Everyone knows that mainly after the global pandemic the entire scenario of jobs and businesses across the world has significantly changed. We’ve seen various unwanted situations like layoffs, lack of job openings, salary-cut, etc. around us. However, the IT industry is one of those few sectors that is still providing numerous career opportunities to individuals and looking very much resilient in terms of growing & generating employment opportunities in the future. And that’s perhaps the reason that a majority of individuals are looking forward to breaking into the IT field. Let’s take a look at the below-mentioned numbers for more clarification:
- The annual revenue of the IT industry in India is expected to reach around $350 billion by the year 2025.
- More than 200 Indian IT firms are already present in nearly 80 countries across the world.
- Technologies like Cloud, AI, etc. are expected to be utilized by more than 80% of global organizations by the year 2022.
From all these facts and figures, it has been clear the IT industry has a lot more to offer for making a successful career out of it. Now, the question arises, how to get a job in the IT industry?
So, you need to understand that there is not any rocket science or magic behind it – all you’re required to do is climb the ladder step by step. In general, you need to get out of your comfort zone, prioritize things, and follow the right approaches with the right mindset. And if you’re still getting stuck with concerns like ‘Where and how to start, etc. then do not worry as here in this article we’ll let you know about the strategical approaches in detail, from the beginning stage to the final one, land a job in IT sector.
Okay, firstly let us divide the entire process into 4 steps:
- Upskilling
- Job Hunting
- Interview Preparation
- The INTERVIEW DAY!
Now, let’s get started with each step in detail:
Step 1: Upskilling
It is the first and most important phase among all as all other further steps heavily rely on this particular one. It is consisting of the following approaches:
(i) Confront Yourself Honestly
You can’t even think of building a successful career in IT (or any other field as well), if you’re not aware of your goals, priorities, strengths, interests, and other related aspects. And to know all these things, you’re required to confront and asked relevant questions to yourself in an honest and accurate manner. You need to identify what are your career goals, academic background, skillset, domain preferences, etc. to make further plans and moves accordingly. For example, if you find out that you’re not actually inclined toward the development domain then you can explore other areas such as testing, networking, etc as per your preferences. You can take the help of your mentors, family, etc. in this as a little carelessness here can make your future career journey harsh.
(ii) Identify the Needs & Requirements of the Industry and Particular Domain
After knowing everything about yourself, now you need to know the demand and requirements of the industry as well. Okay, let us tell you why? Suppose, after the self-assessment process, you are clear in your mind that you want to make a career in Android Development. Now, if you won’t know what tech skills or academic background, or which certification can make you eligible to become a proficient Android Developer in the IT world – how will you even get started? Probably, you’d have got the point! So that’s why, you need to identify and analyze the required skills and complete a roadmap for making a career in any of the IT domains whether it be software development, data science, machine learning, etc.
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(iii) Equip Yourself with the Relevant Skills and Technologies
Here the core part comes! Now, you need to start your learning journey and upskill yourself with the required tools and technologies. Though there are specific technologies for each domain such as you need to command over technologies like JAVA, Kotlin, XML, Android SDK, etc. to make a career as an Android Developer. Similarly, you need to know about Python, Hadoop, Spark, and many other technologies to become a Data Scientist. However, you need to know there are several fundamental skills as well in which you’re recommended to be well-versed to land a job in several tech giants in the IT world, two of which are – Data Structures & Algorithms and Programming Languages. In particular, Data Structure and Algorithms is the most preferred skill by big tech companies like Google, Amazon, Uber, etc.
You can learn these skills through numerous ways such as you can enroll in a training program, opt for online courses, books & YouTube videos, etc. Apart from upskilling yourself, you need to look after satisfying all the academic background criteria that you may need while making a career in a particular domain.
Important Resources:
- Data Structures | Algorithms
- Programming Languages: JAVA | C/C++ | Python | JavaScript
- Core Subjects: OS | DBMS | Computer Networks | Theory of Computation
(iv) Validate Your Knowledge with Project Development & Certifications
In such a highly-competitive era, only learning is not sufficient – you’re required to validate your skills and knowledge as well to showcase your abilities. One of the best approaches for this is Project Development. You can consider building various minor and major projects based on your tech domain. It will not only help you to get practical exposure to particular tools & technologies but will also add much-needed value to your resume. Furthermore, you can opt to possess some valid certifications to validate your skills. There are numerous standard certification programs for each and every domain such as Google Certified Professional Cloud Architect for Cloud domain, CCNP Enterprise for Networking discipline, and many more. Also, you can participate in various coding challenges, hackathons, contribute to open-source, etc. to enhance your skills.
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Step 2: Job Hunting
Now let’s come to the second step, Job Hunting. Here, you’ll be required to follow the strategic approaches that can help you to get some worthwhile job opportunities:
(i) Shortlist the Companies as per your Requirements
Okay, so you have to start the job hunting process by shortlisting the companies of your tech domain and considering your own preferences as well if any. For example, if you’re looking forward to joining a startup working on web development technologies then you’re required to do some extensive research to find out similar companies and you can even filter out some of them from these also based on several other crucial factors like growth opportunities, company culture, etc. Also, while shortlisting the companies, you will get to know if you’re the right person for the particular domain or not by going through the roles & responsibilities of the job profile. In addition, freshers are strongly recommended to not consider salary and other perks as the primary factor while shortlisting the companies instead try to look out for the companies where you actually will get to work, learn and grow.
(ii) Create a Personalized and Creative Resume
A Resume is responsible for making the first impression of yours on recruiters hence you need to create an enriching, professional, and personalized resume to land some worthwhile job opportunities. But do you know what is a personalized resume? If not, then let us tell you – a personalized resume is some sort of customized resume that is designed for a particular job opportunity or company. It actually helps you to make your resume stand out and gain the attention of recruiters. Also, you need to update your resume regularly and there are numerous tools available over the web such as CV Engineer, NovoResume, and many more that can help you to build a remarkable resume efficiently and conveniently.
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(iii) Market Yourself in all Possible Ways
So, it’s time to dive into the battle. You’re required to market yourself and get visible to the recruiters of all the shortlisted companies in all possible ways. You can make use of various online job portals where you can conveniently build a profile and can reach out to hundreds and hundreds of recruiters across the world with just a few clicks. Also, you need to understand the importance of personal branding if you won’t be able to showcase your worth and skills to recruiters or other industry professionals then what will prompt them to give any job opportunity to you? You can consider creating your blog, portfolio website, YouTube channel, etc. to market yourself and demonstrate your skills and knowledge.
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(iv) Grow Your Network and Ask for Referrals
Undoubtedly, there are numerous worthwhile advantages of having worthwhile professional networking from career perspectives, not only for the freshers but for experienced ones also. You won’t believe it but as per the reports around 60% of jobs are found through networking. The people in your network can help you to know about various relevant job opportunities, and crucial insights such as tech skills, certifications, etc., recommendations, and much more. And when you get an inside referral from an individual working in a particular company, it actually boosts your chances of getting selected. Hence, you definitely should work out your professional network and connect with industry people. There are various online platforms such as LinkedIn, CutShort, etc. that can help you with this, and also you can attend various tech conferences, seminars, meetups, etc. for some positive outcomes.
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Step 3: Interview Preparation
Once you’ll get shortlisted for an interview in a particular company, then you actually move to the third step where you’re required to prepare for the recruitment process:
(i) Understand the Hiring Process of the Particular Company
First and foremost, what you’re required to do is understand the hiring process of the company. You need to understand that each company has its own recruitment process, for instance – the hiring process of a service-based company can be somewhat different from a product-based company and even the recruitment process of two product-based companies may differ from each other. Moreover, if we consider the general outlook, there are usually 3-4 rounds namely – Coding Round, Technical Interview Rounds, HR Round, etc. You can visit the official website of the company and can use platforms like Glassdoor, neveropen, etc. to read the interview experiences of the candidates and to know about the hiring processes of top-notch IT companies in detail.
(ii) Prepare for the Technical Interview Rounds
After knowing the recruitment process of the company and details like what type of questions are generally by the recruiters, etc. then you need to brush up on all your concepts and prepare for the interview accordingly. For example, if the particular company focuses more on Data Structure & Algorithms skills and knowledge of Operating System concepts of the candidates, then you should prepare yourself for these skills or concepts mandatorily before going out for the interview. Similarly, if there is any programming or coding round in the recruitment process, then you must revise all the relevant programming concepts and principles, especially the fundamentals. In addition, you’re strongly recommended to know about the mentioned projects and tech skills in your resume thoroughly.
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(iii) Work on Relevant Analytical & Soft-Skills
In today’s times, only tech skills are not sufficient as organizations want you to possess some decent soft and analytical skills that make you able to do your tasks in an optimized and efficient manner. You’re required to work on several relevant analytical and soft skills also such as problem-solving, communication, decision-making, research & analysis, collaboration, and others. These skills are demanded by almost every company in the IT field irrespective of the job role or domain. And they will surely help you to get an edge over other candidates possessing the same technical skills and academic qualifications. It becomes more crucial when it comes to experienced individuals who’re looking forward to getting into some managerial job roles in the IT sector.
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(iv) Practice Mock Interviews
Never underestimate the importance of practicing mock interviews! It not only helps you to become familiar with the interview environment but also provides you with the much-needed confidence to nail the actual interview. It has become more crucial in the present-day scenario when the online recruitment process is favored by the organization, hence you need to practice mock interviews to get familiar and become comfortable with the tools & technologies used in the online interviews. You can also take the help of your friends, family, etc. to practice for the interviews. Also, there are numerous online platforms available such as Talview – Candidate App, etc. that help you practice mock interviews similar to the actual interviews environment with the help of advanced technologies.
Step 4: The INTERVIEW DAY!
So, finally comes the day for which you’re doing all the hard work and hustle. Hence, you need to follow several crucial strategies here as well as a small mistake in this step can make you lose the job opportunity:
(i) Be Punctual and Dress Professionally
You must ensure that you’ll always be on time (or 10-15 minutes earlier) for the interview, whether it be online or offline. It really impacts a lot such as it shows your interest in the job opportunity to the recruiters, gives you some time to get relaxed, etc. And, let us tell you that a few minutes of delays (without any genuine reason) in appearing for the interview can make you lose the job opportunity. Furthermore, you should dress professionally and appropriately for the interview to make a positive first impression on the recruiter and to strengthen your self-confidence as well. In addition, you’re recommended to work on your body language, eye contact, and other related concerns during the interview to get better results.
(ii) Be Calm, Focused & Listen Carefully
Another thing that you have to keep in mind during the interview is to be calm & focused and face the interview with a positive mindset. You need to know that if you’re feeling a bit nervous during the interview then there’s nothing wrong with it – however that nervousness shouldn’t exceed a particular limit as after that it can affect your performance in the interview negatively. Moreover, you should listen to the interviewer attentively and don’t interrupt him/her abruptly in between the conversation, and let him complete first whatever he is saying or asking. However, if you don’t get, what the interviewer is asking, the first time – you can politely request him to repeat it for you. Also, speak clearly and politely to create a positive impact.
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(iii) Ask Relevant Questions to the Interviewer
An interview is a two-way communication process, hence you should be fairly involved in the conversation with the interviewer. When an interviewer offers you to ask any query or concern you’re having in your mind, then you surely can opt to ask several relevant questions such as about the company culture & values, job role, and responsibilities, career growth prospects, etc. You can ask any other question as well that comes spontaneously to your mind during the interview. However, you need to be a bit careful while directly asking related to salary, perks, etc. – especially when you’re a beginner as it may give a negative impact on the interviewer.
(iv) Do Follow Up After the Interview
Lastly, don’t forget to follow up with the recruiter after the interview. Most of the candidates do the same mistake by not following up with the interviewer which eventually reduces their chances of grabbing a particular job opportunity. The follow-up process is concerned with tasks such as thanksgiving to the interviewer for providing you with the opportunity and time, asking for details regarding further interview rounds, feedback, and suggestions for your interview performance, etc. You can connect with the interviewer through various official platforms such as Gmail, LinkedIn, etc. for doing the follow-up. However, you must ensure that you should always follow up with the interviewer in a professional manner and at the appropriate time.
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So, this is the entire journey, from the beginning to the end, that you need to cover to land a job in a top-notch IT company. Even though the above-mentioned career roadmap may seem like a slower or lengthy path to you but honestly, it can surely reward you with an enriching and worthwhile career in the IT sector – if you’ll follow it with patience and consistency!!
