Finding a Job in the IT Industry

1. Finding a Jobin the IT Industry JOB Good and Bad Practices for Job Seekers Svetlin Nakov Telerik Academy academy.telerik.com Technical Trainer www.nakov.com

2. Table of Contents • Where to Search for a Job? • Define Your Goals • Prepare for Starting a Job • Search Channels: Job Sites, Career Centers, … • The Job Application Process • Research the Employer • Prepare CV, Cover Letter, Endorsements, … • Preparation for an Interview • Go to an Interview

3. Where and How to Search for a Job? Guidelines for Job Seekers

4. Steps in the Job Search Process • The job search process follows these steps: • Define your goals – what kind of job you want? • Prepare for starting a job – increase your skills • Research the jobmarket • Research the employersand offeredpositions • Apply for a job • Prepare and send your CV and cover letter • Prepare for the interview • Go to the Interview

5. Define Your Goals JOB • What kind of job you want? • What position? • In Bulgaria or abroad? • What are the requirements for this position? • Who are the potential employers? • For software engineers / IT specialists: • What technologies I want to use at work (e.g. PHP / Java / .NET / front-end / QA / mobile / …)? • Are my goals achievable / realistic?

6. The First Job is Hardest to Get! • Starting your first job is very hard • Start with lower goals and expectations • Once you get experience you could easily move to a better job / position / employer • Companies need experienced people • Be unpretentious! • You don’t need a big salary at your first working day – it will come later • Just start working somewhere, later you could move to a better position or company

7. Prepare for Starting a Job • Once you know what position you want, prepare yourself for it • Do you have the required skills? • Your university education is not enough! • How you could increase your knowledge / skills? • Self-study (books, tutorials, video-tutorials, …) • Training courses(e.g. Telerik Academy) • Practical projects– very, very important! • What non-technical skills you need?

8. Prepare for Starting a Job (2) • The everyday development of your IT skills during your life is your preparation for finding a job • At school – trainings, courses, practical projects • At the university – courses, practice and projects • Alternative education:courses, training centers, … • Telerik Academy / School Academy, elective courses at FMI, programming schools, training companies • Self-education – study yourself by books / videos • Internships / real-world experience / trial jobs • Practical projects – learn by doing and practicing

9. Prepare for Starting a Job (3) • Ask yourself: how am I different than the other 50 candidates for the same job position? • Do I have better skills than them? • If not, how could I improve my skills? • Do I have any experience? • If not, how could I gain some? • Can I start some project to gain experience? • Have I prepared my job application carefully? • Do I have awards, certificates, endorsements?

10. Research the Job Market • Researching the job market is important • Research the employers • Review the job offers from the last 3 months • Who are the most active employers? • Research these employers – what skills thy need? • Research the job positions • What are the most searched job positions? • Did you find job offers for the position you want? • E.g. you may want to become game developer but does the industry need game developers?

11. Good Employers • What is a good employer and how to identify it? • The best reference are insiders in the company! • Several insiders are even better • Generally companies from West Europe, USA and Canada are more reliable • Best employers demonstrate professionalism in all possible respects • Carefully written job description, emails, positive attitude in phone calls, clear expectations, etc. • Have good reputation – positive comments in public sites, forums, and message boards

12. Bad Employers • What is a bad employer and how to identify it? • Beware of amateur / garage companies • "Garage company" is not a "small company" • Beware of high employee turnover • Beware of state / government companies and companies working on government projects • Beware of Greeks and Israeli employers • Beware of companies managed by incompetent people – you could notice this at the interview • Beware of organizational anarchy

13. Employers Rankings • Use carefully site like www.bgrabotodatel.comand www.karieri.bg/forum • Traditionally most comments come from haters • These sites can be easily tricked / manipulated! • Employees fired due to incompetence, always put negative comments against their former employer • Trust more to established consulting companies • E.g. Hewittdoes a "Best Employer" ranking by industries, every year, worldwide • JOBS.BG's employer ranking may be a bit tricky

14. Top Employers in Bulgaria (2010) Source: http://dariknews.bg/view_article.php?article_id=618009

15. Job Search Channels • Job searching in the software / IT industry runs through many channels • Public job Web sites • Network of friends / colleagues • University career centers • Career events (job fairs) • Recruitment agencies • Direct contact with the employer JOB

16. Public Job Sites • Jobs sites (targeting the Bulgarian IT industry) • www.jobs.bg • www.itjobs.bg • www.rabota.bg • www.jobspace.bg • www.bestjobs.bg • www.orjo.com • www.jobtiger.bg • www.buljobs.bg • The list is not complete and not exhaustive • Job sites constantly change • JOBG.BG is the leader • Search in Google • E.g. try "работа Java developer"

17. You Friends Network • Ask your friends / colleagues / fellows • Many job offers are offered privately only • Send email to all your friends / colleagues • Use your contacts in Facebook • Use all your acquaintances by any channel • Explain them what kind of job you need and what skills you have • Send them your CV, portfolio, etc. • They will spend just one click to forward it

18. University Career Centers • The career centers at the universities: • At some universities there are well-working career centers  contact them • Many internship and junior job positions are offered at the universities • Some career centers for the IT industry: • FMI of SU – http://career.fmi.uni-sofia.bg • TU-Sofia – http://career.tu-sofia.bg • NBU – http://www.nbu.bg/index.php?l=264

19. Career Events (Job Fairs) • Career events (job fairs)are great place to learn about the employers and find job offers • How to learn about upcoming career events? • Career centers put invitations at their Web sites • The student's councils at each University • NBU – www.studentskisavet.com • TU-Sofia – www.studsavet.com • FMI of SU – fss.fmi.uni-sofia.bg • Largest job portals put invitations in Facebook

20. Recruitment Agencies • Generally in Bulgaria the IT recruitment agencies (HR agencies) do not work well • Most of them consider you as a commodity • They want to sell you to earn money • Your interests are usually ignored • They will ask you start a job which you do not want (e.g. an operator in a call center) • Some employers use only HR agencies to hire new employees • This is mostly for executive positions

21. Recruitment Agencies in Bulgaria • Generally the recruitment agencies are incompetent in the IT industry • However you can still post them a CV • Bulwork – http://www.bulwork.net • The most popular, but has bad reputation + unfair attitude to applicants and employers • Adecco Bulgaria – http://www.adeccobulgaria.com • Manpower Bulgaria – http://wwwmanpower.bg • Talent Hunter – http://www.talenthunter-bg.com • ITJobs.bg (HRCR) – http://www.hrcr.bg

22. Directly Contact the Employers • Sometimes best employers do not post public job offers • Candidates scramble to apply for them • Usually companies with very strong reputation (likeMicrosoft, Google and Facebook) • If you want to work in such company, you need to be the active side • Make a list of the best employers in your industry and find their job offers • Be prepared to show significant achievements

23. The Job Application Process How to Prepare a CV, Cover Letter and Send a Job Application, How to Prepare and Go to Interview?

24. Job Application Steps • Recommended steps to follow during the job application process: • Research the employer • Research the job offer • Prepare CV, cover letter, endorsements, projects, portfolio, certificates, awards, etc. • Carefully send you job application • Prepare for an interview • Go to interview

25. Read the Requirements • Very important rule: • Follow the requirementsexactly as requested • If a CV in English is required this means CV in English, not in Bulgarian • If a cover letter is required in Bulgarian, this means a cover letter in Bulgarian • If the deadline is March 31st, this is not April 2nd Read the Requirements!

26. What Language to Use? • In the IT industry the official language is English • If anyone requests a CV in Bulgarian, this may be a suspicious garage-like company • If the job offer does not specify a language • Use the same language like the in job offer • You can still use English for the IT positions • If a cover letter is not requested, still send one • This will make you more-serious candidate

27. Research the Employer • Obligatory research the employer! • Explore what is its business • You should know very well what the company does, its products, services, customers, etc. • Research which are the company value • What is important for the company? • Read articles / publications about the company • Read the forums and discussions • Beware: forum posts are not trustworthy source

28. Research the Job Position • Research carefully the job position! • Any unknown words in the job description (e.g.BPMN, BPEL, ARIS, BPM, SOA)? • Learn about them, try these technologies! • Any unknown products in the job description? • Download the products and play with them! • Any requirement unmatched by your skills / competence / experience? • Improve your skills, take a quick course / tutorial!

29. Prepare CV and Cover Letter • Prepare a CV that matches the job position and the requirements in the job description • Start with the most important for this specific job offer technologies / skills / experience / projects • Carefully prepare acover (motivation) letter • Write it specifically for the offered position • Never use a template • Find endorsements from former employers, professors, colleagues, and so on • Prepare diplomas, certificates,awards,portfolio

30. Sending Your Job Application • Send carefully you job application and according to the requirements • The email sender should be polite: • Ivan Ivanov <ivan.k.ivanov@gmail.com> • An example of idiotic sender: • Asd Afds <yaka_ku4ka@abv.bg> • Emailsubject should be meaningful: • Job Application: Junior .NET Developer (Ref #481) • Bad examples: CV, Re:, rabota, <no subject>

31. Sending Your Job Application (2) • The cover letter and CV should be sent as separate files (best in PDF format) named meaningfully: • Ivan-Ivanov-Cover-Letter-Mobiltel.pdf • Ivan-Ivanov-CV.pdf • Examples of idiotic file names: • New Document (2).docx,ivan.doc,mobiltel.doc • Don’t attach a photo, put it inside your CV • Don't send 8 MB photo named vankata_pich2.jpg! • If you need to attach large files (more than 2 MB), something is wrong  find what

32. Sending Your Job Application (3) • Write a meaningful text in the email body, e.g. • Obligatory put in the application email: • The exact name of the position (as in the job offer) and a reference number (if applicable) • The company name (notyour company) • How did you learn about this position Dear HR Manager, I would like to apply for the position "Junior .NET Developer" (Ref #481) in Mobiltel EAD published at Jobs.bg. Attached are my application documents: CV, cover letter, university diploma and English TOEFL certificate. Please feel free to contact me at any time by phone or e-mail.

33. Sending Your Job Application (4) • Obligatory put a meaningful signature with your name and contacts at the end of the email: • Send your entire application in English (CV, cover letter, endorsements, portfolio, email, signature) • Exception: if the job offer is in Bulgarian • Never mix the languages (BG text + EN signature) Kind regards, Ivan Ivanov Tel. 0888123456 Email: ivan.k.ivanov@gmail.com

34. Expect to Get Contacted • If your job application is carefully prepared, expect to be contacted in few days • Good companies always answer to polite candidates by phone or by email • Positive or negative, you will get an answer • If you have sent CV2.doc in an empty e-mail without a subject, you will not get an answer! • Read your e-mail constantly! • Bring your phone with fully charged battery and do not reject the incoming calls

35. Prepare for an Interview • Prepare for eventual interview • Research the company • The interviewer will obligatory ask you about the company and "nothing" is catastrophic answer • Research carefully each of the requirements • You will be asked about your experience with the required products / platforms / technologies / etc. • Be prepared for classical (standard) questions: • Previous experience, expected salary, etc.

36. The Interview • Half of the effort you put with your job application is to get invited to an interview • Most candidates do not know how to apply for a job and never get invited to an interview • The other efforts are to demonstrate your skills and positive personality at the interview • Prepare for technical questions • Demonstrate knowledge and skills, positive attitude, thinking, readiness for teamwork • Avoid having high demands / pretentions

37. Homework • Define your goals for your future job • Is there a demand in the industry for this job? • Identify the typical requirements for your preferred job position • Identify the technologies you need to know • Create a wish-list of potential employers • Research these employers • Increase your skills for your preferred job position (pass tutorials, read books, take courses, …)

38. Finding a Job in the IT Industry ? ? Questions? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ?

39. Thank You!