Tips for tech job hunting

Searching for a job within the many different technical fields is not really very different from searching for a job in any field or industry. 

It takes work and time, to not only identify your skills but to understand the industry or role that could suit you best. So, what do you need to know for job hunting for a tech role?

Understand what you have to offer

If you understand what you have to offer a business and can articulate this in a way that makes your skills or abilities relevant to a vacancy you will show how hiring you would be an asset to the business. This isn’t about boasting or being the answer to their prayers, but showing them how your experience, qualities, qualifications or willingness to learn to make you the right choice.

Link with industry recruiters

You may believe that finding a job in the tech industry requires experience and many qualifications, but it is to get started in some cases without any experience or a degree. Consider speaking with a technical recruitment agency to discuss the opportunities for new starters. If you have been working in the industry and have experience, the services of a technical recruitment specialist can help you identify your next move and show you positions and opportunities available within other organisations or industries.

Soft skills

Develop your soft skills in addition to any technical knowledge you may have or are acquiring. After all, there are very few jobs that do not require a degree of communication skills, the ability to work alongside others, whether this is from an office, at clients sites or remotely, so being able to get along with people and being able to communicate not just in person but in various written forms on all levels is a must too. Teach yourself how to pitch ideas, this is a great benefit for the job as well as the interview.

Be passionate

You stand a better chance of getting a job if you are passionate about it and can show this. Find out about the role and the organisation, know their market and successes to show that you have an interest in their business, not just a need for their job. Let them see you have the ambition to move up the ladder when the time is right. Whether you are time served and experienced or new to the tech industry it is important to keep up to date on what is new and what has become outdated to remain a player in this fast moving competitive industry.

Build a personal profile

It may not seem much, but if you are hoping to break into the industry, so have no industry track record, you will benefit by keeping an online record of all the work you have done for anyone and everyone. It will help potential recruiters see how committed you are and they can see your achievements easily.

Identify your niche

Just wanting to work in the tech industry is not sufficient to get you the success you want.  Identify a particular tech niche to specialise in will make job hunting easier. It is not always the best idea to try and be the answer to everything. Narrowing down your areas to those that you are most interested in or good at can open more doors than casting your net too wide.

Mobility

Consider how mobile you are prepared to be. Remote work is becoming increasingly popular, so you need to think about how you will cope and manage workloads from home if required. Do you have a suitable space and equipment, or can you access an office hotspot? If you are someone that needs to be office-based to stay productive and flourish then consider this when looking for your next role. With many tech businesses requiring flexibility, you need to think about how you want to work and the roles that will suit this.

Hopefully, our tips have shown that searching for a tech job is not vastly different from any job hunting, it just requires an understanding of your own capabilities and a little help from those in the know.