1. You can’t get your first job because you haven’t had one yet
You’re targeting entry-level roles, right?
Yes.
Yet, all of the “junior software engineer” job postings require at least a couple years of professional tech experience.
How on earth are you supposed to get started if you can’t even land a spot at the bottom of the career ladder?
Beats me.
2. You are being asked to save the company — employers are looking for someone who can do absolutely everything
They are looking for candidates who can support the company in its entirety.
You need to know front end, backend, web, mobile, PHP, C, Java, JavaScript React, Angular, Express, Rails.
In addition, you need to know UX/UI, web design and graphic design. Preferably some strong writing and people skills, so you can do all the work of five people.
Are you superman? If so, please apply.
3. You can barely find jobs to apply to, because your job is being outsourced
Many tech jobs are being outsourced to India, China or Ukraine.
For that reason, many companies only have middle management tech roles in their U.S. offices.
An estimate of 1.5 million foreign workers are doing IT jobs for American companies, according to a study done by Howard University.
An entry-level IT worker earns $7,000 a year in China and $8,400 in India. IT managers in China only make $22,600 while those in India make $30,800 a year.
That’s because the cost of living is cheaper in these countries, according to theBalance.com.
It is also easier for these companies to keep costs low to compete in the global marketplace.
If they can find trained workers at a lower cost than hiring you, why bother training you?
Basically, what that means is: computer science majors and coding bootcamp grads in the U.S. are in for a tough time.
4. You are applying for a job that doesn’t exist
It is nearly impossible to know if a job posting is real or not.
Often times, posting a job online is just a “formality.”
Many open jobs are never advertised at all. Or, they are posted only after a leading candidate — an internal applicant or someone else they have in mind — has been identified.
Even though federal labor rules don’t require employers to post openings, HR departments at many companies require them to be listed on a job board or career site for some period, says Debra Feldman, an executive career consultant based in Greenwich, Conn.
Don’t feel bad you were rejected. You were never considered anyways. I guess.
5. Your transferrable skills aren’t transferring
With every job posted online, and every job posting generating hundreds of applications, your application is probably going through an applicant tracking system, which utilizes a crude keyword-based filter to screen out applicants without a close enough match to certain keywords.
Usually, after you spent 15 minutes filling out an annoying application, a program decided to reject you in a matter of seconds.
Unfortunately, this means a human being never saw your resume and you’ll be receiving an automated rejection email Friday night at 11 p.m.
Thanks for ruining my weekend.
The pros and cons of technology, folks.
6. You’re expensing your own money to interview
I’ve spent $10 to park in the parking garage, got a $30 round trip train ticket, and Ubered it to the other side because there wasn’t any public transportation available.
No one has yet to thank me for my time and efforts.
Dear hiring managers: you’re getting paid to interview. And we are paying to interview. Please keep that in mind.
