Tech hiring is a real mixed bag at the moment. On one hand, layoffs are continuing with recent announcements from Toast, Cisco, Grammarly, DocuSign, and Amazon, affecting thousands of U.S. workers. While on the other, organizations of all sizes are hiring frantically into a number of in-demand roles, including machine learning engineers, cloud, cybersecurity, plus anything and everything AI.
But tech organizations are having a hard time hiring at the moment, so much so that job site Indeed has launched a new Tech Network, to help them reach passive talent, a.k.a. those who aren't actively looking for a new job.
This means if you are actively job hunting, then between all those laid-off workers and passive talent, competition is extra fierce. If you want to land a gig at your dream company, you might need to go the extra mile. Here are three ways to get ahead.
1. Fill the skills gap
AI is the macrotrend driving business decisions across the world at the moment, and according to the 2023 WEF Future of Jobs Report, is expected to drive change in over 86% of organizations.
And yet, there is a huge skills gap in tech, as Deloitte notes, especially in senior technical roles like security and system architects, cybersecurity specialists, and those requiring AI expertise. This skills gap is hampering companies' ability to pursue new projects and innovate.
As one leader lamented, "We have so many initiatives that are still in the pipeline, but we are not getting enough people to kick them off. We have the budget. We aren't getting people coming in with backgrounds in AI, ML, automation, cloud security, cloud infrastructure, etc. In fact, we really want to improve our security and take it to the next level, but we aren't getting enough talent."
Look at what roles your dream company is hiring into, and research its focus for the next number of years, and upskill. There's an endless number of courses available online from accredited universities, and online education innovators like Datacamp, Codecademy, Coursera, and edX, and though this is no shortcut, landing a job at your dream company is rarely a fast fix.
While you are researching, conduct a deep dive into the specific tech stack used by the organization, including programming languages, frameworks, and cloud services. When you do eventually apply, showcasing proficiency and familiarity with its existing stack can really set you apart as a candidate who is ready to hit the ground running.
2. Create a technical portfolio
Another task that is a short to medium-term game is creating a portfolio. Not only is it a chance to show off your coding skills – whether you're building from scratch, customizing a template and/or integrating with other tech tools – but a technical portfolio is an excellent way to showcase your work samples, projects, expertise and interests in a very visual way.
It doesn't need to be too complicated. Consider five or six page headers including the standard issue: About Me, Resume, and Contact, then layer on a few of these options: Projects, Code Samples, Visuals and Multimedia, Testimonials, Recommendations, or Resources, which can be blogs you've written or simply links to articles you rate in your professional sphere.
Remember, you don't want to just showcase past work, but want to demonstrate your ability to solve complex problems and contribute meaningfully to projects. Keep it active by scheduling a monthly task to update your site, and update links to GitHub repositories, code samples, and any open-source contributions. This provides hiring managers with a clear, bird's eye view of your very active skill set.
3. Engage with tech communities
If you're focused at working at a tech giant, chances are it's already running virtual events, symposiums, panels, hackathons, competitions, demos, summits and even DevFests that you can participate in. The more you join in, the more you'll have to talk about in your portfolio, and in that job-nabbing interview of course.
If your dream company is smaller, you'll need to be more creative in boosting your visibility. Join forums, participate in platforms like Stack Overflow and Discord, and talk about tech on social media. Not only does this hold yourself accountable to stay continually involved, it also may attract the attention of a hiring manager, or at the very least, provide you with insights or connections to help you get a step closer.
Ready to get started?
Check out the TechSpot Job Board where you can sign up for alerts, and where you'll find tech jobs updated daily, from leading companies like the below.
Blue Origin
If you've grown up fascinated with space exploration, landing a gig in Blue Origin could be a dream come true. Currently working to develop reusable, safe and low-cost space vehicles and systems, it is hiring into hundreds of roles from hardware development engineers to avionics.
The salaries and benefits on offer are extremely generous, and the organization outlays its commitment to equal employee opportunities in its job specs. Check them out.
Adobe
Adobe's software is used in the creation of almost all the media and multimedia that the world enjoys daily, so it's not surprising that it shouts about its commitment to fostering an environment where imagination meets technology.
Technical talent at this company shape the future of digital experiences, and Adobe only hires the best to create and collaborate with. Currently technical and non-technical roles on offer include job titles like Senior Engineering Manager and Senior ML Services Engineer. See available roles here.
Netflix
With over 222 million paid subscribers in over 190 countries, Netflix is the world's leading streaming entertainment service and in 2024 is pushing into gaming.
It will come as no surprise to learn it is hiring into ML and AI roles, alongside analytics engineers, data scientists, game devs, software engineers and many more, with remote working options often available. Take a look at roles on offer.