On this, the eve of my most recent job search, I am reminded of some of the greatest miconceptions about the job search process. Allow me to dispense the wisdom of all my searching. No need to thank me. : ) In honor of Dave Letterman, I present to you: the Top Ten Myths about Engineering Jobs:
10.) Companies know how to hire people, so all you have to do is do a great job of being an interviewee. Yeah, not so much. It makes sense if you think about it: the skill set required to be a great interviewer is not the same skill set required to be a great engineer, or maybe even a great engineering manager. And most engineers are just not very good at interviewing. Which means you have to take charge, and make sure they're getting what you want them to get out of the process.
9.) Engineering is mostly about writing great code. No, no, no. Engineering - like every other human endeavour I can think of with rare exceptions - is about people. If you write great code and nobody likes you, you won't get anywhere. If everyone likes you, your code can be passable at best and you'll still be welcome in many workplaces. I've seen very few startups fail because their code wasn't very good; I've seen many fail because the people who worked there didn't get along.
8.) Looking for an engineering job is a numbers game. Yeah, no. Have you ever seen someone frantically look for their car keys when they're late? They tear the place apart looking everywhere, spending a ton of energy. Then, once they're exhausted, they sit down and think for a second. Then they walk right to where they left them. It's the same way with relationships, roommates, and jobs: when you apply for the right job, you only need one. I'm not saying there aren't times when sending out a lot of resumes can be helpful. But speaking as someone who went on 400 online dates, I can tell you that when the needle isn't in that haystack, it doesn't matter how hard you look.
7.) Being in demand means you don't have to work to find a job. Sure, sometimes a job will come to you. And the more your skills are kept up to date, the better off you'll be. In some sense, a job interview is the last step in a long process that starts with having a great skillset. That said, great jobs don't fall out of the sky. You have to be ready, you have to work hard, and you can never take a good job for granted.
6.) Coding is geographically fungible; that is, it doesn't matter if I live in Boston or Baltimore; if I'm good, the job will come to me. At one time, there was a dream: that the wonder of the internet, and video conferencing, etc., would make telepresence omnipresent, and the worker of the future could be anywhere they wanted. Sometimes, remote jobs work out. But if anything, I've noticed that jobs are clustering even more; SF is known for Mobile front ends, Portland for back end web software, New York City for marketing, etc., etc. If you want a great job, you still may have to move.
5.) The best engineer for my job is one that's already familiar with the technologies I use. No, no, a thousand times no. The best engineer for your job is the one with the passion, problem solving skills, and communication skills to get the job done. Of course, it does depend on the job and the situation. If I need code written in the next week, then maybe I can't wait for someone to ramp up. But, honestly, if I need code in the next week, I've done something terribly wrong, and I'm much better off re-evaluating what I'm doing. Over time - I'd estimate a month - a talented programmer will outperform someone with a narrow dedicated technology skill set everytime.
4.) If I have a good job, I don't need to care about any of this stuff. Well, good luck with that. You better be pretty sure about that job; and in this climate, I don't think that's a good bet. The moment you lose a job is not the best moment to start thinking about how to find a new one. Building a diversified skill set may mean doing work on the side to keep your skills fresh, or acting as an advocate for yourself to keep learning on the job. And staying in touch and networking always help.
3.) The best place to find a job is online. Hey, online is great. LinkedIn is awesome. But statistics show that most people still get a job from a friend of a friend, or through a contact. I personally like Meetup, because I think it's a good hybrid; a way to meet people online that you then interact with in person. Relying entirely on online outlets because you don't have time or energy (or are feeling too introverted) to meet people in person is not a winning strategy.
2.) The hardest job to get is the first one; after that it just gets easier and easier. Personally, my first job was by far the easiest; being fresh out of college is an easy and well-worn recruiting pipeline at many large companies. My most difficult job was about job #3; when I started to get paid a bit more and specialized, doors started to close because I was "overqualified". The real point may be: at any given time, any job search could be easy, or hard; you never know.
And, myth #1:
1.) The best engineers naturally rise to the top. Of course, at the end of the day, being great at what you do is the best way to get and keep a good job. But just like the best athletes don't always win, and the best guy doesn't always finish first, the best engineer doesn't always get the job. Sometimes, as my Dad says, it's better to be lucky than good. But, of course, smart people make their own luck!