Navigating through the job search
Essential tips and resources for a successful job hunt
I was laid off from my previous job. It came out of nowhere; I decided to take this change as an opportunity and make the best of it. Luckily, I received incredible support from my connections, and I want to give back by sharing some valuable lessons and resources I’ve gathered along my job search journey.
This blog post is based on a Twitter (Hebrew) thread I created, detailing my experience and offering practical advice to fellow software engineers (and not only) facing a similar situation.
Updating Your Resume
First and foremost, updating your resume is crucial. Use guides and resources like the one shared by Shahar Avigezer (written by Erik Sapir) and the one by Rina Artstain to help you craft a professional and polished resume showcasing your skills and experience. When you finish your resume, the optimal way to submit it is with a referral. But if it is not an option, just run your CV through the CV Compiler to see how it scores with applicant tracking systems and what needs to be improved (ATS robot)
Leveraging Your Online Presence
Consolidate your online activity into a “business card” with links to your LinkedIn, Twitter, and others. This way, you can showcase additional accomplishments and interests that may not fit your resume. It also demonstrates your professionalism and personal brand. A few years ago, I read a post written by Kshitij Singh on how he created such a landing page, and I followed his guidelines in his repo below:
The result:
Preparing Your Pitch
Before applying for job positions, write a “tell me about yourself” document, as described in the book “Cracking the Coding Interview”. It should cover your current role and academic background (if applicable) and delves into the role’s details. Finally, hobbies — especially those related to the tech world or “unique”- could serve as conversation starters or perhaps break the ice.
Furthermore, the book suggested focusing on 2–3 challenging projects you’ve worked on. Write down a list of mistakes you’ve made (we all do them), what you had fun doing, and which conflicts you took part in. Eventually, it will assist you in writing phrases in the SAR (Situation, Action, Result) framework to tell a compelling story about your achievements.
Organizing Your Job Search
Use tools like Notion to keep track of your job applications and interviews. This will help you stay organized and focused during your search, ensuring you’re on top of each opportunity. I’ve used the following templates:
- Track down the list of job applications:
- A personal CRM to keep all your leads:
Researching Potential Employers
Before applying for a job, research the company by checking its location, reading investment analysis, and searching for articles on sites like Geektime and Crunchbase. Search review-based websites like Glassdoor to get an idea of what it’s like to work there. Prepare a list of questions (🙏 Shahar Avigezer) to ask the recruiter to refine your job search better:
- What will my day-to-day look like?
- How will I receive tasks? What percentage of meetings will I have per week?
- What is the percentage split between front-end and back-end work? And from whom?
Also, do some work with yourself to understand better what you’re looking for by asking the following:
- What does Work-Life Balance (WLB) mean for me?
- What hybrid work model works best for me, and how?
- What next role do I aspire to take on in the coming years?
- Which programming language or framework do I prefer for front-end and back-end development?
Being well-informed will help you make better decisions and impress potential employers.
Preparing for Interviews
I recommend the following two websites to help you study for code interviews:
- The interview school by Adilet Zhaxybay:
They offer guides, practice LeetCode questions, and tips on various aspects of the interview process. Preparation is key to standing out and performing well during interviews.
System Design Interviews
Brush up on key topics and watch the system design interviews video series by Sheeran:
Followed by the introductory video on the importance of this type of interview, what they’re looking for in a candidate, breaking down the problem into details, and how to improve in this area by Jackson Gabbard (Synthace):
Practice solving problems using resources like the Grokking Modern System Design course by The Educative Team and tools like excalidraw. The more practice you get, the more confident you’ll showcase your skills.
Note someone uploaded an old version of the course to GitHub, which is enough for practicing, though some recent concepts are probably missing:
Negotiating Your Offer
If you receive a job offer, use resources like the document by Aviad Herman, The Salary and Offer Negotiation Preparation section in the Tech Interview Handbook, and Iftach Bar’s lecture on salary expectations to help you negotiate a fair package.
If you receive stock options, consult threads(#1, #2) by @beersehva and Boaz Berman and use tools like EquityBee’s calculator to estimate their value.
Conclusion
I hope these tips and resources will be helpful to you on your job search journey. Remember that finding a new job can be challenging, but you can turn it into a new opportunity with perseverance, a strong network, and the right tools. Good luck!
