Career & Leadership › Career Growth

Job Search

Resumes, portfolios, applications and referrals.

Also known as: job hunting, applying for jobs

A job search is the process of finding roles, applying, and going through interviews. For junior engineers, the tools that matter most are a clear resume, a few projects you can explain, and a steady list of applications rather than a single big push.

A resume should show what you built and what changed because of it, in short lines. A portfolio or a repository link helps when it’s easy to read. Keep the projects you show small enough to explain in a few minutes.

Weak:   Worked on the checkout page.
Better: Added saved-address selection to checkout, reducing support tickets about address errors.

Referrals often help, because a colleague can vouch for you. Former classmates, meetups and open-source communities are common sources. When you ask for one, make it easy: send your resume, a short note about the role, and the specific reason you’re a good fit.

The classic mistake is applying widely without tailoring anything, or the opposite, waiting until your resume is perfect before applying. Track what you send and what comes back, and adjust based on the results. For the interview stages, see technical interviews and behavioral interviews.