There are a lot of checklists and guides on how to get ready for the job market or find your perfect job. We've put together a list and pointers that you should have ready to increase your chances of getting employed.
It's always good to have all your portfolio pages/ profiles updated and well presented for when you apply for your dream job or any job. If any potential employer has to do a social screening/ look you up on the internet, it sets a good example to showcase your professionalism and your up-to-date pages. It also allows them to peruse your portfolio or work experience and gauge your compatibilty with the available role. We suggest using the platforms listed below;
- Resume (PDF)
- Github User Profile
- Upwork Freelancer Profile
- Linkedin Page
- AngelList Profile
(Make sure you keep these pages updated once you activate them, having a dead page or a page that hasn't been updated in months or years sets a bad example.)
Along with having a complete and crisp portfolio page or professional profile, we also suggest to keep the below listed things handy so you know you're always prepared to send in a strong, well presented application when the opportunity presents itself.
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Samples; having them ready to share are a great way to save time, and avoid any last minute incomplete submissions. Keeping these ready in advance, gives you the time to browse through all your work, select the projects you're really proud of and present it well.
- One of your best sample codes to showcase
- The best live/sample app & website you can use to showcase your skills
- Sample of Technical Writing (issue description, detailed comment, technical analysis, blog post or technical document/paper you authored)
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Personal traits like your ability to work on feedback/ improvements, working with teams, meeting deadlines, etc are good pointers to add to your cover letter if it fits the requirements of the job you are applying for. It helps the potetial employer know you as a person better, and gives them an understanding about your work ethics.
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Your ability to work in different settings, example; different time zones, industries and different cultures. Being able to communicate this via your cover letter, or past work experience gives the potential employer further insight into your availability and ability to grow with them.
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Recommendations or reviews from previous contractors or employers.
Along with showcasing your technical skills, past experience, refrences and personal traits, we recommend having some non-tech skills listed out in your coverletter or portfolio page. These skills are not neccessary, they are bonus skills to help improve your work collabroation. Let's say you have to pick a contract with a remote company, you'd have to be able to communicate with them over email or another tool, if you are already familiar with a communication tool, it's easier to suggest using that particular tool or adopt another similar tool. Most tools meant for a specific purpose are similar in thier user experience and features.
- Project management tools; Trello and Asana; Both these tools are project management tools, that allow tracking, scheduling deadlines, and assigning tasks. Some of the most important utilities of a project management software.
- Communication tools; Email, Slack, Zoom, Google Hangouts or Microsoft teams, these some of the most popular communication tools used, most of which allow public channels, direct or group messages, tags, history, etc. The features are almost similar in all communication tools, and hence makes it easier to adopt any of them, once you are familiar with one of them.
- Documentation tools; Github, Google Docs or Confluence, are widely used documentation tools for companies and teams. They all allow collaboration, formating options, and more varid features depending on the use. example, Github additionally offers code reviews and collaboration, something the other documentation tools do not offer.
Along with the above checklist of things to have covered; it's important to have good infrastructure (Laptop, camera, ear phones, good lighting), making it easier to jump into a job offer and start immediately.
- Upload a professional headshot to your profile. (Have a clear background (could be a white/ grey/ light-colored wall or outdoors), wear a shirt or collared tshirt, a friendly smile, have good eye contact & take the picture at a head level angle)
- Put your real first and last name on your profile
- Fill out the bio/about to highlight your strengths and key expertise
- Update your role (if applicable) to keep relevant tags on your profile
- Keep your location updated on your profile
- Ensure all your additional professional and social media links are active and linked properly. (Github, Angellist, Linkedin, Stackoverflow, Upwork, Twitter, etc)
- Keep your work experience updated, even if they were short projects.
- List out all your education qualifications, including certification courses.
- Tag all your skills, like all the programming languages you know and all other non tech skills you may know, eg; design methodologies.
- List out your recommendations received from previous employers or contractors.
- Keep that contribution calendar as green as possible! (Applicable for Github)
- How to Pass a Programming Interview
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- How to Make Your AngelList Profile Stand out from the Competition
- Here's what 4 companies really look for on your GitHub profile
- How to Get Your GitHub Profile Ready For Job Applications