Discover the proven pathway from zero industry contacts to employment—including the secret strategy that helped me transform from an overlooked graduate to a technical director who now hires developer
I went through all 4 years of university blissfully protected from the economic havoc outside. But that protection didn’t extend to finding summer jobs.
When 2012 rolled around, the economy was still recovering. Yet, no one was hiring. For anything.
Does this sound familiar?
No engineering coops, no internships. Even getting a job at a fast food chain was a challenge. How could someone with a fresh university degree not yield a job? I was ready and eager to work and learn more from companies.
Photo by Luismi Sánchez on Unsplash
Here, I learned my first crucial lesson in finding a job and beginning my career:
Your network is your net worth.
Every single time I found a new position, it was because someone with a connection had vouched for me.
Every. Single. Time.
The Power of Connections
Photo by Mike Erskine on Unsplash
My first and second coop positions came through a family member who had connections to the company.
My third coop materialized because I was in the classrooms with those professors.
My fourth position happened because I was associated with my university.
Every position after that, including my first full-time job, came through leveraging the connections of someone who had a stronger network than mine. In each scenario, I had paid them back by confirming their legitimacy and strengthening their own connections.
In more than 15 years of working, there was not one position that I applied to “cold” and got.
When Your Network Fails You
After 15 years, finding a job without connections remains the most difficult problem for me to solve. The only advice I can offer with confidence is this:
Is your network working for you? Start there first.
If your network exists but isn’t working as you hoped, I recommend reading “Never Eat Alone” by Keith Ferrazzi.
But what if you’ve reached out to your network, told them you’re looking, and they haven’t been able to help?
Starting From Zero
When I graduated and wanted to enter the software industry, I felt like I had nothing. There were no connections.
But wait—didn’t I just say I used a connection to get my first full-time job?
Photo by Sam Mgrdichian on Unsplash
When I say I had nothing, I really meant I felt like I had nothing to offer. I was applying to hundreds of jobs with no response. In retrospect, now with the experience of a hiring manager, I wouldn’t have hired myself back then either.
Reading my resume from that time, all I had to offer on paper was an Engineering Degree. No interesting relevant projects. No portfolio. No relevant software experience. Just some school class projects.
But what I did next would completely change my story and what I had to offer.
Finding My Way In
The tech landscape was different then. Google was massive, Facebook was huge, but Netflix and Amazon had yet to evolve into behemoths. Tesla was a small car company, and SpaceX was barely on the radar.
Photo by Alex Shutin on Unsplash
But there were hundreds of startups and future unicorns (Airbnb, Shopify, Uber, etc.). They all faced the same problem: in an environment with cheap money and investors looking for the next big thing, every issue became a software problem to solve. With so much money seeking returns, finding enough places to invest was becoming a problem. The demand for developers exceeded the supply. They could not find enough talented software developers.
The issue became so severe that startups emerged just to train software developers to get them ready on day one: 14 weeks, full-time, and at the end, a career fair to match you face-to-face with potential companies.
This I saw as my ticket. An opportunity to prove myself, network with fellow developers, train to become competent as a developer, AND get face time with companies in guaranteed interviews. This was a great deal in my eyes.
The Second Lesson: Invest in Yourself
This led me to my second realization:
The journey of self-investment always pays off.
Photo by Dominik Scythe on Unsplash
I have never stopped since. I continually maintain a learning mindset, always trying to find ways to translate books, courses, articles, and experiences into something valuable for myself and others. The journey of self-investment first levels you up and second sends a signal to others that you are a self-sustaining growth machine.
People want to be around those who are growing because they hope that growth will accelerate their own development and benefit their companies and teams.
The self-improvement is the value people seek.
So ask yourself:
- What have you done to improve yourself?
- How are you demonstrating that on your resume and profile?
- Did you get a certificate? Complete a new course?
Watching YouTube videos and taking courses is great, but how are you translating that into value? Did you connect with people in your courses? How did you stand out?
If you can’t stand out in your own class, how can you expect to stand out among thousands of applicants?
If you don’t consider what value you can bring to others, how can they bring value to you?
Finding Your Value
If you don’t think you have anything of value, don’t beat yourself up. We all think we start at zero. But take time to list everything you bring to the table. There is something there.
The journey starts with your network and your own value. 95% of the time, if you focus on these two aspects, you’ll get to where you need to be.
For the other 5%, look at what others are doing. Studying what others have done to reach where you want to go provides an amazing shortcut if you learn from their mistakes and follow their successes. It will give you clarity on where to focus your efforts.
Are you applying to a tech company? Most are probably looking for some kind of Agile training or experience. Would it be worth getting an Agile certificate?
Are you applying to an engineering firm? That Agile certificate is nice, but Six Sigma or Kaizen might be more valuable.
Depending on your focus, you need to see what those in that field have achieved and analyze their trajectories to understand what is reasonable and feasible.
Starting Cold: Building Connections From Scratch
But what if you’re starting completely cold, without any connections?
I recently had a developer reach out asking that exact question: How do you make your profile/resume stand out?
Research Former Coop Students
- Investigate who has previously held coop or intern roles at your target companies
- Explore their LinkedIn profiles or company websites to understand their backgrounds and experiences
- This insight will help you gauge the skills and qualities valued for these positions
However, don’t lose hope! There is one opportunity I believe gives juniors the best chance to stand out.
Stand Out by Contributing to Open Source
The profiles that catch my eye always have something notable—like high-profile projects or companies they’ve worked with. While you might not be able to land an internship at Google, you can still make waves by contributing to open-source projects used by Google or other major players.
Here’s how:
- Identify a programming language or library you use frequently
- Explore the open-source repositories for that language or project
- Look through the issues or feature lists and find ways to contribute your skills
By doing this, you’re not only showcasing your competency but also building a reputation as a reliable contributor in a community. This will help you network with the right people and stand out in a crowded field.
Final Thoughts
Getting noticed isn’t about landing the most glamorous role—it’s about proving your value through consistent effort and genuine interest. By contributing to open-source projects or finding unique opportunities at startups, you’ll set yourself apart from the crowd.
So, take the first step today. Pick a project, dive in, and start building your reputation as someone who delivers. Your network is your net worth, but your self-investment is what makes you worth networking with.
You’ve got this!
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