Credit: The original version of this article was first published on the Jobjo Start-now blog.
Introduction.
The tech job market is currently at a very low point. With layoffs from which we have yet to recover and threats of artificial intelligence taking over our jobs, it will be fair to conclude that there has never been a more threatening season in the technology space than the one we are currently experiencing.
I will say that there has never been a more difficult time to be in technology than now.
In this article, I’ll look at three of those possible reasons why you keep getting rejections and share some powerful tips to help you remedy them.
1. The fierce competition.
2023 is the most horrible year I have witnessed so far as a technology professional. Thousands lost their jobs as their companies laid them off. And since The influx of junior job seekers into the job market has not stopped, the competition level became even more tight, leading to many job rejections, especially for junior or inexperienced job seekers.
Here are some tips that will help you beat the competition, no matter how stiff, and increase your chances of getting noticed and, hopefully, landing an interview, too.
You can still beat the competition, no matter how severe, and increase your chances of getting noticed and hopefully landing an interview soon.
Be intentional.
Being intentional simply means that you must be very focused on the job search process. In simple terms, “job searching should be considered one of your new jobs.” Don’t take the process lightly. You can put in as much effort as setting a timeline within which you want to get a job and then work hard to achieve that goal. You should track/record every request you submit and then continue to the next point below. Be prepared to submit up to “hundreds” of applications.
Be persistent.
Understanding that the competition rate is at a very high point right now should leave you with nothing but a burning desire to find your way, no matter how difficult it may be.
A very practical way to practice perseverance is to follow up on your applications by sending reference-seeking emails to employees at the company you are applying to.
Simply do a search on Google or LinkedIn or use any other means you can use to find employees (executive employees are best) who work within the company. Then, send them polite, convincing and well-crafted emails/messages informing them about the request you submitted.
You should do this as repeatedly (politely and persistently) as possible until you finally get a response, which would be “big news” or a rejection. Either way, you had nothing to lose by trying.
Understanding that the competition rate is at a very high point right now should leave you with nothing but a burning desire to find your way, no matter how difficult it may be.
Apply to smaller or newer companies (preferably those with 1-10 employees).
While applying to smaller companies may not solve the problem of close competition, it definitely helps now that you’ve learned the perseverance/emailing staff tip shared above.
Applying to smaller companies will increase your chances of being chosen because smaller companies (especially those operating as startups) generally consist of small teams that probably share the same roundtable at work, chat informally with each other, and probably don’t have “formal” or strict operating processes.
This increases your chances of getting the attention of all team members once a single member receives your email or message.
To find out the size of the companies, simply search for the company on any employment platform that will help you discover the size of the team. I think platforms like LinkedIn and Glassdoor should help with this.
2.