Note
When I first started writing this post I was still in the thick of interviewing for a new role and I had a whole lot of emotions.
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As a dev who suffers from a lot of social anxiety, I appreciated this article a lot. I am going through a similar phase save for the actual putting myself out there. I'm normally just a lurker and rarely ever comment because (hi social anxiety). But I just wanted to drop a quick comment of Thanks for sharing this :)
💜 It's so tough.
Wishing you all the best as you continue to navigate through this phase.
First and foremost, congratulations.
I disagree to some extent on the cover letter copy/paste. You don't need to start from scratch every time, when many people won't even bother with your cover letter (especially if you're dealing with staffing agency recruiters, who often can't be bothered to even forward your cover letter to the client).
Your story doesn't start from scratch every time you apply to a job; it grows. Keep (and update) a template from which to pick and choose the relevant experiential bits, emphasizing what the company is looking for, and personalize based on what you know about the company.
I definitely have a "template" but I do customize it depending on the company and role. And I found if I did customize them and address them to the recruiter or hiring manager I found through LinkedIn then they usually were read. When I sent out bulk applications I didn't take the time to customize them. But when I started being more selective and applying to roles I really wanted I had a good success rate of getting an interview if I took the time to customize them 😊
Of course in uncertain economic times companies are going to be cautious about new hires. Also company department budgets will not be being rolled over as usual. I suppose my question would be then why were you limiting yourself to full employee status? Was contract or part time development off the table? Another takeaway from this experience: have savings. Why be in a rush to find Dev work at all?
I was working 3 contract jobs while interviewing. I worked for DigitalOcean, Exampro, and Oddbird on various projects.
We also had some savings. But I have 4 kids and live in a country where we are not yet residents and with the pandemic we aren't sure when we will have to pack up everything again and move back to the US. So having something a little more stable is important for me.
Interesting. I know a lot of people assume full time employment equates to stability. Not in my experience. Best of luck.
I don't equate it with the same kind of stability a lot of people do. More it leads to predictability for me and my family. I liked contract work and I actually made more money doing it but the work times and projects were unpredictable and caused unnecessary stress for my family. Not to mention the insane taxes I have to pay as a contractor. I'm glad it has worked out for you.
This is Costa Rica? Also interesting. Here in central Europe the contractor taxes are for me (2 kids) something like 500% less total outgoing than as a full time employee. I think that's why I was asking about the decision to swap out of contracting. Most I know would love the opportunity to have stable, remote contract work. Where I live full time employment in Dev is the lesser option.
I live in Costa Rica currently but I am a US citizen and pay US taxes. Contractors in the US have to pay federal income tax, self-employment tax and potentially state income tax. When you’re an employee, a company pays half of your Social Security and Medicare taxes. As an independent contractor, you pay 100% of the FICA taxes when you file your tax return. You also must pay the income taxes that weren’t withheld.
You need to also make quarterly payments each quarter to cover taxes or you will be fined.
Oh I see. That sounds tough. Frankly I have never understood the US system and personally I find it outrageous that the US allows so many to go without health insurance. Where I live healthcare is available equally to all, the quality is excellent, and prices for private treatment are low too. For example, braces for teeth and the whole course of treatment costs about 150 EUR. I know a lot of people in the US oppose that model for being 'socialism' but I think it is strange that people would be allowed to suffer high medical prices or denied treatment at all on ideological grounds.
Congratulations Christina!
I absolutely resonate with being told "Oh, you'll find something quickly". Interviewing is hard and nerve-wracking for most people regardless of how many years of technical experience they've accrued.
Every time I was looking for the next gig in the last two decades people told me this "you're good at your job, you will have NO problem finding a new position". It never held true.
We as an industry haven't managed to come up with a shortcut to relay this "good at your job" achievement to total strangers. And that's what interview partners usually are. So without any shortcut we are forced to play puzzle games and solve entirely theoretical problems just to be given a chance of proving ourselves again through new achievements at a new position.
Congratulations Christina!!!!!!!!!!
I also hate the tech interview process as well as I'm also on the job hunt and I can definitely relate. But after reading your article, it has given me hope. Great writeup!
Best of luck Natalie!!! I'm here if you ever need someone to vent to about it 💜
Great writeup Christina.
That is a LOT of companies, thus a LOT of persistence.
Yeah... this is a tough year. I saw (read) so many tears and stress when it comes to seeking jobs. Dev fields aren't any better than others... every industry has to shed employees and becomes more careful about getting new ones. It's nerve wrecking and stressful.
So glad that you made it! I know how hard it could be if you have 4 kids to raise.
Looking forward to working with you Christina! 😎
Woohoo!
I'M SO EXCITED!!!!!!!!!!
Oh yeah. #momsintech !!!
So excited to work with you Arit 💜
Yay!! Congrats Christina 🎉🎉🎉
I agree interviewing is really hard and I'm so happy you found a great fit.
Thank you Gift 🥰
Congratulations Christina
Hey Christina, congrats on the new job! You’re going to luv it here at DEV. The people that manage the site are awesome.
Thanks for this honest write-up, and my wishes for a great stint at DEV.to!
Congrats, Christina! Thanks for sharing your experiences.
PS: I never learnt data structures and algorithms