Finding the Ideal Software Development Job

Being in the Software Development Market

As a software developer, it is more likely than not that one will, at some point, experience a job change. Software development can often be a high stress career, where expectations constantly increase and it is commonplace to find software developers who work over 12 hours per day. Although in certain countries labor law may provide provisions to prevent this from happening, it invariably occurs when management demand quick solutions to complex tasks, and the software developer is compelled to put in extra hours to placate them. Such a demanding environment may force a software developer to consider finding a new job. It goes without saying that the software developer would want to avoid being in a tense, trapping environment. The following tips are based on the author’s experience.

Recruitment Agents Are Your Friends

Finding a new job could mean spending hours combing online and print classifieds, and sending out personalized applications to those that seem to fit the bill. This may not be ideal for many software developers whose companies have strict internet usage policies and monitoring. Also, there is a lot of duplication of effort in sending out applications, and keeping track of each application’s status can be tedious.

In such a situation, it would be wise to use the services of recruitment agents. These are individuals or companies whose sole focus is on finding the right job opportunities for applicants based on applicants’ resumes and other requirements. The process is as simple as submitting the software developer’s resume to the employment agent and communicating any requirements one might have, such as the company type, atmosphere, size etc. They (recruitment agents) will also protect a candidate’s privacy when particular companies are not to be made aware of their availability. Recruitment agents will know how to place the candidate, because they spend a great deal of their time getting to know companies that file opportunities with them. It is in the recruitment agents’ interest to find an optimum match, because they get paid by companies to fill openings with ideal candidates and it would do them no good if one decided they were unhappy with a job after a week. Therefore, using the services of agents allows software developers and other professionals to find great jobs without much hassle.

The Interview: Key Signs to Watch for and Questions to Ask

Once the job agent sets up an interview with a prospective employer, the software developer has an opportunity to find out whether or not the opening suits them. There must be no pressure to make a decision. Key signs to watch for are the openness of current employees to discussion, whether or not the environment has amenities and sufficient equipment to make the software developer’s job pleasant and how management reacts to requests to walk around and meet staff, etc. Most software developers favor a relaxed, non-corporate environment that allows them to work creatively. Ask about deadline policies, application development procedures and task delegation. A lot of the stress that software developers go through is a direct result of poor time allocation for application planning and a lack of communication amongst the team. If possible, ask to view some of the existing code to find out what writing guidelines are employed. No matter how trivial a code sample may seem, it is important that it is fully commented to allow new developers to understand it at a glance.

A point to keep in mind is what programming language/s are used at the company. If there are any languages that the software developer is not familiar with, there should be mentorship and a sufficient allocation of time for them to familiarize themselves with them. One would not want to be assigned a high priority task in an unfamiliar language, with little to no mentorship and hectic schedules.

After a few interviews of this nature, the software developer may be in a position to decide which job suits them most.

The Decision: How to Inform All Prospective Employers Involved

Having decided on a job opportunity, the software developer needs to communicate their decision to the prospective employers that they interviewed with. It is bad practice to simply not provide feedback, as people in the industry communicate and it could ruin chances of future liaison. The task of letting companies know about the candidate’s decision can be undertaken by the job agent. The software developer themselves could send a short, concise email to unsuccessful prospects (individually!), stating that after careful consideration they decided to accept another opportunity. Wish the prospects well and advise them that you were glad to have the opportunity to meet them. This provides a clean “exit” without ruffling feathers. Send a similarly short note to the prospect that you have chosen and inform them that you look forward to joining their team.

I wrote this article based on personal experiences, and I hope that software developers and other professionals will find it useful in their quest for the ideal job opportunity.