Where To Looking For New Job Opportunities in Technology
Making the decision to start looking for a new job is one of the most important processes for the human being; because of what it can represent in professional, personal, and even family aspects. That is why we must dedicate the necessary time, attention, and commitment to each of the steps we take when searching for new opportunities.
As an IT recruiter and throughout my professional career, I have been able to identify what I consider to be the best first steps when starting this journey of searching for job opportunities, whether in the technology sector or any other that may be of interest to you. I would like to share them with you, so I describe them below:
Take the time to get to know yourself
Often, the first thing we think of when looking for job opportunities is our resume. And of course, it plays a very important role; however, there are a few steps before getting to this tool.
I have found that this search is more successful when we are aware of our current personal situation. That is when we know what are our strongest and weakest technical skills, personality, economic context, and the approach we want to give to our career path.
Fortunately, there are multiple tests on the internet, for example, 16 Personalities for measuring soft skills. And many more that we can find to identify the technical level in relation to the technologies and tools we know.
Develop an action plan
Once we have managed to get our feet on the ground and identified our skills, we can create an action plan. For example:
- Create a schedule where we include active search and research as part of our daily tasks.
- Research organizations that catch our attention.
- Research positions related to our skills.
- Establish which areas we need to strengthen to find better opportunities.
- Dedicate time to learning new skills
- Strengthen our network of contacts, either through verbal outreach or social networks such as Linkedin.
The strategy we define will depend on our availability, interest, and obviously the level of depth of our personal knowledge.
Give love to your resume
What is the role of the resume in this process? It is one of the most important tools in this process. However, we must use it in an intelligent and attractive way. For this reason, here are 5 points that I consider the most important when creating our profile:
- Selectivity with personal information: Sometimes, it is misinterpreted that the more information we add the better, but no. Our personal information should not be on everyone’s lips. That is why I recommend adding our main means of contact (phone, email, LinkedIn profile).
- Resumes focused on the position applied: It is possible that my experience as a nanny at age 17 is irrelevant when applying for a position as a Quality Assurance Engineer. That is why we must select projects, volunteering, and previous positions related to the position we are applying for.
- The right skills: We must make sure that the information included in our profile is true, whether they are soft or technical skills. That is why it is important to know ourselves as I mentioned before.
- Attractive format: On the Internet, there are multiple templates to create resumes, we should implement the one that best suits the information we want to choose, which combines with our professional profile and personality.
- Updated information: It may be a little obvious, but it is important that the resumes are constantly updated every time we get a certification, volunteering, or any other topic we want to expose.
For now, these are the main aspects that I think we all need to know. However, next week we will be sharing a more detailed blog on this topic.
Start with scholarships or internships
We are currently facing a loop, related to work experience. Most positions require work experience, but if we are not given the opportunity because of our lack of experience, then how do I start my professional career?
One of the best ways to deal with this vicious cycle is to enter internships or apply for scholarships. The objective of these opportunities is to give people their first contact with the labor market while they learn new methodologies and put their knowledge into practice. In addition, these opportunities have a high possibility of incorporation into the organization.
Also, I recommend that if you have the opportunity to choose, you should look for job openings related to the professional focus you want to give to your career. For example, at 4Geeks we manage an Internship Program with Software Development, Commercial opportunities. This program takes place every six months, if you are interested remember to stay tuned to our LinkedIn.
Patience and confidence
As a last but most important point. We must remember that this process can be long, rollercoaster-like, and often exhausting. However, we should be patient and trust in ourselves, our abilities, and our impact. Head held high, 3 deep breaths, and keep going.