How to Get an Interview Opportunity as a Software Developer?

‘How to Prepare for the Technical Interviews?’

This may be considered as the most-searched query of the students over the web. And there are a lot of worthwhile resources, whether it be blog posts, YouTube videos, guides, etc. available for the same to resolves all the doubts of individuals regarding the interview preparation.  

But there is one more major concern exists that holds the same importance level as the above-mentioned but still it is quite under-rated and the individuals have to hustle a lot to reach the satisfactory & effective solution of this problem. Meanwhile, the concern is –  

How to get an interview opportunity as a Software Developer?

Indeed, there are a lot of people who talk about how to prepare for the tech interviews with all the detailed aspects such as required technologies in the industry, career roadmap, etc. – but the discussions and advice for getting an interview opportunity (which is the very first step) are not out there at such extent. There is an immediate need for everyone to understand that to prepare for the tech interviews and to get the interview opportunities as a developer are two separate concerns – and so the solution for both should also be particular and effective. There are many developers across the world who despite having good command over required tech skills don’t get worthwhile interview opportunities. And particularly, when it comes to students or freshers, it becomes more significant as to find the first interview opportunity as a Software Developer is quite a challenging job for them.  

However, now you all can breathe a huge sigh of relief as here in this article, we’ll get to know about what it actually takes to land an interview opportunity as a Software Developer with a step-by-step approach:

1. Start It All with a Questionnaire Form  

First and foremost, what all you need to do is while looking out for an interview opportunity as a developer is to prepare a questionnaire form consisting of various questions majorly related to the self-assessment process and answer all these questions in an honest & detailed manner. It will help you in multiple ways – firstly, it will give you the best start for the job-hunting process. Secondly, it will help you to identify your skill level & strengths so that you can make your further action plans or goals accordingly. Some of the basic questions that you must take into account are listed below:

• In what specific area of Software Development you want to build your career such as Full-Stack Developer, Backend Developer, etc.
• What is your area of expertise and what are your weak areas?
• What are your long-term career goals?
• What are your company preference – Startup or MNC, and many more.

Also, you can take some help from your mentors, friends, or any other in this process. And the best thing about it is that at the end of this exercise you may end up with something surprising whether it be a new career option for yourself or some unnoticed skills of yours, etc.  

2. Do Shortlist the Companies Accordingly & Understand their Hiring Processes

Once you’ll get done with the above-mentioned exercise, now you need to shortlist the companies as per your preferences and then understand their hiring process as well. For instance, if you came out with a conclusion that you would like to opt for a startup then what you need to do is do some extensive research for the startups that are providing worthwhile opportunities for the Software Developers and also doing quite well in business terms. Also, you need to ensure that if you’re the right man for the particular company (and job role) or not.

In particular, if we talk about the product-based companies such as Google, Amazon, Uber, etc. (which are the first preference of almost every individual), they all are having a quite similar hiring process in which you’re required to go through 4-5 rounds such as Coding Round, Technical Round, Managerial Round, etc.  

The key objective behind this approach is – rather than applying for the interviews blindly or recklessly, you all are recommended to take some time on researching & filtering out of companies to get some positive outcomes. When you’ll successfully compile a list of shortlisted companies and get aware of their respective hiring process – it will surely become easier & efficient for you to reach out to the numerous interview opportunities.

3. Get Visible to the Recruiters

Here comes the most important part – to catch the attention of recruiters. And it all starts with an enriching and professional Resume. A resume makes the first impression of yours on the recruiters and as they receive thousands of resume for a single job role it is not feasible for them to have a detailed look at all the resumes – so you’re mandatorily required to create a unique & attractive resume that can help you to stand out among others. Also, you’re recommended to update or edit your resume as per the particular company’s requirements.

Furthermore, you can take various genuine online job portals into consideration and can create a profile there to get aware of the latest interview opportunities. Also, platforms like LinkedIn, etc. can be proved as prominent tools to directly connect with the recruiters. In addition, you can build an online portfolio of your projects, attend relevant seminars & programs, contribute to open-source, participate in hackathons and coding contests, etc. to network with the industry people and enhance your chances of getting some astonishing interview opportunities.

You need to know that all your preparation and hustle for job hunting is not worth it until and unless you don’t get the attention of the recruiters and aren’t able to showcase & demonstrate your skills to them.  

4. Try to Get the Inside Referrals

It might not seem that important but it seriously impacts a lot! As per the reports, when you get an inside referral from a person working in the same company, it enhances your chances of getting shortlisted for the interview by almost 50%. And fortunately, in the present-day scenario of the digital world, if you’re really having a genuine skillset then it is not that difficult to get some worthwhile interview referrals. All you need to do is build a network with the people who’re already working in a similar domain or looking out for an interview opportunity as a Software Developer, like you.

You can simply start it by reaching out to people from your friend and family circle who you think can help you to connect with their professional contacts, can provide you with some crucial industry insight, or even with some direct referral in their respective organization. Also, as mentioned above, the advent of numerous professional networking online platforms has already made it easier to connect with anyone across the world.

And yes, you need to know that the person who refers you in his/her company can also get advantages as many organizations run employee referral programs where the employee receives numerous monetary & non-monetary benefits if the person referred by him for an interview gets recruited. So, it’s a win-win situation for both!

5. Be Ready to Make the First Move and Don’t Forget to Follow Up

In the final approach, you’re required to be prepared for making the first move and showing your genuine concern & interest in the job opportunity. For instance, whenever you get to know about an upcoming interview opportunity from your friends, social media posts, email, etc. – you’re required to verify it as soon as possible from the official resources and once you find it legit, you need to actively reach out to the recruiter through the specified application process. Besides, you’re also recommended to take the initiatives from your side whenever you get to see something like ‘We’re Hiring’, ‘Current Job Opening’, etc. on the profiles of recruiters and other professionals over the online platforms.

Furthermore, you need to know the importance of doing follow-up as well. Many times, it has been observed that individuals don’t revert back to the recruiters timely over the interview confirmation mail or other important message and that eventually costs them the loss of that opportunity. Hence, you must ensure to do the follow-up with the recruiters within the appropriate time period and in a professional manner.

The catch behind this approach is that when a recruiter finds it efficient & convenient to reach to you and also identifies your concern towards the opportunity, it helps you to stand out among others and enhances your chances of landing the interview opportunity.  

Some of the quick tips that can help you to land an interview opportunity as a Software Developer are listed below:

• Timely update your resume and online job portal profiles.
• Stay active on the relevant platforms like Glassdoor, LinkedIn, etc.
• Work on side projects to enhance your portfolio.
• Do practice your technical skills consistently.

Whether you’re a fresher or an experienced one in the tech world, job hunting is undoubtedly a challenging job for all. And yes, you may get numerous several rejections and failures also while doing the same. But if you’ll follow the above-mentioned approaches with the right mindset and consistency, you will surely get some positive outcomes!!