10 ms·

I'm a newer web developer with a few years of full-time experience (and over a decade of hobby experience), but definitely not a "senior" developer. Most job op

I'm a newer web developer with a few years of full-time experience (and over a decade of hobby experience), but definitely not a "senior" developer. Most job openings I see are for senior developers. I don't really know if this is historically normal, because I wasn't doing much developer job hunting a few years ago. For the jobs that I have applied to, I would say I am pretty well qualified. I have put a lot of time into my resume to make it clean and legible. I usually spend over an hour writing a cover letter, and I am pretty confident they are interesting, well written, and have a friendly/personal tone without coming across as awkward or over eager. Despite all of this effort and being pretty well qualified, I never hear back. Not even a rejection letter. Just silence. I have applied to pretty entry-level positions too for which I am overqualified, and also never hear back. Sample size is only about 10 applications, but they were very focused, well matched, high effort applications. If there is any shortage of web developers out there, companies sure aren't acting like it. It's not even like I would ask very much, I only want maybe $75k since I am currently way underpaid (about ~$50k in a big city). My guess is that this is just a side effect of unemployment being pretty high (if you look at realistic measures, not the biased official ones). Senior developers are willing to work for less than before because getting a job is harder these days, and less-than-senior developers can't get a job at all because there's only enough spots for the senior level ones.

djb_hackernews 10y ago
stop calling yourself a junior developer, you are selling yourself short.
- whamlastxmas 10y ago
  I don't, but I also don't call myself a senior developer. I'm just a "developer", middle level. I don't have a CS degree and I'm not algorithm or software patterns expert. I do web development and don't have experience with stuff outside of Laravel/PHP/Node.js/RoR and a myriad of front end technology. And no experience with very large scale applications that have millions of users. I say all this to make the point that I'm definitely not competitive with the type of people working at Google, but I have plenty enough experience making great sites from start to finish with a variety of tools.
  - noonespecial 10y ago
    >Laravel/PHP/Node.js/RoR That's senior to most of the people posting the jobs. You passed junior with PHP.
    - whamlastxmas 10y ago
      It's more my lack of depth with any of those aside from maybe Laravel that I would feel dishonest calling myself senior. I've made CRUD apps until my eyes bleed, but not a whole lot else. I don't have a lot of experience writing tests. I don't really have any open source code to show employers, only past projects that I've made as a side project or for an employer. It's rare that I have to write anything original that isn't already covered by the existing conventions of whatever framework I'm using. It just feels like a few years experience isn't "senior" when you look at the candidate market in general. I am probably well below the average numbers of years experience.
      - Phlarp 10y ago
        Stop over-analyzing this, and quit feeling "dishonest" calling yourself senior. Just do it. Start referring to yourself and seeing yourself as a senior software engineer and the paycheck is likely to follow-- regardless of your technical merits or lack there of. Far less qualified individuals than yourself successfully bill themselves as senior engineers or solutions consultants, and make several whole multiples of your pay doing so.
      - hellogoodbyeeee 10y ago
        My two cents: you should apply for some senior developer positions. You should be honest about your skills, but also you should be confident and not sell yourself short. What's the worst that can happen? You are already not getting callbacks.
      - deleted 10y ago
        [deleted]
  - emeraldd 10y ago
    My suggestion, branch out and learn some of the other tools, even if you have to do it in a non-professional environment. For building sites, you're competing with things like Site Slinger or various similar services. To be competitive in that kind of a market you'll need to have a different kind of value add (i.e. look like something more than a developer) to make your resume look more interesting. Some of it also depends on where you're looking for work and if you're looking for local or remote work. I had to jump cities to get a foot in the door (East Texas to Austin). YMV and good luck!
mattkrause 10y ago
> Despite all of this effort and being pretty well qualified, I never hear back. This is the worst part of job hunting. Replying to hundreds of applicants individually might be difficult, but a short email from noreply@company.com that says "Sorry, but the position has been filled. We will keep your application for M months in case we have another opening" wouldn't be unreasonable.
- thenipper 10y ago
  If they're getting hundreds of applicants they should be using a software system to manage them. They all can reject people quite easily...
  - mattkrause 10y ago
    I don't disagree but it's pretty rare, even when the submission is obviously through an applicant tracking system (taleo, brassring, etc). I don't know why. They might be trying to avoid angry emails, they might be trying to hang on to some backup candidates in case the one the hired does not work out, or maybe the tracking systems really are as bad as they appear. I went on an interview where they flew me across the country, put me up in a fancy hotel, and then...completely ghosted on me. I would guesstimate that they spent a few thousand dollars on me, including the flight, lodging, food, dinner with the team, and ~15ish hours of interviewer-time. I can't imagine that the cost of three minutes of the secretary (or manager)'s time would be a significant factor after that. Regardless, it's annoying....
    - mattmcknight 10y ago
      I think there is some fear is in responding negatively due to the vagaries of employment law, where you are giving people the opportunity to challenge you for not selecting you for the "wrong" reason. This is why most responses should be just,"we have not decided to bring you on at this time". I always like to keep a pipeline of potential candidates warm, contacting them at least once per month, so giving no feedback whatsoever seems like a bad strategy for anyone you might ever want to hire. However, you have to just start to imagine all of the things that happen on the other side of the curtain. The hiring manager moves to another project or hadn't been assigned when they started interviewing, the recruiter changes or their contract ends, the project funding gets delayed, the technology choice changes, they didn't know what kind of person they wanted, etc. In larger companies, you need a lot of coordination so that you don't lose a good candidate due to their not being a fit on the project that got to them first. I would never expect a response other than "resume received" from an online submission, but, once you speak with someone, a status update of some kind, even if it is a "no decision has been made" makes sense.
a_c_s 10y ago
Hearing back on 0/10 isn't great but it also isn't so far outside my experience when I was applying to my first few jobs. Some companies take a long time to get back to you (IIRC for Amazon I was offered an interview 2-3 months after applying) And many companies are just rude (don't even acknowledge receiving your application, don't follow up after interviews). However something that struck me about your story: most of my cover letters have consisted of a simple 3-4 sentence email. It mentioned the job, where I found it, expressed my enthusiasm for the position and highlighted some skills I have that match the job description. I'm curious to hear other opinions, but you might be trying too hard on the cover letters.
- whamlastxmas 10y ago
  My cover letters are usually three paragraphs. The first is two sentences saying that it looks like an exciting opportunity and introducing myself as a web developer in CityX whose client experience matches that of the hiring company. The second is a few sentences saying that my experience matches the desired qualifications in the job ad, and expressing my desire to always learn new technology and improve my existing skills (because it's usually not a literal perfect match). The third touches on why the position is a good match on a personal level, such as my personal/hobby interest in some topic that is central to the job. I close by saying I look forward to hearing more about I can help. In all, it's really not too much longer than this comment. Maybe only 3 sentences longer. I try to make it friendly and casual because I figure people don't like reading robotic, boring cover letters.
  - hluska 10y ago
    Ever thought of switching that up a little bit?? I've read many, many cover letters in my day and when I have a whole stack to get through, your style of cover letter gets boring fast. I know this is suboptimal and I've likely missed out on some very good people because of it, but that's just how it goes. Why not try telling a story that shows some sort of personal interest in the organization that you're applying to? Or, try to focus on showing your enthusiasm for the position. While you're working at changing your style, you should work on some basic mechanical things in your writing. I know that this is HN, so you likely didn't put much time into proofreading, but sentences like this one hurt me in my soul: "The second is a few sentences saying that my experience matches the desired qualifications in the job ad, and expressing my desire to always learn new technology and improve my existing skills (because it's usually not a literal perfect match)." Or, consider this sentence: "I close by saying I look forward to hearing more about I can help." Again, I understand that you likely didn't put much time into proofreading your comment, but you missed a pretty important word.
deleted 10y ago
[deleted]
fizzbatter 10y ago
Out of curiosity, where did you find employment? I know you struggled in applying to new places, but clearly you found some. Do you feel you got lucky? I feel i'm in the same boat, but with a different set of technologies. Regardless, i'm curious on what you feel you have succeeded at. Might be informative :)
- whamlastxmas 10y ago
  I'm in my second full time developer job. The first was front end only, and my current is full stack. First job was because I knew someone that moved to that company and ranted and raved advocating for them to hire me. My current job cared much less about technical aptitude and more general attitude and fit, and also pays fairly poorly (not just me, everyone). So I just sort of got lucky to some extent. Not sure what I've succeeded at. Being willing to learn is probably the biggest attribute to doing really well at my two developer jobs (according to my past and current boss). And just generally being a polite person who's easy to work with and willing to take on tasks without complaining.
tromobne8vb 10y ago
In a lot of companies, including mine, Senior Developer is close to entry level. People with 3+ years experience are being hired at the Senior Developer level.
- dozzie 10y ago
  Indeed. I hope this changes when we have more and more people with ten or fifteen or twenty years of experience.
Kluny 10y ago
I'm a web developer who's having a similar experience. I'll tell you something that you may or may not find heartening. My 3-paragraph cover letters aren't doing jack for getting interviews. On the other hand, clicking the "easily apply" button on indeed or wherever, assuming I'm qualified for the job, has yielded at least a phone call in 3 of the last 5 times I tried it (this month). No cover letter, just maybe two sentences about who I am and why I'm interested. It hasn't gotten me a job yet, mind you, but phone calls are slightly more encouraging than silence.
- whamlastxmas 10y ago
  I am really having to focus on remote jobs since my current city sucks and moving isn't an option. Indeed is frustrating because of * All of the recruiter/middle-man spam that I couldn't find an option to filter out * Most companies are doing something pretty boring (marketing/advertising) and look like pretty miserable places to spend most of your waking life * Remote positions are pretty rare, and when they exist they have super high expectations
  - mkozlows 10y ago
    So you won't deal with recruiters, are only willing to work remotely, and don't want to look at any place boring... and you think that the unemployment rate has a lick of anything to do with why you can't find a job?
    - whamlastxmas 10y ago
      I'm fine not working remotely, but the opportunities aren't really abundant in my city. And it doesn't seem all that unrealistic to not want to be shoved into a dusty cubicle making a frameworkless procedural PHP application to replace Excel spreadsheets for a company that sells shady SEO consulting services.
      - drdeadringer 10y ago
        It sounds like you have to figure out which one of your variables has to give in addition to your "remote//no-remote" toggle -- not moving, no boring work, no "unethical to my standards" work, and like this.
hiou 10y ago
Its definitely slowing down a bit, but the other side is that the talent pool is growing significantly. This doesn't mean there is nothing out there. That said, it is getting much closer to looking for any typical professional job if you don't have contacts. Send out tons of resumes and eventually you'll get lucky type stuff. Sometimes doing some freelance contact work for a company is a good in for web work as well.
- walki 10y ago
  The pool is definitely growing. One of the consequences of this is that you now often have to do online coding tests in order to be invited to a real interview on site. Personally I think that in Europe it has become much more difficult to find a job as a software developer compared to a decade ago and the wages are also going down. I don't see how the US can escape the same destiny in near future...
sotojuan 10y ago
Honestly you might just be getting lost in the application sea. Entry level web dev jobs get tons, TONS of applications.
twunde 10y ago
I never had much luck applying directly for positions. Try working with recruiters. They have a bad reputation as a whole, but at the very least they should be able to get some interviews scheduled for you. The other thing you should try doing is going to tech meetups in your local area and talking to people there.
- whamlastxmas 10y ago
  I have much more patience for unanswered applications than I do for recruiters. I have had some extremely negative experiences with them and I'd rather be underpaid in my job than deal with being abused by recruiters.
  - knowaveragejoe 10y ago
    I'm at a similar level of experience as you at roughly the same place in my career. I've only interacted with one recruiter and it worked out very well for me, leading to my first full-time "real" position at a company with some other fairly talented developers from whom I gleaned a ton of knowledge. I guess it's a YMMV kind of thing. They didn't ask me to sign or pay anything, they just asked for technical qualifications(languages, tools) just lined up multiple interviews in one day for me that were a rough match.
  - mkozlows 10y ago
    There are different types of recruiters. Some are junk. Some are good. But for better or worse, many many jobs are going to hire through them, so you'll want to get past this distaste for them.
  - ChrisDutrow 10y ago
    What kind of negative experiences have you had with recruiters? I don't know much about them...
    - whamlastxmas 10y ago
      It boils to down lying like crazy and saying/giving private information to the potential employer I didn't consent to.
abritinthebay 10y ago
One general maxim I've heard is that for every 50+ cold applications (ie - non-recruiter or internal contact) you send off... you'll get one interview out of it. Not a job. Just an interview. Seems pretty accurate in my experience - which is why I almost always aim to use recruiters.
- brobinson 10y ago
  This jives with my experience last year: I applied to over 100 jobs (kept track in a spreadsheet), about 10 of them replied, interviewed with 2 of them, passed both, got an offer from one of them, rejected/renegotiated it and ultimate accepted it.
elliotec 10y ago
Try networking more. Go to meetups and tech events, tell them you're in the market, build relationships and all that will surely be more effective than blasting out resumes and cover letters.
- whamlastxmas 10y ago
  You're right, I need to do this more.
ryandrake 10y ago
The "Shortage Of Developers" myth just can't seem to die. Software development labor is a market. If there was really a shortage of developers, you'd see compensation rising to adjust, looser restrictions on remote work, role/responsibility incentives, etc, but is this happening? If anything, there is a shortage of developers who: - Have 3-5 years of experience ("Senior, but not too-Senior" engineers) - Have narrow-enough skill sets - Are willing to settle for a very narrowly-defined role - Are willing to live in specific areas - AND Are willing to work for the compensation offered Picky companies can't seem to find these mythical employees in large numbers, so they throw their hands up and declare "shortage of engineers!" Here are some software engineers that are largely getting ignored: - People with 0-2 years of experience - People with 10+ years of experience - Software generalists - Engineers who would also like to broaden their roles/responsibility (+architecture, +project management, +design?) - Remote engineers - Engineers who demand more than "competitively average" packages
- cinquemb 10y ago
  >Here are some software engineers that are largely getting ignored: Idk, people who have problems they need solved today (not after stringing along would be devs for months for the latest fad-de-jour) opportunities are out there, but take some looking outside of the crap posting resumes and useless meetups…
- runT1ME 10y ago
  >The "Shortage Of Developers" myth just can't seem to die. Software development labor is a market. If there was really a shortage of developers, you'd see compensation rising to adjust, looser restrictions on remote work, role/responsibility incentives, etc, but is this happening? Yes...? All of this has happened. Twitter has become remote friendly. My employer is 100% no remote but continues to make exceptions and we have 6 or so remote employees now. Salaries have skyrocket in the last five years. So I'd say...yes, there is a shortage of talented developers.
  - onion2k 10y ago
    there is a shortage of talented developers "talented" in that context usually means "has the ability of an experienced developer at the salary of a more junior developer." If you accept that talented software engineers are the people who are simply good at software development then there are plenty - but they're often older, more experienced, and consequently paid more.
danielhooper 10y ago
I've left technical interviews with people asking me when I can start only to go silent when I follow up after the interview. It's just part of the hustle...
deleted 10y ago
[deleted]
antoniuschan99 10y ago
Feel free to email me if you need some help. I may be able to provide some guidance.
deagle50 10y ago
Not sure if dev is different but in ops you rarely get to a 'senior' position until you apply for one and get the job. That said, applying to jobs without meeting someone there first is not the best way to go about it.
tcper 10y ago
To be honest, you said you're a less-than-senior developer, maybe your resume is not that good, no matter how serious you wrote it, when I read resume, I focus on the key word to evaluate whether the candidate is fitting the job, not for the tone.
stickperson 10y ago
Do you ever check out the Who's Hiring thread here?

djb_hackernews 10y ago

stop calling yourself a junior developer, you are selling yourself short.

whamlastxmas 10y ago
I don't, but I also don't call myself a senior developer. I'm just a "developer", middle level. I don't have a CS degree and I'm not algorithm or software patterns expert. I do web development and don't have experience with stuff outside of Laravel/PHP/Node.js/RoR and a myriad of front end technology. And no experience with very large scale applications that have millions of users. I say all this to make the point that I'm definitely not competitive with the type of people working at Google, but I have plenty enough experience making great sites from start to finish with a variety of tools.
- noonespecial 10y ago
  >Laravel/PHP/Node.js/RoR That's senior to most of the people posting the jobs. You passed junior with PHP.
  - whamlastxmas 10y ago
    It's more my lack of depth with any of those aside from maybe Laravel that I would feel dishonest calling myself senior. I've made CRUD apps until my eyes bleed, but not a whole lot else. I don't have a lot of experience writing tests. I don't really have any open source code to show employers, only past projects that I've made as a side project or for an employer. It's rare that I have to write anything original that isn't already covered by the existing conventions of whatever framework I'm using. It just feels like a few years experience isn't "senior" when you look at the candidate market in general. I am probably well below the average numbers of years experience.
    - Phlarp 10y ago
      Stop over-analyzing this, and quit feeling "dishonest" calling yourself senior. Just do it. Start referring to yourself and seeing yourself as a senior software engineer and the paycheck is likely to follow-- regardless of your technical merits or lack there of. Far less qualified individuals than yourself successfully bill themselves as senior engineers or solutions consultants, and make several whole multiples of your pay doing so.
    - hellogoodbyeeee 10y ago
      My two cents: you should apply for some senior developer positions. You should be honest about your skills, but also you should be confident and not sell yourself short. What's the worst that can happen? You are already not getting callbacks.
    - deleted 10y ago
      [deleted]
- emeraldd 10y ago
  My suggestion, branch out and learn some of the other tools, even if you have to do it in a non-professional environment. For building sites, you're competing with things like Site Slinger or various similar services. To be competitive in that kind of a market you'll need to have a different kind of value add (i.e. look like something more than a developer) to make your resume look more interesting. Some of it also depends on where you're looking for work and if you're looking for local or remote work. I had to jump cities to get a foot in the door (East Texas to Austin). YMV and good luck!

mattkrause 10y ago

> Despite all of this effort and being pretty well qualified, I never hear back. This is the worst part of job hunting. Replying to hundreds of applicants individually might be difficult, but a short email from noreply@company.com that says "Sorry, but the position has been filled. We will keep your application for M months in case we have another opening" wouldn't be unreasonable.

thenipper 10y ago
If they're getting hundreds of applicants they should be using a software system to manage them. They all can reject people quite easily...
- mattkrause 10y ago
  I don't disagree but it's pretty rare, even when the submission is obviously through an applicant tracking system (taleo, brassring, etc). I don't know why. They might be trying to avoid angry emails, they might be trying to hang on to some backup candidates in case the one the hired does not work out, or maybe the tracking systems really are as bad as they appear. I went on an interview where they flew me across the country, put me up in a fancy hotel, and then...completely ghosted on me. I would guesstimate that they spent a few thousand dollars on me, including the flight, lodging, food, dinner with the team, and ~15ish hours of interviewer-time. I can't imagine that the cost of three minutes of the secretary (or manager)'s time would be a significant factor after that. Regardless, it's annoying....
  - mattmcknight 10y ago
    I think there is some fear is in responding negatively due to the vagaries of employment law, where you are giving people the opportunity to challenge you for not selecting you for the "wrong" reason. This is why most responses should be just,"we have not decided to bring you on at this time". I always like to keep a pipeline of potential candidates warm, contacting them at least once per month, so giving no feedback whatsoever seems like a bad strategy for anyone you might ever want to hire. However, you have to just start to imagine all of the things that happen on the other side of the curtain. The hiring manager moves to another project or hadn't been assigned when they started interviewing, the recruiter changes or their contract ends, the project funding gets delayed, the technology choice changes, they didn't know what kind of person they wanted, etc. In larger companies, you need a lot of coordination so that you don't lose a good candidate due to their not being a fit on the project that got to them first. I would never expect a response other than "resume received" from an online submission, but, once you speak with someone, a status update of some kind, even if it is a "no decision has been made" makes sense.

a_c_s 10y ago

Hearing back on 0/10 isn't great but it also isn't so far outside my experience when I was applying to my first few jobs. Some companies take a long time to get back to you (IIRC for Amazon I was offered an interview 2-3 months after applying) And many companies are just rude (don't even acknowledge receiving your application, don't follow up after interviews). However something that struck me about your story: most of my cover letters have consisted of a simple 3-4 sentence email. It mentioned the job, where I found it, expressed my enthusiasm for the position and highlighted some skills I have that match the job description. I'm curious to hear other opinions, but you might be trying too hard on the cover letters.

whamlastxmas 10y ago
My cover letters are usually three paragraphs. The first is two sentences saying that it looks like an exciting opportunity and introducing myself as a web developer in CityX whose client experience matches that of the hiring company. The second is a few sentences saying that my experience matches the desired qualifications in the job ad, and expressing my desire to always learn new technology and improve my existing skills (because it's usually not a literal perfect match). The third touches on why the position is a good match on a personal level, such as my personal/hobby interest in some topic that is central to the job. I close by saying I look forward to hearing more about I can help. In all, it's really not too much longer than this comment. Maybe only 3 sentences longer. I try to make it friendly and casual because I figure people don't like reading robotic, boring cover letters.
- hluska 10y ago
  Ever thought of switching that up a little bit?? I've read many, many cover letters in my day and when I have a whole stack to get through, your style of cover letter gets boring fast. I know this is suboptimal and I've likely missed out on some very good people because of it, but that's just how it goes. Why not try telling a story that shows some sort of personal interest in the organization that you're applying to? Or, try to focus on showing your enthusiasm for the position. While you're working at changing your style, you should work on some basic mechanical things in your writing. I know that this is HN, so you likely didn't put much time into proofreading, but sentences like this one hurt me in my soul: "The second is a few sentences saying that my experience matches the desired qualifications in the job ad, and expressing my desire to always learn new technology and improve my existing skills (because it's usually not a literal perfect match)." Or, consider this sentence: "I close by saying I look forward to hearing more about I can help." Again, I understand that you likely didn't put much time into proofreading your comment, but you missed a pretty important word.

deleted 10y ago

[deleted]

fizzbatter 10y ago

Out of curiosity, where did you find employment? I know you struggled in applying to new places, but clearly you found some. Do you feel you got lucky? I feel i'm in the same boat, but with a different set of technologies. Regardless, i'm curious on what you feel you have succeeded at. Might be informative :)

whamlastxmas 10y ago
I'm in my second full time developer job. The first was front end only, and my current is full stack. First job was because I knew someone that moved to that company and ranted and raved advocating for them to hire me. My current job cared much less about technical aptitude and more general attitude and fit, and also pays fairly poorly (not just me, everyone). So I just sort of got lucky to some extent. Not sure what I've succeeded at. Being willing to learn is probably the biggest attribute to doing really well at my two developer jobs (according to my past and current boss). And just generally being a polite person who's easy to work with and willing to take on tasks without complaining.

tromobne8vb 10y ago

In a lot of companies, including mine, Senior Developer is close to entry level. People with 3+ years experience are being hired at the Senior Developer level.

dozzie 10y ago
Indeed. I hope this changes when we have more and more people with ten or fifteen or twenty years of experience.

Kluny 10y ago

I'm a web developer who's having a similar experience. I'll tell you something that you may or may not find heartening. My 3-paragraph cover letters aren't doing jack for getting interviews. On the other hand, clicking the "easily apply" button on indeed or wherever, assuming I'm qualified for the job, has yielded at least a phone call in 3 of the last 5 times I tried it (this month). No cover letter, just maybe two sentences about who I am and why I'm interested. It hasn't gotten me a job yet, mind you, but phone calls are slightly more encouraging than silence.

whamlastxmas 10y ago
I am really having to focus on remote jobs since my current city sucks and moving isn't an option. Indeed is frustrating because of * All of the recruiter/middle-man spam that I couldn't find an option to filter out * Most companies are doing something pretty boring (marketing/advertising) and look like pretty miserable places to spend most of your waking life * Remote positions are pretty rare, and when they exist they have super high expectations
- mkozlows 10y ago
  So you won't deal with recruiters, are only willing to work remotely, and don't want to look at any place boring... and you think that the unemployment rate has a lick of anything to do with why you can't find a job?
  - whamlastxmas 10y ago
    I'm fine not working remotely, but the opportunities aren't really abundant in my city. And it doesn't seem all that unrealistic to not want to be shoved into a dusty cubicle making a frameworkless procedural PHP application to replace Excel spreadsheets for a company that sells shady SEO consulting services.
    - drdeadringer 10y ago
      It sounds like you have to figure out which one of your variables has to give in addition to your "remote//no-remote" toggle -- not moving, no boring work, no "unethical to my standards" work, and like this.

hiou 10y ago

Its definitely slowing down a bit, but the other side is that the talent pool is growing significantly. This doesn't mean there is nothing out there. That said, it is getting much closer to looking for any typical professional job if you don't have contacts. Send out tons of resumes and eventually you'll get lucky type stuff. Sometimes doing some freelance contact work for a company is a good in for web work as well.

walki 10y ago
The pool is definitely growing. One of the consequences of this is that you now often have to do online coding tests in order to be invited to a real interview on site. Personally I think that in Europe it has become much more difficult to find a job as a software developer compared to a decade ago and the wages are also going down. I don't see how the US can escape the same destiny in near future...

sotojuan 10y ago

Honestly you might just be getting lost in the application sea. Entry level web dev jobs get tons, TONS of applications.

twunde 10y ago

I never had much luck applying directly for positions. Try working with recruiters. They have a bad reputation as a whole, but at the very least they should be able to get some interviews scheduled for you. The other thing you should try doing is going to tech meetups in your local area and talking to people there.

whamlastxmas 10y ago
I have much more patience for unanswered applications than I do for recruiters. I have had some extremely negative experiences with them and I'd rather be underpaid in my job than deal with being abused by recruiters.
- knowaveragejoe 10y ago
  I'm at a similar level of experience as you at roughly the same place in my career. I've only interacted with one recruiter and it worked out very well for me, leading to my first full-time "real" position at a company with some other fairly talented developers from whom I gleaned a ton of knowledge. I guess it's a YMMV kind of thing. They didn't ask me to sign or pay anything, they just asked for technical qualifications(languages, tools) just lined up multiple interviews in one day for me that were a rough match.
- mkozlows 10y ago
  There are different types of recruiters. Some are junk. Some are good. But for better or worse, many many jobs are going to hire through them, so you'll want to get past this distaste for them.
- ChrisDutrow 10y ago
  What kind of negative experiences have you had with recruiters? I don't know much about them...
  - whamlastxmas 10y ago
    It boils to down lying like crazy and saying/giving private information to the potential employer I didn't consent to.

abritinthebay 10y ago

One general maxim I've heard is that for every 50+ cold applications (ie - non-recruiter or internal contact) you send off... you'll get one interview out of it. Not a job. Just an interview. Seems pretty accurate in my experience - which is why I almost always aim to use recruiters.

brobinson 10y ago
This jives with my experience last year: I applied to over 100 jobs (kept track in a spreadsheet), about 10 of them replied, interviewed with 2 of them, passed both, got an offer from one of them, rejected/renegotiated it and ultimate accepted it.

elliotec 10y ago

Try networking more. Go to meetups and tech events, tell them you're in the market, build relationships and all that will surely be more effective than blasting out resumes and cover letters.

whamlastxmas 10y ago
You're right, I need to do this more.

ryandrake 10y ago

The "Shortage Of Developers" myth just can't seem to die. Software development labor is a market. If there was really a shortage of developers, you'd see compensation rising to adjust, looser restrictions on remote work, role/responsibility incentives, etc, but is this happening? If anything, there is a shortage of developers who: - Have 3-5 years of experience ("Senior, but not too-Senior" engineers) - Have narrow-enough skill sets - Are willing to settle for a very narrowly-defined role - Are willing to live in specific areas - AND Are willing to work for the compensation offered Picky companies can't seem to find these mythical employees in large numbers, so they throw their hands up and declare "shortage of engineers!" Here are some software engineers that are largely getting ignored: - People with 0-2 years of experience - People with 10+ years of experience - Software generalists - Engineers who would also like to broaden their roles/responsibility (+architecture, +project management, +design?) - Remote engineers - Engineers who demand more than "competitively average" packages

cinquemb 10y ago
>Here are some software engineers that are largely getting ignored: Idk, people who have problems they need solved today (not after stringing along would be devs for months for the latest fad-de-jour) opportunities are out there, but take some looking outside of the crap posting resumes and useless meetups…
runT1ME 10y ago
>The "Shortage Of Developers" myth just can't seem to die. Software development labor is a market. If there was really a shortage of developers, you'd see compensation rising to adjust, looser restrictions on remote work, role/responsibility incentives, etc, but is this happening? Yes...? All of this has happened. Twitter has become remote friendly. My employer is 100% no remote but continues to make exceptions and we have 6 or so remote employees now. Salaries have skyrocket in the last five years. So I'd say...yes, there is a shortage of talented developers.
- onion2k 10y ago
  there is a shortage of talented developers "talented" in that context usually means "has the ability of an experienced developer at the salary of a more junior developer." If you accept that talented software engineers are the people who are simply good at software development then there are plenty - but they're often older, more experienced, and consequently paid more.

danielhooper 10y ago

I've left technical interviews with people asking me when I can start only to go silent when I follow up after the interview. It's just part of the hustle...

deleted 10y ago

[deleted]

antoniuschan99 10y ago

Feel free to email me if you need some help. I may be able to provide some guidance.

deagle50 10y ago

Not sure if dev is different but in ops you rarely get to a 'senior' position until you apply for one and get the job. That said, applying to jobs without meeting someone there first is not the best way to go about it.

tcper 10y ago

To be honest, you said you're a less-than-senior developer, maybe your resume is not that good, no matter how serious you wrote it, when I read resume, I focus on the key word to evaluate whether the candidate is fitting the job, not for the tone.

stickperson 10y ago

Do you ever check out the Who's Hiring thread here?