Unconventional ways to find a software engineering job

With the job market for software devs in a lull and layoffs becoming more and more common, it’s more difficult to get hired these days. I recently had to find a job in this market myself, and it was a challenge. Here are some of the things that helped me.

Make IRL connections

If you live in a larger city, it’s likely that there are events or meetups nearby. I recommend using meetup.com or checking local event websites for tech-related meetups. Although you may be looking for a job, it’s better to focus on making real connections here. Going to events and asking everyone you meet if they’re hiring isn’t a great way to go about it. To form connections, I’d recommend picking 1-2 regular events and joining them weekly. You’ll see familiar faces and become one yourself.

When selecting events, I recommend picking non-corporate ones if you have the chance. You don’t have to rule out corporate events completely, but I’ve found it’s easier to make connections at more socially-focused ones.

Create a side project and talk about it

This is an underrated method. There’s several advantages to this:

1. You get something to put on your resume.
2. It proves you can deliver software.
3. It gives you something to talk about - you can do so at events/meetups which are often looking for speakers.
4. You can gain experience with a new technology, language, or platform.

I created algojobs.io in my free time, and ended up getting a job offer because of it. A friend of mine also got an offer because of his side project, so I don’t think this is rare.

Write a blog

A blog like this one is great for building an audience, and someone in that audience may be looking for a developer. You can blog about your side project, technologies you’re interested in, things you are learning, or things you have learned. Doing this well should showcase your expertise. The benefits from doing this can be big.

Getting results

This advice can take time to bear fruit, but it’s worth the time commitment if you can afford it. I also wouldn’t stop doing these things just because you’ve landed a job, because you never know when you may want to try something new. Good luck!