Interviewing in a Funky Market

Welp, we've all seen the layoffs, the constant articles about tech stocks. We all know that this has been an incredibly hard time, particularly when you're searching for a new job or trying to shift careers. If you're stressed and scared as you're looking for a job, you're not alone. With recruiters being laid off, hiring freezes, harder look at budgets and more - the tech job market is tough right now.

So, what can you do to get interviews in a weird market?

Don't just look on LinkedIn. Or Indeed.

Your favorite startup may not be able to afford all of LinkedIn's services depending on their resources and constraints. It's safe to assume the big brands also have their roles posted on LinkedIn, but even that isn't 100% across the board. Put a weekly or monthly calendar reminder to check out the careers pages of your favorite startups - they might have a role up you would have never known because it's not on LinkedIn or Indeed!

Make sure your resume and LinkedIn are exceptional!

An exceptional resume and LinkedIn are eye catching, but easy to read and consume. If you find yourself on your 11th bullet point of a job - ask yourself, what role am I trying to get here and is all of this info critical to that? With recruiting teams getting cut and hiring managers lacking the resources they'd normally have, it's extra important to get straight to the point and highlight the skills you've accrued that are directly applicable for the role you're interested in. Nothing will get you disqualified faster than a 4 page resume, but don't listen to the 1 page suggestion either - make sure it's easy to consume, not too dense and highlights the skillset you most want to utilize in your next role.

Use your connections!

You would be surprised how many referrals came through folks who had just met someone through a message on LinkedIn or a quick conversation. Don't be afraid to reach out to people for help that are in your career line, a lot of people are willing and happy to help if they have the capacity. Meeting people and expanding your network is a way both now and in the long term to create easier job opportunities and manifest a community within your career path.

Make sure your portfolio is up to date.

You can always include personal, side or consulting projects and if you have a good way to showcase your work, it is much easier to get through to a hiring manager conversation - particularly for any design or creative role. It helps hiring teams understand how you think, what your approach looks like and the impact your work had. Don't forget to put your metrics of success, role you played and ultimate outcome in each project!

And most importantly...

Breathe + give yourself credit!!

Job searching in a funky market is exhausting and can feel endless. You'll get a lot more rejections than you want, but it doesn't mean you won't find what's right for you. Hiring teams are nervous right now, will move slower + will scrutinize more harshly when headcount is low. Just remember, none of that has anything to do with how amazing you are! The right thing will come <3