How To Get A Software Job For Freshers

What does it cost to get your first job as a software developer? Recruiters are looking for someone who knows how to code, test and deploy them, with an understanding of the software development lifecycle.

The strongest candidates for software developers – especially in the initial lines – are full-stack engineers (front-end UI and backend infrastructure/cloud services architecture), but not necessarily for everyone.

We conducted a series of in-depth interviews with recruitment managers as we built our Software Engineering Career Track curriculum to understand the ancient skills and qualities that companies are looking for. Here are some findings. Related: What does a software engineer do?

What skills should I have?

You should be happy with the acquisition of new technologies, including programming languages, tools, and platforms. If you have experience with production, this is an important addition. Often new graduates with no previous software development experience will never write a finished production code.

Production experience can make a big difference because it’s “not just building and running something, but putting it into production, controlling it, understanding where things go wrong, things that only a small user base can use. and not big, “the technology director told us.

Learn technical skills

What programming languages ​​do I need to know?

JavaScript
.NET
Experience with a relational database such as MySQL
you can check our old blog on the best programming language to learn

How can I prove to a recruiting manager that I have this skill?

First and foremost, you need to explain your workflow as a software developer. It is not enough to say that you can write SQL. Can you also explain how to use the IDE as a text editor? You will be asked to talk about the projects you have been working on, whether in class, at a training camp, or on a love project. When presenting your project, the recruitment manager should know how to solve problems, choose specific tools, and why.

What types of software engineering jobs should I apply for as a new graduate?

Small businesses, such as start-ups, are more likely to hire qualified software engineers because they need people with the skills to make a direct impact. This is because even older team members are still individual contributors (as opposed to a lead-only role), so they may not have enough space to hire a younger engineer.

Larger companies have more formal processes for training, mentoring, and promoting a junior software developer because they have a more mature product and larger teams.

If you have a lot of practical experience, even in a previous role or a love project outside of teaching, your chances of being accepted into a startup are greater.

Understand the software developer recruitment process

The default recruitment process usually includes the following:

• Phone screen (non-technical interview conducted by a human resources specialist to assess cultural suitability)
• Phone technical screen (a technical interview usually consists of quiz-style questions and/or questions about your work practices and past experience)
• Remote or offline encryption task (usually a fixed time trial. Some companies will pay you for your time)
• On-site interview (may include some coding on the board)

Here are some less common screening methods that companies may need:

Personal coding practice (you do a practical task for an hour)
An interview about system design in a simulated work context with another engineer who hypothetically constructs an object and discusses how to approach the problem

Interviews focused on ethics, especially group / cultural values, are appropriate
Presentations where you will be asked to present a class project, coding Bootcamp, previous job/internship, or love project to assess your skill level and problem-solving approach

A call for live coding, where the candidate shares his screen with an interviewer who follows their work
Tip: Many companies hire new software developers on a lease basis, even in senior positions. This means that you work on a contract for a certain period of time, and if it suits you, the company will hire you as a permanent employee.

Distinguish yourself as a candidate for a software developer

You are self-motivated

The strongest candidates are active on GitHub, regularly contribute to open source projects, participate in hackathons, take online courses and present selected love projects in their portfolio, which they can explain in depth. Maybe you run a coding blog or give advice on r / Learn programming on Reddit – whatever it is, you’re more eager to improve and immerse yourself in the coding community.

You won’t be afraid of Google stuff

Despite the taboo surrounding Google – in any profession, not just software engineering – even the best coders don’t remember everything. Make sure you show Google the things that work for you and that you can find the information you need quickly.

At the top of your resume, you list your latest skills

Every technology company has a dominant technology stack that includes its most popular programming languages. For Google, for example, it’s Angular. Technical startups in the Bay Area are hungry for candidates with React and MongoDB knowledge. Meanwhile, Typescript is growing in popularity worldwide. Customize the way you present your skills on the paper you are applying for to increase your chances of being noticed in your resume.

You can understand the use cases for different tools and programming languages

Even if you only know HTML, CSS, and JavaScript, you can show HR that you understand how each one works and how they work together. If you’ve learned other programming languages, be careful about integrating them with what you already know, which is more important than reading and writing multiple languages, but not knowing how to use them together to create a piece of software.

You are a good communicator who works well in a team

The biggest challenge for a software developer – especially an adult product – is that every line of code you write has an “aftermath.” Let’s say you create a new function, any changes you make to the source code can cause other components to fail or conflict with another component specified at the same time.

Things are constantly breaking down – and sometimes the code you write never gets into production – so you have to be willing to work with your teammates to come up with a solution that works for everyone.

“Teams are built on trust,” one technical manager told us. “And if I don’t get a timely sign that you’re ready to be open and honest, it will take a lot of work to build trust with you.”

You have your job and you are responsible for mistakes

Recruitment managers are likely to examine this with questions such as, “Tell me about when you weren’t ready” or “Tell me about when you were responsible.” Add something and the quality is not there “. A potential employer wants to know that they can trust you to have a problem in case of problems, instead of getting into debt or avoiding liability.

“If someone is vague, doesn’t give a specific example, or tries to make a positive story out of it, then I don’t trust them,” one technical manager told us.

You know your strength and how to use it

Even if you lack work experience as a software developer, you may have transferable skills from previous non-software roles that make you a good candidate. Most companies are trying to broaden their diversity profile and many are hiring job seekers with a less linear background. This is especially good news if you are in the middle of a career transition!

Watch out for areas where software developer candidates are missing

On the application or CV

Candidates will simply list technologies as programming languages ​​in their CV without providing a detailed explanation of how to use them.

Basic errors, such as incorrect categorization of a programming language as a markup language

Lack of technical support (eg: use of debugger or text editor, login tracking, and other analysis for the application)

Too much emphasis on one or two languages. Candidates should be able to demonstrate that they are able to acquire new tools quickly, even if they are not experts at all.

Their CV is homogeneous / the same as in other candidates. Most candidates do not play outside their interests with engineering, and because they lack work experience, most resumes for junior developers are very similar. External interests are particularly important in the labor market, where recruitment managers support a broader diversity profile. For example, the technical director of a top sports journalism website told us that an engineer who is also interested in sports and the media would be a “big plus”.

During the interview process

Passy projects are generally similar to what other recent graduates do. Not only can it be impossible to distinguish candidates, but hiring managers can be seen as lacking initiative or critical thinking skills.

Lack of self-knowledge so they can overlook their skill level or present themselves in an unrealistic way because they want to take the task seriously.

Lack of self-confidence and basic interview skills. New graduates will often think that the process of hiring software engineering is only technical, with a little twist

Summary

If you are still on how to get a software job first you need to clear your basics and learn skills from any university or software training institute and then practice your key area and also try a mock interview if possible, because if you are not an excellent communicator then it can be very hard to crack the interview, even if you have all the skills that are required for the position.

If you think that you have all the skills that I have mentioned in this blog then you can start your job hut process through portals like LinkedIn, Glassdoor, Indeed, etc.