I am writing this in frustration with the job hunting process especially when it applies to technical roles. I refer to my experiences over my career as a software and web developer over the last 15 years. A little background about myself :

I have a university degree in Computing Science from a technology focused university in Sydney Australia. I have been working nearly 10 years as a java developer and for the past 5 years have focused my attention on front end development. I have enjoyed my jobs once I get into a company but have always found the process to even get in a painstakingly frustrating and utterly demoralizing experience. Let me explain why:

The IT industry especially for developer roles (software engineer, front end developer) is entirely focused around your technical skills and little else. The problem most of the roles these days is that there is a wish list of skills that is asked for even if its not highly relevant but just a “nice to have”. I’ve seen backend roles now all asking for front end skills (HTML, CSS, JavaScript etc) and even the reverse with web developer roles expecting some fluency in server side languages such as PHP, C# etc. Thats all fine as we all have to learn new skills but the thing that sucks is when you apply for these roles the interviewer always expects you to somehow have a guru like mastery of not just skills relevant to the role but the “nice to have” skills as well.

The interviewer is normally another techie who is always in a better position since they get to focus daily on the core skill they are trying to interview you on. Lets say this person has been doing UX and been reading up the latest developments with SASS style sheets. You rock up to the interview with working knowledge of CSS but obviously not reading everything daily about it like he/she has. They will throw some challenging questions in to put you off your guard at their delight. I believe honestly that a lot of technical roles are filled with people who once they are established in their roles they develop an air of arrogance they always treat you like a complete moron even if you might be the perfect fit for the role. The way I see it is they don’t know you from a bar of soap and despite seeing what you have put on your CV they still treat you with the level of respect as someone who has no idea what they are talking about.

They are making you jump through their hoops to their obvious glee at seeing you fail at answering their bespoke questions. I would like to respond to one of their questions with a challenging question of my own something that is fresh in my head which wont be in theirs.

The whole process is a handicap to you as an applicant because from the get go they are in an offensive stance assuming you know absolute bugger all and will try to quiz you on technical questions after technical questions until you cant answer something to their liking. Despite having 10+ years of experience and a list of skills to cover 3 different careers they completely overlook all that experience and proven ability as a technologist and throw you in the basket of someone fresh out of uni if you fail at some key question.

How To Get a Technical Job With Dignity

My suggestion as a developer be it front end, back end or somewhere in between is to forget applying for a job and make them come to you. What I am suggesting is to set yourself up so that you have something they can see your value immediately other than some CV which they see thousands of. You can become an independent consultant or if your a front end developer then develop many websites to showcase your talent in a portfolio. Don’t waste your time doing their stupid technical tests just to get an interview with the tech gatekeeper who still needs more impressing. Dont waste your time and money going to their interview where you still need to prove yourself among other candidates. Instead spend that time doing something valuable like working on your portfolio of websites, writing a blog to showcase your technical knowledge, contribute to Github or other open source projects, create an app. Doing any of these things will give you more value than any CV will and companies will be jumping over each other to recruit you.

This way you are NOT jumping through their hoops but they are already attracted to you and actually applying to you. Thats the only way to apply for an IT job these days which is a win win for both parties. You get to choose the company you really would like to work for not the ones who begrudgingly chose you only because there wasn’t anyone else or “you will do” mentality. You are not forced to accept the first offer that comes in if you are not 100% happy with the company. You get to choose your positions rather than be desperate for any role which comes in. You maintain your dignity and respect as you have earned it after endless hours of study and sacrifice to make this your chosen career.

I would even go as far as suggesting you to state on your CV or LinkedIn profile that you will ONLY TAKE INTERVIEWS AFTER AN OFFER IS GUARANTEED. This forces the company to properly screen you by looking at your work and seeing others referrals/testimonials of your work so they are already convinced you are highly valued and they give the respect and dignity that you deserve. The interview would then be simply to allow you to come in to meet the team, see the culture and get a feel for the kind of work they do so the decision is up to you if you want to proceed and work for them. This is the best way to start your new job as your new employer sees you in a good light from the start in that they wont treat you like some impostor and make you jump through their hoops. By going in knowing they have an offer already for you it helps you know you dont have to prove anything to them and so makes the process more dignified and puts the ball in your court to dictate the engagement process.

When you think about other professions in the service industry that is how they operate. If you were a tradesman you would simply get “job offers” through simply advertising your service or through word of mouth referrals. You dont expect the tradesman to come to the customers home and expect to be interviewed about their knowledge. They are simply hired and will work on the job and make a good living like that. We technical professionals are at the mercy of our fellow peers who are always judging us and its really sad. The amount of study required especially in an industry where a new skill crops on the scene every month is never enough to keep pace with and yet they demand you to be an expert at this new skill. Our tools of the trade unfortunately is our technical skill which you always need to maintain at an advanced level when going to apply for a job just to appease the tech boffin on a high horse looking down at you like some worthless person he can continue to play flick with.

http://blog.getify.com/technical-interviews-suck/

http://blog.pamelafox.org/2013/09/technical-interviews-make-me-cry.html

http://searchingforajobsucks.blogspot.com.au/

http://www.theinsanedomain.com/Articles/lists/jobhunting.htm

http://www.buzzfeed.com/annaesanders/top-31-reasons-why-the-job-search-sucks-as-told-b-a05v