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Stoic Commit
Stoic Commit

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Ask these questions everyday if you are looking for jobs!

#career

From Struggle to Success: A Practical Guide to Job Searching in Tech

Assuming you know what to do, ask these questions.

1. Am I Sticking to My Schedule?

Your grind depends on your life. Aim for 60 hours a week to go hard, unless you’ve got big obligations (like a newborn). You learn by doing. Just do the projects and learn along the way. This is how you do it. Trust me. Here are three schedules for your stage:

  • Schedule 1: No Portfolio Yet (60 Hours/Week)

    Starting fresh? Build projects and meet people to get a foot in the door.

    • Portfolio Projects (58 hours): Build 2-3 projects (see intro for ideas).
    • Meeting People (2 hours): Connect with pros at meetups or LinkedIn.

  • Schedule 2: Got Projects, Need Refinement (60 Hours/Week)

    Got decent projects? Polish them and network.

    • Portfolio Projects (30 hours): Refine projects (e.g., optimize code, add features).
    • Networking & Applications (15 hours): Research companies, send tailored applications.
    • Coding Practice (7.5 hours): Practice on LeetCode or HackerRank for interview prep.
    • Skill Development (7.5 hours): Deepen skills (e.g., Java Spring, AWS certs).

  • Schedule 3: Dope Ass Projects Done (40 Hours/Week)

    Portfolio’s fire? Focus on networking and interviews, cap at 40 hours. Spend the rest on health: gym, clean meals (lean protein, veggies). I’m not joking.

    • Networking & Applications (20 hours): Use connections for referrals, apply strategically.
    • Coding Practice (20 hours): Nail technical interviews (LeetCode, mock interviews).
    • Health (Off-Schedule): Work out, cook healthy meals.

Tip: Use Trello to track tasks. Can’t do 60 hours? Even 10 hours a week moves you forward if you focus right.

2. Am I Positioning Myself Effectively?

Are you standing out in the job market? If your callback rate’s under 10%, assess these:

  • Resume & LinkedIn: Do they showcase impact? “Built a Java app with 30% faster load times” beats “Did coding.” Use action verbs (Led, Optimized) and tailor with job keywords. Try Canva for clean designs.
  • Skills Check: Are your skills (e.g., Java, SQL) aligned with job postings? Use projects from the intro to bridge gaps. Check platforms like Indeed to see what employers want.
  • Feedback Loop: Ask a mentor or peer to review your resume or project READMEs. If you’re not getting responses, tweak based on feedback.

Tip: Treat your LinkedIn like a portfolio—post about your projects (e.g., your substring visualizer) to get noticed.

3. Am I Building a Network for the Long Haul?

I cannot stress how knowing the right people gets you soooo far. This is a long-term commitment, so start early. Don’t just chase referrals—build real relationships:

  • Engage in tech communities (e.g., Dev.to, Reddit’s r/java). Comment on posts or share insights.
  • Attend virtual or local meetups consistently, even if it’s just one a month.
  • Follow up with contacts: “Hey [Name], loved our chat about [topic]. Got any new projects cooking?”

Example: A buddy built a connection by joining a Java meetup and later got a job lead from a casual chat about Spring Boot.

4. What Did I Accomplish Today?

Ask this every day. Log three specific actions, and for every 20 minutes, have a clear task: “I’m creating a button on the frontend without an action that changes based on the component’s state for the next 20 minutes.” Stack these toward your goals (e.g., your social media app). What gets measured gets managed. This log becomes evidence of your grind and a source of pride. You’ll know you deserve that job.

Daily Log Template:

  • Date: [Today’s date]
  • Action 1: [e.g., Built a login page for my social media app]
  • Action 2: [e.g., Solved a LeetCode medium problem in Java]
  • Action 3: [e.g., Emailed a tech lead at [Company]]
  • Reflection: [What worked or needs tweaking]

You can’t refuse sweat. Three actions daily get you closer to that offer.

5. Did I Put in My Best Effort?

Focus on input, not output. Were you locked in during your work? Ask: “Did I waste time configuring neovim or did I actually build 4 pages on my web application?” Some days, your best is small—that’s cool. Do a 5-min reflection: “What killed it? What’s one thing for tomorrow?”

6. Am I Focusing on High-Impact Tasks?

Don’t get stuck on low-value stuff like tweaking vim configs. Prioritize:

  • Building relationships (e.g., follow-ups from meetups).
  • Applying strategically (e.g., those 2 daily emails).
  • Practicing high-demand skills (e.g., Java problems on Grind 75).
  • Improving projects (e.g., adding scalability to your compiler).

Use Pomodoro (25-min work bursts) to crush these tasks.

7. Am I Staying Sustainable?

This ain’t a sprint unless you’ve got years of experience. You can walk miles and miles but only sprint 100 meters. Protect your energy:

  • Breaks: 10-min walk every 2 hours boosts focus.
  • Social vibes: One night a week with friends or hobbies.
  • Headspace app for free meditation to chill stress.

Breaks lift productivity by 20%, studies say. Balance keeps you in the game.

Keep Grinding

Rejections hurt, but they teach. Every task (like coding your pizza app) levels you up. Every connection opens doors. Tech’s tough, but AI, cloud, and web3 are blowing up. Stay hungry, keep learning, and that role’s yours.

What’s one job search hack that’s worked for you? Drop it in the comments or join my weekly tech career newsletter!

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