Human-to-human interaction – the key to obtaining that golden developer job
Daniel, a developer at Swarm, joined the team in September this year after having met us in the Summer at a JavaScript conference in Edinburgh. Now settled in and a fully-fledged Swarmer, Daniel reflects on how his networking skills landed him (in his words) his ‘dream job’…
“As developers, we can understand computers pretty easily. We know what makes them tick, we can boil it down to logical inputs and outputs. We give it two numbers, tell the system to return the sum of those two numbers and voilà! However, despite this, finding the dream job in development is not without its challenges.
Searching for the perfect job in development can be a perilous quest. We are required to climb up a fiery mountain to slay the dragon that is perched atop it. Before we set off to climb this mountain in search of the dream developer job, we sharpen our skills with languages and frameworks, pack our bags with as much knowledge on security and clean code as possible and then finally, we set off into the great unknown with our code repositories. The greatest danger on our journey is not the harsh world of programming, but rather forging confidence in our code, expressing our passion and showing our work for the world to see. We experience many trials and tribulations. Every time you press “compile” you get feedback. This is instant and (usually) clear – but it is a little like building a sandcastle close to the water as the tide comes in. This can feel harsh, but each time it happens we gain a little more knowledge and a little more lore… even if what was causing the problem was a just silly semicolon somewhere on line 4!
Interacting with people is a completely different game. As humans we are unique, complex and at times we are completely unpredictable! People will always be different to machines in this regard: 2 + 2 will always be 4 in the land of machines (unless you do 2 + ‘2’ in JavaScript, but that’s a story for another time). When we make mistakes with people, it’s not always immediately evident. It is possible to accidentally offended someone or embarrass ourselves in front of those we want to impress and this can be a huge source of anxiety. But thankfully we’re all in the same boat and the acknowledgement of this goes a long way to calming the nerves.
Now, we have our skills, we have a portfolio, but what’s the best way to get ourselves noticed? If you guessed “socialise with other developers”, you are on the money!
Networking and making a great first impression
Social interaction is energising, exciting and enjoyable…for extroverts. For introverts, it’s draining and scary. We all have strengths and weaknesses, but the great thing about humans is adaptability.
I consider myself an introvert, drained by overexposure to social interaction and more likely to enjoy consuming entertainment either by myself or in very small groups of friends.
Here’s a picture of that same introvert at a JavaScript conference a few months ago.
Conferences are usually a lot of fun but can sometimes seem scary if you’re not practiced at networking. Rooms full of people all coming together to share the same passion. At most developer and tech conferences you’ll find a range of companies exhibiting in the main networking area. The various booths and stands are there to allow companies to promote their products and services. However, companies are also often there to network and scout for people who may be interested in joining their teams. They won’t be shy about it either, you may see “WE’RE HIRING” or maybe “{Insert Company Here}-er” all over the booth.
These booths are ripe for picking the apples of opportunity. One of the keys to victory is looking at these booths and social interactions in general as opportunities. This is a chance to build meaningful relationships with the kind of companies that you might love to work for one day.
So, what did I do at the conference?
I had to work up the confidence to network. I told myself that I wanted the opportunity and I wanted to show that I could do it. I paced back and forth while a friend looked at me puzzlingly. Eventually, I took the plunge and spoke to some friendly looking people at one of the stands (see picture above of me talking to some “Swarmers”)!
Ultimately, exhibitors and other delegates are just like me and you. They are personable, reasonable and fun people. Say hello, ask them how they are, introduce yourself and tell them what you do, ask about their company. It’s the foundation for a great start.
First impressions are always important. CVs are great, but a memorable and positive social interaction with someone will last longer in their mind and will possibly mean that your name will appear highlighted on their list of applicants, come the next job opening. Far better than throwing CVs at an anonymous algorithm, right?
Conferences not your style? Developer meetups are a great way to get involved with your local community and meet other aspiring developers and even some of the most senior developers in the community. Getting out there and speaking to people will put you above all the others throwing their CV into algorithms which don’t know you or how awesome you are. Your personality cannot be evaluated by a job website or CV analysis, so get out there and show them what you can do! You might find yourself in a new, exciting software development job and on the other side of the stand – all within a few months!
How did it work for me?
I guess it worked out pretty well.”
Main takeaways
- Gaining experience and skills in software development can be easier than developing networking skills.
- Go to conferences, exhibitions and local meetups in your field.
- Don’t be shy! Spark up a conversation, people in the developer community are awesome and love talking all things tech.
- See these events as key opportunities for personal development and career progression.
Browse current career opportunities at Swarm here!
