Network is everything /u/Idiot_Pianist CSCQ protests reddit

We all know that times are difficult. When I started in this career, passing an interview was as simple as taking a coffee and proving you knew what a pointer was (it’s still the case of some industries, where the value is more on the engineering side than the software side). Heck, I even got one job offer at a place where they add no job offering, just because they liked me !

Right now the situation is dantesque, a lot of us are on the market, looking for opportunities, getting an interview is almost impossible, and when you have one you’ll be expected to solve 3 hard LC problems in 15 min then to design YT or equivalent from scratch.

Here is my small advice, that I was given myself and neglected at the time: network is absolutely everything.

When you are in a position: be nice, go take the coffee with your colleagues, talk, ask them about their passions, be sincere. No small talk, no faked interest, no fake politics, be genuine and not only people will appreciate you but you will enjoy great, sincere relationships with others.
A recruter reached out to you and you weren’t interested or something happened ? Keep in touch. Someone was laid-off from your company ? Reach out to them regularly.

I’ve meet people who consistently refused to come have a coffee break with us, heck I even met one guy who didn’t join us to eat the cake I baked FOR HIM when he left (I was doing that for every person leaving). I don’t even remember his name now. I remember all the others, and they do remember me as well.

I’m still employed luckily, but I had a few interview recently, both were because of referrals. Once from a colleague I’ve never could actually meet, and once from a friend who referrals to their friend. I don’t know what will happen, but both opportunities are in aeras where I have 0 experience and where I’d like to grow.

I understand the thing about being an introvert and that our colleagues aren’t our friends (they still can be sometimes however). I’m an introvert myself, tbh most of us are introvert around me. We are still social.

This is important, more than you think, more than your hard-skills. Take care of your network.

We all know that times are difficult. When I started in this career, passing an interview was as simple as taking a coffee and proving you knew what a pointer was (it’s still the case of some industries, where the value is more on the engineering side than the software side). Heck, I even got one job offer at a place where they add no job offering, just because they liked me !

Right now the situation is dantesque, a lot of us are on the market, looking for opportunities, getting an interview is almost impossible, and when you have one you’ll be expected to solve 3 hard LC problems in 15 min then to design YT or equivalent from scratch.

Here is my small advice, that I was given myself and neglected at the time: network is absolutely everything.

When you are in a position: be nice, go take the coffee with your colleagues, talk, ask them about their passions, be sincere. No small talk, no faked interest, no fake politics, be genuine and not only people will appreciate you but you will enjoy great, sincere relationships with others.
A recruter reached out to you and you weren’t interested or something happened ? Keep in touch. Someone was laid-off from your company ? Reach out to them regularly.

I’ve meet people who consistently refused to come have a coffee break with us, heck I even met one guy who didn’t join us to eat the cake I baked FOR HIM when he left (I was doing that for every person leaving). I don’t even remember his name now. I remember all the others, and they do remember me as well.

I’m still employed luckily, but I had a few interview recently, both were because of referrals. Once from a colleague I’ve never could actually meet, and once from a friend who referrals to their friend. I don’t know what will happen, but both opportunities are in aeras where I have 0 experience and where I’d like to grow.

I understand the thing about being an introvert and that our colleagues aren’t our friends (they still can be sometimes however). I’m an introvert myself, tbh most of us are introvert around me. We are still social.

This is important, more than you think, more than your hard-skills. Take care of your network.