Getting Hired As A New Grad

You keep hearing that this job market is cooked, then you see generic advice on LinkedIn that doesn't help. New job websites are basically the same thing as LinkedIn, and the advice of just "mass applying" doesn't help either.

While it's tough for everyone right now, this year I felt a little more confident because I decided to implement new methods that helped me land interviews.

1) Networking

For some reason, people have a weird perception of networking, and I don't understand why. I believe humans intrinsically want to help other people. I want to help other people. So if someone down the line needs a referral for a job, or a resume tweak, why wouldn't you help them?

I started connecting with a bunch of people on LinkedIn-from big tech to people in startups to anyone that could help me find a job. Many people give generic advice, leave you on seen, or just don't give useful information.

However, I've been doing 10-minute virtual coffee chats with SWE professionals, and they give industry advice that you don't get from a LinkedIn influencer or a short video. I learn more about specific companies and roles that I didn't know existed. Not only do you get unique, tailored advice, but you build a personal connection and might even increase your chances of getting referrals that could lead to interviews.

I also learned (from one of my calls) that getting a referral is almost a necessity in this job market and can increase your chances massively. This is because cold applications get tossed out when companies have too many applicants, and they start trusting their employees-so referrals matter.

2) Personal Brand

We don't realize how unique and charismatic we are. We have hobbies, interests, and even idiosyncrasies that make us us.

Building a personal brand that shows different sides of you signals that you have things going for you. This year, I made a tailored website and started posting on LinkedIn. Why not showcase the hobbies and projects I'm proud of? Worst case, no one sees them. Best case, people admire you, can see what you're doing instead of guessing, and start paying attention.

It's also something that doesn't take that long. Building a personal brand is pretty straightforward: small, consistent posts and a portfolio are all you need. The upside is massive, and the downside is basically none.

I thought my friends would look at me weird or silently judge me for "trying." I've genuinely only gotten good feedback and support. People like my LinkedIn posts and my overall effort.

3) Projects

Now, when you get an interview, what are you going to talk about? Yes, you can talk about past experience, but if you can showcase your passion through something you built, people will pay more attention.

I made an earlier post about how you should build personal projects, but not "LinkedIn projects," and I agree with that. When you make projects for other people, your ambition and commitment drop, and you end up with a worse product.

Making a chess JJK game, or a calorie counter that changes based on your genetics-idk, I'm just spitballing. But building projects you actually want to build helps with the job search because other developers want ideas, and you might build something someone will actually use down the line.

4) Asking for Help

Reaching out to family, friends, and school counselors are all great ways to gain guidance and might lead to new opportunities.

A lot of times, people think the job search is an individual endeavor where you sit alone in your bed, apply on Indeed, and then get mad at Haaland for doing nothing for 90 minutes-tangent, my bad.

But sometimes people can help, and the downside is just a polite no. You just have to ask politely, and most times people will try to help or refer you to another person, and it takes two minutes.

You can ask people on LinkedIn, teachers-whoever comes to mind. It's better to receive a polite no than to not do anything at all.

5) It's All Hand in Hand

This is the most important part that helped me level up my job search: I did everything I mentioned in this post, not just one thing.

You need different avenues for getting jobs in this market. You can't just do cold applications or make a sick GitHub profile. You have to explore all the lanes possible. If I had stuck with one lane, I wouldn't have gotten the success I've gotten.

My LinkedIn posts, mixed with my outreach, mixed with everything else helped me land interviews and build connections. Staying stagnant and shy hurts you in so many ways, and it doesn't open doors for you to land interviews at your dream company.