Treat the process as mechanically as possible. Spreadsheets, strategies, tactics, etc.
At this point anything is better than nothing. If you find an opportunity you're not sure about, consider saying yes and be open to leaving for something else in the near future after that.
Being on the other side of the hump is important. The ongoing need to keep learning never stops, but the opportunities will increase with experience (both resumé experience and just the experience itself which will help put things in perspective for the next time you're looking.)
Consider reaching out far and wide even to places that are not actively looking. Convince them you are the passionate technologist they knew they wanted but haven't gotten around to putting up a listing for.
And here are some thoughts about your "positioning" as a candidate and first impressions, which I would hope would absolutely not be a thing, but as a candidate you probably find every way to "play the game" even if the game is stupid.
Your Linkedin bio starts with...
As a kid, I loved learning about "hidden" features of the internet and computers, like HTML and simple gaming cheat codes. Like many career-changers, I never thought this related to a future in programming, but I often wondered if technology could be my "dream" job field. While studying for the LSAT, I only enjoyed the logic puzzles section, and I was reminded of how these puzzles, proofs, and Booleans related to the general understanding I had of "computer science" at the time.
And in some way I feel like it makes you come off as a little more "beginner" than you need to. (It should be fine to present this way, but to get your foot in the door sometimes it helps to re-position yourself).
Logical puzzles and problem solving have always been at my heart. While studing for the LSAT I stumbled upon an interest in computer science and software. I then made the plunge into the field of software engineering....
When I read your paragraph, LSAT definitely stood out as a pseudo-qualification into complex logic work, and I don't know if you give yourself enough credit. So did "Investment Management Summer Analyst at Goldman Sachs". My "Investment Analyst/Pre-law" phrase might not be accurate, but whatever the accurate statement to get the point across that you have a background in some of this stuff will help a lot.
And one last thought:
I think "speaker"-looking profile pics tend to make for good impressions in this craft. I googled "software engineer speaker" and pulled this picture...
Without any extra context, that person just sort of seems hireable.
Within our org we go to great lengths to keep evaluations fairly blind and to limit the discussions evaluators have with one another to avoid falling into just looking at LinkedIn profiles and getting a quick first impressions, but I don't have a lot of faith that the industry does this in general.
Anyway, just concrete thoughts. Things will ultimately work out if you persevere, but there are some things that could speed things up. Some candidates are really good at "playing the game" and get jobs they are not qualified for. You as a thoughtful programmer who already has a bunch of accomplishments including top 7 on DEV, could stand to position yourself to get every advantage you can.
Ben, thank you SO much for your comments. I am constantly amazed by the dev community overall and especially the personal involvement that the creators have. It is truly unique, reassuring, motivating.
These are all clear and actionable pieces of advice - which is surprisingly rare these days and I really appreciate it. I.e. a lot of people say "work on your bio" but don't take the time to look at it or offer anything specific.
I definitely struggle most with "playing the game" - from imposter syndrome and never wanting to feel dishonest - but I think I'm getting better with it, and obviously always challenging my beliefs about honesty and positive framing being exclusive.
Just a side note, but having successful posts on here/top 7 are still some of my favorite accomplishments and most reassuring, tangible things I can look back on when I'm feeling down about myself and qualifications. I definitely owe that to my bootcamp - blog posts are a requirement and my instructor recommended we use dev. I remember thinking I would hate writing blog posts. I thought I'd have no idea how to fill a page with my own thoughts about tech lol. But dev has showed me how easy/fun it can be to write about something you're truly passionate about, and how reassuring it is to have complete strangers from all over the world respond positively.
Anyway, thank you for the existence of DEV and of course for these specific comments :)
Treat the process as mechanically as possible. Spreadsheets, strategies, tactics, etc.
At this point anything is better than nothing. If you find an opportunity you're not sure about, consider saying yes and be open to leaving for something else in the near future after that.
Being on the other side of the hump is important. The ongoing need to keep learning never stops, but the opportunities will increase with experience (both resumé experience and just the experience itself which will help put things in perspective for the next time you're looking.)
Consider reaching out far and wide even to places that are not actively looking. Convince them you are the passionate technologist they knew they wanted but haven't gotten around to putting up a listing for.
And here are some thoughts about your "positioning" as a candidate and first impressions, which I would hope would absolutely not be a thing, but as a candidate you probably find every way to "play the game" even if the game is stupid.
Your Linkedin bio starts with...
And in some way I feel like it makes you come off as a little more "beginner" than you need to. (It should be fine to present this way, but to get your foot in the door sometimes it helps to re-position yourself).
What about something along the lines of...
When I read your paragraph, LSAT definitely stood out as a pseudo-qualification into complex logic work, and I don't know if you give yourself enough credit. So did "Investment Management Summer Analyst at Goldman Sachs". My "Investment Analyst/Pre-law" phrase might not be accurate, but whatever the accurate statement to get the point across that you have a background in some of this stuff will help a lot.
And one last thought:
I think "speaker"-looking profile pics tend to make for good impressions in this craft. I googled "software engineer speaker" and pulled this picture...
Without any extra context, that person just sort of seems hireable.
Within our org we go to great lengths to keep evaluations fairly blind and to limit the discussions evaluators have with one another to avoid falling into just looking at LinkedIn profiles and getting a quick first impressions, but I don't have a lot of faith that the industry does this in general.
Anyway, just concrete thoughts. Things will ultimately work out if you persevere, but there are some things that could speed things up. Some candidates are really good at "playing the game" and get jobs they are not qualified for. You as a thoughtful programmer who already has a bunch of accomplishments including top 7 on DEV, could stand to position yourself to get every advantage you can.
Ben, thank you SO much for your comments. I am constantly amazed by the dev community overall and especially the personal involvement that the creators have. It is truly unique, reassuring, motivating.
These are all clear and actionable pieces of advice - which is surprisingly rare these days and I really appreciate it. I.e. a lot of people say "work on your bio" but don't take the time to look at it or offer anything specific.
I definitely struggle most with "playing the game" - from imposter syndrome and never wanting to feel dishonest - but I think I'm getting better with it, and obviously always challenging my beliefs about honesty and positive framing being exclusive.
Just a side note, but having successful posts on here/top 7 are still some of my favorite accomplishments and most reassuring, tangible things I can look back on when I'm feeling down about myself and qualifications. I definitely owe that to my bootcamp - blog posts are a requirement and my instructor recommended we use dev. I remember thinking I would hate writing blog posts. I thought I'd have no idea how to fill a page with my own thoughts about tech lol. But dev has showed me how easy/fun it can be to write about something you're truly passionate about, and how reassuring it is to have complete strangers from all over the world respond positively.
Anyway, thank you for the existence of DEV and of course for these specific comments :)
Keep at it, you got this! 💪