conclusion

After finishing this chapter, you should have a good overview of how to find jobs, how to build a network of people who can help you in your career and how to follow up with the leads you discover to turn them into job prospects. Next, you’ll learn how to work with recruiters to take some of the pressure of finding job opportunities off your own shoulders.

Key Takeaways

• It’s important to leverage traditional resources when searching for a job.
• There are many nontraditional avenues you can try. These may give you advantages over other job seekers.
• Follow up; persistence pays.

Action Plan

• Post your resume on at least three job search sites.
• Set up your LinkedIn account and mark yourself as “open for work”.
• Research three large companies in your area where you’d like to work. Use either the resources above or the internet.
• Find an organization that hires professionals with your area of expertise and reach out to them.
• Name three tech communities online or in your geographical area that host events that you can attend.
• Find an event you can attend in the next 30 days, either online or in person.
• When you attend the event, challenge yourself to connect with at least five new people. Exchange contact information with these individuals.
• Identify at least one person you know or who you can connect with online who has a career like the one you’d like to have. Reach out to them and ask them about it.
• Try out a nontraditional job search method.

Reflect on what you’ve learned: Find this chapter’s worksheet (PDF) in this book’s GitHub materials repo.