This lesson's interactive features are locked, please to keep using them
Where to Apply
There are, of course, all the "normal" places to find jobs:
- Indeed
- AngelList
- ZipRecruiter
- Glassdoor
Use them, but they shouldn't be your only source for open positions. Everyone is applying to the top 50 jobs that show up when you type "backend developer" on LinkedIn. That doesn't mean you can't apply to those, but you should also be looking for other places to apply.
Local Area
With the world more remote than ever, many candidates forget that there are a lot of onsite-only jobs out there. Local, onsite jobs are the best for entry-level developers because:
- The candidate pool (competition) is much smaller than remote positions
- You can meet the hiring managers in person - maybe even at a local tech meetup
- You can get noticed by literally walking into the office and talking to the front desk
- You can get a sense of the company culture by visiting the office
- If you get the job, you'll be able to work with your coworkers and mentors in person, meaning you'll learn faster
Company Websites
Most companies have a /careers page on their website. If they're hiring, find their positions there. By going directly to a company's website, it's more likely that you'll be applying to a job with a smaller candidate pool because the job may not be posted on one of the major job boards, or may simply not be coming to the top of the list when people search.
Make a list of companies you'd like to work for, and check their websites regularly.
Niche Job Boards
There are smaller job boards out there that have far fewer applicants than the big ones. You'll want to find some on your own, but here are a few I've used in the past:
- Levels.fyi
- Golang cafe
- WeWorkRemotely
- Work at a Startup
- Hacker News monthly "Who is hiring?" and "Who wants to be hired?" threads
- Local Slack/Discord communities (don't spam general chats, look for a
#jobschannel)
Non-Tech Companies
I've noticed that a lot of developers get their "first programming job" at a non-tech company. These are companies that employ developers, but the product they sell isn't software. For example:
- A local marketing agency that needs a developer or two to build custom solutions for marketing analytics
- A manufacturing company might need developers to maintain a custom inventory management system
- An accounting firm that maintains a home-grown invoicing system
Jobs like this tend to not pay quite as well, but they can be a great stepping-stone job. You can use them to gain valuable experience, then move onto a sexy "tech" company later.