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    Competitive Tech Job Offers? 6 Ways to Compare and Find the Right Fit

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    Steps to take when deciding between multiple job offers

    If you’re considering competitive job offers, you’ve already passed the hardest part of finding a new role. However, it doesn’t mean your job hunt is over yet. Choosing the right company and position might be challenging, particularly given the many factors playing a part in your final decision. Read on for some key tips to help lucky professionals with more than one offer on their plate.

    1. Determine your priorities

    Before you start evaluating job offers, ask yourself: What matters most to you in a job? Is it a high salary, flexible working hours, work-life balance, company culture, or growth opportunities? Knowing your priorities will help you evaluate job offers based on how well they meet your needs.

    Related: Ready to Find Your Dream Job? Start with Knowing What You Want 

    For example, let’s say work-life balance is your top priority. You may want to consider an offer with a flexible schedule or remote work options. On the other hand, if you value career growth, you may want to prioritize competitive job offers with a clear path for advancement and mentorship opportunities.

    2. Consider the salary and benefits

    By the time you’ve reached the offer stage, the salary they offer should not be a complete shock if you’ve had a transparent conversation with the company about your expectations. But, regardless of whether conversations have taken place, chances are the offers will vary slightly. This depends on how each company is calibrating the role and responsibilities for the position they’re offering you.

    An advantage of competitive job offers is your ability to leverage them against each other. This won’t always work depending on the company’s circumstances, but it could be worth a shot. 

    Related: How to Leverage Multiple Offers to Get the Job You Want

    The job offer with a higher salary and better benefits might be very attractive too. However, it’s important to consider the entire compensation package, including bonuses, stock options, and other perks. Additionally, account for the cost of living in the area where the job is located.A high salary may seem impressive, but if the cost of living is also high, it may not go as far as you think. Consider the overall value of the compensation package, including both salary and benefits when evaluating job offers.

    Related: See how companies value your experience with Hired’s Salary Calculator

    Does the offer include other types of cash compensation?

    In addition to base salary offers received, don’t forget to account for stock options and bonuses, or other incentives. 

    Stock options can be difficult to value for private companies since they’re not actually worth anything until (or if) an exit event occurs. That said, many startup employees have made off well after their employer goes public or gets acquired. So, stock options may be a valuable perk if you believe in what the company is doing. 

    Offer packages typically indicate a number of shares. Ask the hiring manager for the total number of shares outstanding to calculate the percent ownership of the company you’ve been offered. This is a better indicator of value than the absolute number of shares. 

    What benefits do the competitive job offers provide?

    Health insurance, commuting costs, and retirement plans are commonly added perks used to attract talent. It’s worth comparing these benefits between companies. If you really want to get granular, research the market value of each of these perks. Then, add it to your cash offers to get a holistic sense of how each package affects your finances.

    For those thinking about starting or growing a family, research the maternity and/or paternity leave policies for the companies you’re comparing. Given the significant cost of adding a new member to the family, a great parental leave policy might make or break whether a salary package makes sense for you.

    In addition, research vacation allowances for each company. Many established tech companies and startups have flexible, or even unlimited, vacation policies. If you’re a big traveler or need frequent weekends away, vacation policies might play a significant role in your decision.

    3. Assess the company culture

    Company culture is also an essential consideration as it will have a significant impact on your job satisfaction and overall well-being. Research the company’s values, mission statement, and work environment to determine if it aligns with your personal beliefs and preferences.

    Consider factors such as work-life balance, employee perks, social events, and company values. A company with a strong culture aligning with your personal beliefs can make a big difference in your job satisfaction and long-term happiness.

    Keep this in mind: There’s more to negotiate beyond salary. The number of options might surprise you! Check out this ebook for guidance on all the perks and benefits you could integrate into your total compensation. 

    How well do you get along with the team?

    At the end of the day, you’ll be spending most of your days with the rest of the people on your new team, so how your personalities mesh is one of the most important factors to consider before accepting a position. 

    Depending on the role and team dynamic, it may even make sense to ask to meet some of the team outside of the office. Maybe ask your potential new manager for a coffee chat if you’re questioning whether you’ll enjoy working with them.

    4. Evaluate growth opportunities

    Assessing each job offer’s potential for career advancement can be difficult before starting a new role. But do your best to have frank discussions with the hiring manager for each position you’re considering. 

    Consider factors such as training and development programs, mentorship opportunities, and potential for upward mobility. You may want to look for a job offer with opportunities for learning new skills, attending conferences, and taking on leadership roles.

    While smaller startups can offer unparalleled opportunities to explore new job functions and learn quickly, career progression isn’t always as clear as it might be at a larger company. Think about what your near and longer-term career goals look like, and how the various companies do (or don’t) fit into those goals.

    5. Analyze the job responsibilities

    The job responsibilities and expectations can significantly impact your job satisfaction and work-life balance. Therefore, you’ll want to analyze each job’s responsibilities and determine if they align with your skills, interests, and career goals.

    Consider factors such as job duties, work hours, and travel requirements. If you’re not excited about the job responsibilities, it’s probably not the right fit for you. 

    6. Seek feedback from people you trust

    Finally, get feedback and advice from trusted friends, colleagues, or mentors. They can provide insight into factors you may have overlooked and offer a fresh perspective on each job offer.

    Ask for feedback on the company culture, job responsibilities, and growth opportunities. Additionally, get their input on how each job offer aligns with your long-term career goals and personal priorities.

    Making the decision between competitive job offers

    When it comes down to making a decision, there is no perfect formula for making a decision when you have multiple offers to choose from. It depends on a variety of factors you ultimately have to prioritize for yourself and your career path. These tips will help organize, guide, and hopefully lead you to the right decision. More

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      Why You’ll Love Working as a Financial Representative at Northwestern Mutual

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      Working with a variety of different people to unlock their financial, personal, and professional goals, the work of a Financial Representative is vast and unbounded. Given that there are so many different options and ways to build your financial health, representatives have the ability to use tools and resources to help design plans for their clients. 

      But what does that actually look like? To find out, we spoke with Josh Chandler, a financial representative at Northwestern Mutual, about why he loves working as a  financial representative. 

      Despite being at an intern level, Josh has already been given several opportunities to drive his career forward. In our conversation with him, we learn a little bit more about what working at Northwestern Mutual as a financial representative is like and how he became so successful early on in his career. 

      Impacting Your Clients

      When I first asked Josh what it was about financial consulting and planning that interested him, he shared an anecdote about a family member who he wished had help from a financial representative. 

      Today, Josh is inspired to help other people reach financial wellness because of the story his family member went through. For him, working with people from all different walks of life is what really makes him feel fulfilled. 

      Although blue-collar folks are Josh’s favorite clients to work with, they only represent a  portion of the clients that representatives get to work with. Maybe you want to help out single moms, maybe you want to work with athletes, or maybe you want to work with people like yourself who just got their first job!  

      The beauty of being a financial representative is getting to build your own portfolio and working with the people whose lives you truly get to make a difference in. 

      Celebrating Wins

      Another rewarding part of being a financial representative is that you get to enjoy celebrating the success of your clients every single day. The work you’re doing with these people is very real and impacts their lives in very meaningful ways. What you’re doing might help someone buy a new car, pay off debt, or even send their child to college! These are all milestones that you get to celebrate with your client. 

      It is clear that financial representatives have a really big impact on people’s lives and well-being. This means on any given day, you could be helping someone reach their goals that wouldn’t have been possible without you! It works like this that makes the day-to-day of a financial representative so fulfilling.  

      Interns Do the Same Things as Full-Time Representatives

      By the end of my conversation with Josh, I had to ask him again if he was still an intern  because it hardly seemed that way. Josh had his own office, tons of clients, and was  continuing to build his career in profound ways. 

      However, a good portion of his success can be attributed to the fact that Northwestern  Mutual gives interns the chance to work as full-time representatives right from Day 1  and work with people who inspire them to succeed. Senior advisors help guide in the beginning and along the way as needed, but the role is still very autonomous. 

      The financial representative internship at Northwestern Mutual is hardly an internship at all. Take Josh Chandler’s story as proof that you can have a limitless impact on the  clients you serve while building a business for yourself, but not by yourself. 

      Northwestern Mutual is looking for more people to join their internship program and start  experiencing what life working as a financial representative is really like! Check out their  WayUp profile for more information on jobs, news, and the company itself. 

      Northwestern Mutual Financial Representatives are Independent Contractors whose income is based solely on production. 

      Not all Northwestern Mutual representatives are advisors. Only those representatives with the titles “Financial Advisor” or “Wealth  Management Advisor” are credentialed as NMWMC representatives to provide advisory services. 

      Northwestern Mutual is the marketing name for The Northwestern Mutual Life Insurance Company (NM) and its subsidiaries in  Milwaukee, WI. More

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      How Insight Partners Is Championing Diversity in the VC & Private Equity Space

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      There are a lot of things to consider as you determine what you want out of a job. In addition to role, salary, and location, one thing that might take high priority on your list is inclusivity and belonging. In other words, being welcomed, wanted, and represented at the company you’re working for.

      Depending on who you are and what background you come from, your sense of belonging will be determined by a number of different factors. At Insight Partners, a New York-based global private equity and venture capital firm, they’ve made it a priority to find out what these factors are and how to properly embed them within their company.

      Recently, we spoke with Insight’s Dhanya Madhusudan, Director of DE&I Community at the firm, and Isabelle Rodriguez, Senior Manager of Campus Recruiting, to learn more about these diversity and inclusivity initiatives at the 28-year-old investment firm.

      In our conversation, we discovered that Insight’s employee resource groups, recruiting efforts, CEO ScaleUp Pledge, and Vision Capital fund are just a few of the ways they promote diversity and inclusion within their firm and the software startups they invest in.

      Employee Resource Groups

      At Insight Partners, employee resource groups (ERGs) are an integral part of company culture and employee benefits. Currently, Insight Partners has Black@Insight and OUTsight ERGs which focus on the empowerment, continued education, and advancement of Black and LGBTQIA+ individuals, respectively.

      As a member of these ERGs, or non-members who are interested in learning more, you can attend monthly meetings, educational series, and panels to discover what it takes to grow and thrive as a young professional. Additionally, a mentorship program is rolled out in which employees can learn from those who have been embedded in the industry and company for a while.

      Campus Recruiting

      One of the most direct ways to expand representation at a company is through recruiting efforts. Insight’s campus recruiting efforts, led by Isabelle Rodriguez, intend to not only recruit individuals from diverse backgrounds but retain them as well. One of the ways they do this is through immersive learning experiences, including the Inclusion by Insight Diversity Summit.

      This diversity summit is a two-day event in which top-tier candidates from minority backgrounds are invited to learn and grow their skills. The goal of the summit is to learn about Insight Partners and venture capital and private equity spaces, but also to grow professional skills in a number of ways. An example of this is when they partnered with Great on The Job, a company that leads workshops on perfecting your pitch, owning your brand, mock interviews, and more.

      But what’s most commendable about Insight’s recruiting efforts is the end goal they are striving for.

      CEO ScaleUp Pledge

      Among Insight’s various DEI initiatives is the firm’s bold CEO ScaleUp Pledge, which Insight’s portfolio company CEOs sign to commit to prioritize DE&I at the executive level and drive tangible change in their workforce. Working alongside the CEOs and their companies, Insight helps them building an inclusive workforce that is representative of various genders, races, ethnicities, nationalities, sexual orientations, ages, socio-economic statuses, religions, physical abilities, and more.

      Those companies that do sign the pledge aren’t only given the resources needed to make these strides, but they are also held accountable by the firm through progress reports. By both implementing and measuring progress on DEI initiatives, Insight Partners intends on making a difference across the many industries and sectors that the firm invests in.

      Vision Capital Fund

      Insight’s Vision Capital 2020 Fund is putting their money where their mouth is, so to speak. Insight believes that underrepresented fund managers have access to differentiated perspectives, networks, and deal flow capable of driving strong fund performance. The Vision Capital Funds are governed by Insight’s senior leadership and leverage Insight’s network, experience, and operational expertise to support fund managers’ investment and operating efforts.

      For Insight Partners, it isn’t enough to make strides just inside their own workforce and portfolio. While the firm’s ERGs, diversity recruiting efforts and ScaleUp Pledge cultivate internal change, the Vision Capital 2020 Fund looks to make change outside of the company.

      To learn more about Insight Partners, the work they do, and the sectors they’re impacting, check out their WayUp company profile. There you’ll find information on everything from job opportunities to more groundbreaking efforts that are changing the private equity and venture capital space as we know it. More

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      in Talent Acquisition

      Tech at Devoted Health: The Power of Collaborative Problem-Solving (VIDEO)

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      Devoted Health is on a mission to change the face of US healthcare for seniors. Watch this on-demand webinar from the Get Hired Summit to hear from members of the Devoted Health tech teams. 

      They discuss how their obsession with leverage balanced with pragmatism enables better healthcare for America’s elders, and what they look for when searching for folks to join the team. They also share the areas remaining constant (a culture of collaborative problem-solvers) and the areas where change is the constant (based on specific needs or circumstances).

      You’ll hear from these Devoted Health team members:

      Related: Hired’s 2022 List: Top Employers Winning Tech Talent  

      Read an excerpt of the conversation here and scroll down to access the full webinar. 

      What are some of the projects your teams are working on right now? 

      Jennifer 

      There’s a lot going on across the organization. I work closely with Devoted Medical. Over the last few years, we’ve started a number of programs and clinical interventions for our membership. This includes diabetes manager prevention programs and our intensive home care program, which works closely with our most complex members who have a lot of comorbidities and some functional limitations. There’s a lot going on to try to make their lives better by improving their medical experience. 

      I’ve been here four years, which more or less maps with when we started taking care of people. We’ve had enough members go through some of those programs to where we’re able to zoom out and investigate what is working well and what isn’t. That way we can make decisions about where to grow our programs and how to expand those effective interventions to other markets.

      I’ve personally been focused a lot on program effectiveness for the last month or so. We’re also devoting a lot of effort right now toward effectively and efficiently working with both our members and their physicians to make sure their medications are accessible and affordable. We’re working with the product, operations, and engineering colleagues to identify opportunities for automation like SMS reminders, but also understand and predict what members are most in need of. Given how quickly we’re able to build our software, we’re always focused on building and maintaining a robust data warehouse in an analytics layer that keeps up with all our workflows and data model improvements and allows a lot of self-serve across the organization.

      Ted

      I’m most excited about scaling and better utilizing the pipeline of medical documentation that we get. This whole healthcare system is a really challenging logistical process. It’s really important that we know as much about our members as we can so we can get them the right care at the right time. 

      Internally, we have a ton of integration set up with different provider groups and different sources of medical data that we ingest into our system. We’re starting to realize we have a lot of things but it’s getting more and more difficult to make sure folks inside Devoted are able to find those things appropriately. I get really excited about it because it’s this huge pipeline of data all the way to acquiring more documentation and setting up more types of integrations. Also internally, it’s making sure we’re indexing and cataloging that documentation with useful information so we can surface to several different consumer teams the right information. 

      For example, the Devoted Medical team is very interested in any given member’s full medical history. The Stars team, which manages the quality of care metrics we submit to CMS (Center for Medicare and Medicaid Services), is focused on making sure we’re doing preventive care for our members as part of those measures. Finding evidence we’ve provided that care not only helps Devoted with our quality of care overall but also helps with the whole coordination between all those parties to make sure we aren’t duplicating efforts across our members. 

      Tell us about the tools unique to Devoted’s data science and engineering teams.

      Jennifer

      On the data side, we use Snowflake for data storage and SQL querying. We have an internal product that copies data from our Postgres database into Snowflake almost in real-time. We use DVT for our transformation layer and Airflow for scheduling. At Devoted, we migrated to Looker for our business intelligence tooling last year. We have Jupyter Hub available for in-depth analysis and model prototyping. We use both Python and R for those things depending on the project. Then we have the ML flow.

      Ted

      We use React and GraphQL for front-end layers. We use Postgres under the hood to store most of our transactional data. In the back end, we use Go as our primary coding language. For data modeling, we have a mature setup with Protocol Buffers, which is a data modeling language built by Google. We use the metadata associated with our models to generate basic front ends, our database tables, and tons of other metaprogramming concepts. I think that’s a secret sauce – the use of Protocol Buffers and meta-programming to help us stand up things really fast.

      Related: Hired Releases 2023 State of Software Engineers Report

      Watch the full panel discussion to learn: 

      Career growth at Devoted Health 

      How the teams determined their tech stack 

      The teams’ day-to-day

      Why Devoted Health is like a layer cake! More

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      in Talent Acquisition

      9 Smart Tips for Jobseekers to Identify & Avoid Job Scams in 2023

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      With layoffs on the rise, job scammers are keen on taking advantage of a crowded market. As a jobseeker, it is important to be aware of job scams and how to protect yourself from falling victim to them. Often, scammers are seeking money, personal information, or free labor. 

      Don’t let the job search become more overwhelming than it already might be. Use these tips to spot job scams and protect yourself during your search for a legitimate new role. 

      1. Do your research 

      Before applying for any job, research the company thoroughly. Check their website, social media presence, and online reviews to verify their legitimacy. Glassdoor is a popular resource for checking out company reviews and getting the inside scoop on employers. If the company has a poor online presence or lacks information about their products or services, consider it a red flag.

      2. Watch out for job postings with vague descriptions

      Legitimate companies usually provide a detailed job description, including the required qualifications and responsibilities. If the job posting or ad doesn’t provide specific details about the job responsibilities, qualifications, or compensation, it might signal a scam. Real postings should have clear and concise descriptions of what the job entails and the qualifications required.

      3. Be cautious of unsolicited job offers

      If you receive a job offer without having applied for a job, chances are you are dealing with a scam. While recruiters may reach out to notify you about job opportunities, legit companies do not send out unsolicited job offers to random people. This is another point at which you should do some research. Look into the individual’s LinkedIn profile and be careful before clicking any links they share with you.

      4. Never pay for a job

      If a job requires you to pay a fee for training, equipment, or any other reason, you have a scam on your hands. Employers should be paying you. Companies never require jobseekers to make upfront payments. 

      Related: Expert Tips: How to Manage Your Finances While You Job Hunt 

      5. Be wary of high-paying job offers

      If a job offer seems too good to be true, it probably is. Be cautious of job offers that promise high pay for minimal work or require little to no experience.

      Related: Try Hired’s salary calculator to see how companies value your experience.

      6. Verify the job offer

      Before accepting a job offer, verify it with the company directly. Scammers often use fake company names and email addresses to impersonate legitimate companies.

      7. Protect your personal information

      Do not provide your personal information, such as your social security number or bank account information, until you have verified the legitimacy of the company and the job offer. Employers should only ask for this information after you’ve been hired. 

      A note on background checks 

      Typically, any part-time, full-time, or IC employee, regardless of department, seniority, or employment status, will complete a background check. 

      Expect to complete once an offer is in hand. More often than not, you’ll find a sentence in the offer letter stating, “Please understand that your offer of employment is contingent upon the successful completion of a background check.”

      Companies often use third-party services for their background checks like Checkr, Trusted Employees, GoodHire, and ShareAble.

      Background checks usually cover these areas: 

      County Criminal Search (Current)

      National Criminal Search (Standard)

      Sex Offender Search

      SSN Trace

      Global Watchlist Search

      The timeframe of background checks may vary by company, with some looking for current data and others looking into the past 5+ years.

      Sometimes companies will also run a credit check. This is for a few different reasons. According to NerdWallet, these checks are more likely if your role involves security clearance or access to confidential customer data, company information, or money. They don’t see your credit score, but a high-level version of your credit report. Basically, they’re looking for any signals of financial problems providing a vulnerability to fraud or theft. 

      8. Job scams often target workers receiving benefits

      If you’re unemployed and plan to file for unemployment insurance, be careful. Do not google “unemployment benefits” to apply. Many of the top search results are fake sites, encouraging you to register your claim while taking your personal information. Instead, get the correct agency’s URL from your former employer or verify them through your state government site. 

      Even after you’re registered, be careful when it comes to communication. Many scammers send texts suggesting there’s a problem with your benefits. They might say they need additional financial information to process your claim. Or that you’re owed additional money and they need to confirm information. 

      The majority of workforce agencies communicate with you by mail or a secure portal on the website. If you get a text that appears suspicious – do not click on any links or respond. Report it for phishing, block the number, and delete it. 

      One of the classic “tells” of a phishing email has always been misspellings or poor grammar. It’s safe to assume that with ChatGPT and other AI tools, scammers of all varieties will use them to their advantage. So, be extra vigilant. 

      This is also a good time to make sure you have your voicemail set up. It’s tempting to quickly answer calls when you’re job hunting, but let it go to voicemail if you don’t recognize the number. 

      First, job scammers often like to record you saying “yes” or other things they can manipulate later. Second, it’s often better to take a beat and return the legitimate calls when you have the time to focus on your response. 

      9. Trust your instincts and inquire

      If something seems off or suspicious about a job offer or company, trust your gut and proceed with caution. Ask questions about the company, culture, role responsibilities, etc. to evaluate the opportunity. 

      While you should inquire about these aspects for any job (whether it’s a scam or not!), questions will help you weigh the legitimacy. Real employers and recruiters would be happy to share more about the company and verify its authenticity. 

      Related: 7 Interview Questions You Never Have to Answer (& How You Should Respond)

      Completing technical assessments is common for tech roles 

      When it comes to tech roles, it is common for employers to request jobseekers complete technical assessments and challenges. If you are seeking a job in tech, keep in mind what’s reasonable when it comes to these tests. We asked Hired’s Senior Internal Recruiter, Jules Grondin, for her insights. Here’s what she had to say:   

      You should be given notice ahead of time on the languages used in the tech assessment or have the option to choose the language you’re most comfortable with to complete it.

      Expect to spend about 60-75 minutes independently on a tech assessment. This is not including a follow-up interview with the hiring manager or team.

      To expedite the tech interview process, ask about the tech stack from the start and tailor your work examples accordingly. Be eager and ask questions. Teams will prioritize scheduling and next steps to candidates who actively engage and are excited about the opportunity. 

      While accuracy is important, employers often look for your thought process in solving any sort of tech assessment. It’s important to show your work and be able to speak through the steps you took.  

      Every role is different but know what might be fair to expect from potential employers as a tech candidate.

      At Hired, we partner with employers to offer jobseekers a few ways to showcase their technical skills. 

      Hired Assessments empower jobseekers on the platform to take remote technical tests to prove their skills to employers. When Hired jobseekers successfully complete an assessment, they’re rewarded with a badge that surfaces on their profile for employers to see. Fun fact: High-intent candidates who earn technical assessment badges are 3X as likely to get hired!

      Coding challenges are an opportunity for talent to take 45-minute technical tests so employers can see the coding skills they bring to the table. Jobseekers can bypass the first step in the interview process (and win some awesome prizes) if they impress recruiters.

      Related: Want to Ace Technical Interviews? A Guide to Prep Software Engineers

      The job search process can be daunting and even more so if you fall victim to job scams. Such scams complicate the search and may take both a financial and emotional toll on unsuspecting jobseekers. Follow these tips to protect yourself, evaluate opportunities, and have a smooth job search!  More

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      in Talent Acquisition

      Future-Proof Your Tech Career: How to Make Strategic Decisions (VIDEO)

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      These days, making strategic career decisions is often tied to conversations about “quiet quitting.” This term was coined in 2022 due to a mix of:

      Unclear expectations

      Few growth opportunities

      Disconnects between a company and the employee’s needs

      Quiet quitting transformed jobseekers’ way of thinking, with most centering the job search around their needs, goals, and values. 

      But what happens when jobseekers find companies they align with? They stay longer and are generally happier. Studies show retention is highest when employers invest in long-term learning and growth opportunities.

      Watch this on-demand webinar to hear experts from the Get Hired Summit discuss how jobseekers can strategize to future-proof their careers in tech. You’ll hear from:

      Related: Hired’s 2022 List: Top Employers Winning Tech Talent  

      Read an excerpt of the conversation here and scroll down to access the full webinar. 

      Amid the uncertainty, what are you seeing in the market right now? What advice would you give those in entry-level or mid-career positions in tech?

      Adam

      There definitely has been a shift in the last six months or so. We’re seeing conditions start to change in the market. I’m seeing that it’s still quite competitive for… people with 5+ years of experience. Those people are still in very high demand and they still have competitive offers from a variety of companies. Where it’s getting a lot harder is for the entry-level, junior candidates — people with 1-2 years of experience. 

      We’ve had the same role open at different times over the last few years. A year ago we would have seen maybe a handful of applicants come in. Recently, we had 1,500 applicants come in within the first few weeks.

      The advice I would give to someone just starting out is to just build things. Do what you can to optimize for learning and practice your craft. Even if it’s something you build, get it up in GitHub, GitLab, or wherever you host your code. Practice and build it. Maybe you’ll throw it away but you’ll learn something along the way. 

      Related: Hired Releases 2023 State of Software Engineers Report

      I highly value the people who want to show their commitment to practicing their craft and showing they enjoy it and like building things. That’s what I want to have a conversation about in the interview process. I want to learn why they were excited about it, why they built it, and what they learned along the way. That goes such a long way.

      Matt

      Definitely try new things and take some risks early in your career. The world is your oyster. There’s no time like the present to jump in and swim. You’re going to try a lot of things and you’re going to fail. You’re going to find some things you don’t like but you’re also going to find something you do like — something you’re really excited about. That’s what you want to run toward. 

      Think of your career as this marathon that will be many years of your life. Do you want to spend it doing something… you don’t love? Find what you can be really passionate and excited about. There will be hard days and hard projects but you should have more positive experiences than not. Implicit in that is to learn from those experiences.

      Kelly

      I speak to a lot of candidates in my career. Some of them have just finished college and have known exactly what they wanted to do their whole life. I speak to other people who had multiple careers. They’re in their thirties or forties and just starting bootcamp. They’re excited and passionate. Trying as many different careers until you find something you’re really passionate about is important. It’s never too late to start something new!

      Related: Partner Spotlight: Coding Bootcamps & Non-Traditional Education for Tech Talent

      Watch the full panel discussion to learn:  More

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      in Career Hacks

      Capital One Recruiters’ 5 Resume Tips for Students

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      It’s time to boil down your college experience into a one-page document that sells who you are to a stranger. Where do you list your major? How do you summarize your invigorating internship or great part-time job? What kind of file should my resume be?

      We know it can be intimidating putting together your resume. Thankfully, Nyla Walker and Olutoyin Asubiojo, recruiters for our Students & Grads programs, are here to help. Check out their answers to five common resume questions that will help you build a career with real impact.

      Q: Should I make my resume one page?

      Nyla: Yes. Recruiters only look at resumes for about six seconds, so we need to find your information quickly. You’ll eventually get to a point in your career where you can have a longer resume but stick to one page while you’re a student or recent grad.

      Q: How should I organize my resume?

      Olutoyin: Put your school, major and graduation date at the top of your resume so we can figure out which of our programs best match your skills and start date. You can also add relevant coursework, research and academic honors.

      Your jobs, internships and leadership roles should come next—in chronological order—giving us a glimpse at your relevant experience. Finally, you can have a separate section toward the bottom of your resume for extracurriculars like sports, volunteering and hobbies. 

      Q: How do I describe my experiences?

      Nyla: Use vivid descriptions, ranges or scales that show off your achievements, contributions and key results. Go deeper than listing a job description. Share how you improved parts of the company you worked for, and make connections between the job you want and the job you have. 

      If you’re a cashier, tell us you’re a mathematician extraordinaire and share how you can solve problems quickly. Maybe you worked in retail and organized a sales event. That’s project management. You’ll find ways to tweak your resume for each opportunity you’re applying for.

      Q: How should I format my resume?

      Olutoyin: Save it as a PDF. This guarantees your resume format will look the same on different computers.

      Q: Where can I get help preparing my resume and application?

      Olutoyin: Visit our events page for information on workshops about resume building, explaining your career journey, interview preparation and more.  More

    • 188 Shares139 Views

      in Talent Acquisition

      How to Create a Strong Personal Brand: The Key to Beginning a Networking Relationship (VIDEO)

      by

      A strong brand is not only relevant for businesses. It’s important for individuals too, especially those navigating the job search. A strong personal brand that speaks to your skills, values, and expertise is crucial for networking and your overall career. 

      It’s your identity. What should people think about when they hear your name during conversations or in the media? What populates when hiring managers or recruiters search for you online? 

      Watch this on-demand webinar to hear experts from Get Hired: Future-Proof Your Career in Tech discuss what it takes to make your personal online brand effective and how it can lead to a new career and networking opportunities.

      You’ll hear from:

      Revenue & Product Marketing Manager, Multiply, Lee Brooks

      Senior Platform Engineer, RVU, Suraj Narwade 

      Lead Talent Acquisition, GTM, International, Sonatype, Heidi King-Underwood

      Founder & CEO, Hustle Crew, Abadesi Osunsade

      Read an excerpt of the conversation here and scroll down to access the full webinar. 

      When it comes to seeking talent, what do you want to learn about someone from their personal brand?

      Suraj 

      When it comes to hiring someone from a personal brand perspective, the first thing to call out here is that you obviously see a resume. But I think in today’s world, LinkedIn, Twitter, YouTube, etc. act as a resume together. From a personal brand perspective, I will look at how they are presenting themselves and how they are showcasing their knowledge on any of the platforms. 

      Lee 

      For me, one of the most important things is: Are they fit for the role I’m hiring for? Does their personal brand give me confidence they have expertise in the areas I’m recruiting for? Sometimes it’s easy to tell from someone’s personal brand. Sometimes it’s more difficult, but if I was looking for someone who was good at creating content or social media, I hope I’d be able to get that from their online profile. 

      Another one that’s really important to me is cultural fit. How would someone’s personality, values, and work style fit? At Multiply, we’re all remote workers. It’s quite important that you have someone who can fit into that culture and thrive. 

      The third one is passion and drive. Are they enthusiastic when they’re talking online? This leads to culture a little bit but do they really show passion and drive for their work? I think you can tell through the content, achievements, and overall approach to their career.

      Heidi 

      The cheat is we are bundle searching. We’re looking for keywords. Make your LinkedIn profile as full as possible, like you would a CV… Talk about everything you were doing and everything you’re looking to do. 

      On LinkedIn these days, you can actually put how to pronounce your name. Make things as easy as possible for the recruiter. What are your pronouns? Let’s make sure I don’t insult you by presuming… 

      Talk about the tech stack you’re utilizing. If you present yourself on a third-party site, put the link there. Make it available so I can actually forward it to my hiring teams. I might send over that link and say, ‘What do you think about what they’re putting out or their content?’ It shows… you’re using your own recreational time to highlight you’re really passionate about this. Include stand-out elements like volunteering… If you have certain skills or have done a workshop on LinkedIn learning around diversity and inclusion, that goes with cultural fit.

      Related: Code Your Career: Staying Competitive in the Developer Job Market (VIDEO)

      It shows passion and drive around the fact that you’ve gone off and taken on that skill and you recognize it as a skill. There are so many different elements but the more words you put on your professional site, CV, and personal sites, [you increase chances that] we will find that by doing boolean searching. The more content you have and the more authentic you are about yourself, the easier it will be for me to find you. Put your contact information out there too if you want to be contacted. That’s really important.

      Watch the full collaborative panel discussion to learn:  More

    • 125 Shares159 Views

      in Career Hacks

      5 Things to Avoid in Your First Job or Internship

      by

      While there is a lot of excitement that comes with your first job or internship, there can also be a level of uncertainty that can make you nervous about the upcoming milestone. Given that these are first-time experiences for a lot of people, it is natural not to know exactly what to do and what not to do in these new professional settings.

      At WayUp, we help thousands of young professionals land their first job so we are no strangers to the missteps and errors made during these early days. To help make sure you don’t make the same mistakes some of us did, we interviewed a few WayUp and Yello employees to highlight some things to avoid doing in your first job or internship.

      [embedded content]

      Cramming Doesn’t Cut It

      Something many of you will learn going into your first job or internship is that the habits that worked in college don’t always work in the professional world. One particular habit that doesn’t cut it anymore, is cramming. 

      While a college course often only lasts for a couple of months, a job will hopefully go on for much longer than that. This being the case, it becomes even more important to take the necessary time needed to complete your work. If not, you might end up in a nightmare situation like Jimmy did. 

      One way to avoid this is by setting completion goals for yourself. Instead of having one deadline, have multiple, with each one coordinating to a certain percentage of your upcoming task.

      Don’t Take on Too Much Work

      Another important thing to keep in mind is not to take on too much work. Although you may be eager to show your new employer how much you’re capable of doing, keep in mind that your responsibilities may take some time to get comfortable with.

      While it can sometimes be advantageous to overachieve in your work, it is wise not to aim too high when you’re just starting a new job. In the aforementioned situation, Carter tried to take on too much and his work ended up suffering for it in the form of sore arms, likely impacting future shifts, and a messy uniform which most likely made him seem unprofessional. 

      Instead of biting off more than you can chew, start observing what other people are doing and maybe take the time to ask some more senior members how they manage time. This way, you can start grasping and comprehending what it takes to get more done in your position.

      Stay In Your Lane

      This next hazard to avoid is very specific and has to do with the interview process. Applications and interviews can be incredibly stressful with lots of anticipation. However, you never want that stress and anxiety to lead what this person did

      In this situation, this individual likely came off as both uninformed and probably a little bothersome. Not only did they make themselves look bad, but unfortunately, they also brought Luis down with them! 

      As Luis mentioned, the best way to find updates about your application is to go through your HR recruiter or the hiring manager for the role. Check out this blog to find more great ways to follow up after an interview!

      Don’t Ignore Your Sleep

      When you’re starting your first internship or job, you’re likely going to have to get used to a new schedule. This means that you’re going to have to start valuing your sleep a lot more and getting a more refined schedule. If not, you might end up falling asleep in a meeting like Jess did during her first big internship in NYC.

      =

      This incident is nothing short of a horror story and clearly has remained a lesson with Jess throughout her professional life. At times, it can be very hard to stick to a tight sleeping schedule, especially if you have other things going on in your life like school or family obligations. 

      Our recommendation to you is to rid yourself of the unnecessary things that consume your time. That means no more back-to-back Netflix episodes, no post-dinner espressos, and definitely no scrolling endlessly on social media when you’re in bed!

      Don’t Be Afraid To Ask Questions

      Our last piece of advice when it comes to things to avoid in your first job or internship is something that you should keep in mind throughout the entirety of your professional career and not just when you’re first starting out. While some situations vary, asking questions will always be beneficial – especially when you’re just starting to familiarize yourself with a new role.

      The intern in this situation was likely feeling pressure not to come off as needy or uninformed. Instead of clarifying what she was supposed to do and the deliverable that was required, she went ahead with what she thought was expected and ended up making more work for herself in the end. 

      As you make your way through your first professional experience, there very well might be mistakes you make that are specific and unique. The most important thing to keep in mind is not to let yourself get discouraged by those shortcomings and instead make it a learning experience that you improve from.

      For more career insights and professional development tips, make sure you keep up with the WayUp blog! More