Disclaimer: This article was written few years ago and may no longer be relevant as software engineering has changed a lot in the last few years. This is what may be more relevant now: Future of Software Engineering - Gaurav ChandakThis article was originally published on GitHub as Get a Software Engineering Job/Internship - Ultimate Guide
Let's divide the job search process into 4 stages:
- Searching for and applying to jobs
- Getting your resume shortlisted
- Clearing interviews
- Getting an offer letter
Let's look at what do you need to do at each of these stages. Note that each of these require significant work that needs to be done way before the job search process starts. Details about those are also mentioned below.
Searching for and applying to jobs
- How to apply for off-campus placements (jobs/internships)?
- How to get job referrals on LinkedIn?
- How to get a recruiter's attention on LinkedIn?
Getting your resume shortlisted
- Since most job openings receive 100s to 1000s of applications, it is not possible for a company to interview everyone who applies.
- To reduce the number of interviews, Recruiters and Hiring Managers shortlist only those resumes which stand out or matches the most to the job roles.
- Having common basic projects on your resume or having a 3* rating on CodeChef is still better than having nothing related to programming. But note that these things won't help you stand out as 50% of the applicants would have the same thing.
- Few things that can help your resume stand out:
- Good ranks in programming contests
- Demoeable projects that actually solve a problem and whose code is not easily available on the internet
- Decent open-source contribution
- Good research work
- Being from a Tier-1 college. Not much within your control.
- Having worked at a big tech company previously. Not applicable for freshers.
- Make sure that your resume follows the best practices: Resume best practices for product-based companies
- Confused, what to do?: Competitive Programming or Open Source Contribution?
Clearing interviews
Note that 2 things are extremely important here:
- Learning: You need to learn all the major concepts that is expected of you as a programmer/developer
- Practice: You need to focus a lot on practicing to build expertise on the concepts that you learn
Learn how to code & build strong foundations
- Intro To Programming in C/C++
- Which programming languages/technologies should I learn?
- SDE Kickstart | Become a solid programmer | Paid Mentorship & Learning Program
Interview Prep Roadmap & Tips
Focus on Problem Solving, Data Structures & Algorithms (Most Important)
- What is a Problem Solving, Data Structures & Algorithms Interview Round?
- How to prepare for the Problem Solving, Data Structures & Algorithms Interview Round?
- Is competitive programming necessary to crack interviews?
- Common Mistakes to Avoid in Competitive Programming
Prepare for Machine Coding Round
- What is a Machine Coding Round?
- How to prepare for machine coding round?
- How to practice for machine coding round?
Prepare for Behavioral Round
Prepare for System Design [For senior roles | 2+ years of experience]
During the interview
- How to ace the Problem Solving, Data Structures & Algorithms Round? | DOs & DONTs
- How to ace the Machine Coding Round? | Step-by-Step Guide
Getting an offer letter
- Everything about an offer letter
- Compare salary and levels/roles across top product-based companies
- Salary Negotiation Guide: Why and How to do it
- Got the job, now what?
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