So, you’ve decided to pursue a career in tech. Great choice! Technical roles are in high demand, and with the industry’s competitive salaries and opportunities for remote work, it’s no wonder so many people are turning to the field.

But where do you start? Which programming language should you learn first? And, once you’ve learned how to code, what’s next?

With the many different roles and specializations, languages and frameworks, etc., it can be hard navigating through the process of training and finding a new job. The good news is, there are actually pretty standard steps in the journey to landing a great job in tech.

Below, we’ll walk you through everything you need to know about this journey and show you how learning to code can help you launch your career.

1. Finding the perfect role

The first step is figuring out what it is you want to do. Sure, you want to be a Web Developer — but do you want to be a Front-End, Back-End, or Full-Stack Developer?

Or maybe you want to work with data. Do you go down the Data Scientist route, or would you be happier as a Data Analyst or Engineer? In this phase, you’ll want to do as much research as possible on all the different roles, their various responsibilities, and the tools they use.

You’ll also want to consider what it is you’re looking for out of your new career. Do you thrive in collaborative environments, or do you prefer working alone? What are your salary expectations? Having the answers to questions like this will help you narrow down your choices.

To get started, check out the articles below:

Once you’ve got a solid understanding of your desired roles’ responsibilities and requirements, it’s time to start building your skills.

2. Skill building

When it comes to building your skills, you’ve got quite a few options. Some people pursue a degree in computer science (or something related). Others turn to coding bootcamps. But, more and more, people are taking their learning into their own hands.

For example, say you decide to become a Front-End Web Developer. In that case, you could use our Front-End Engineer Career Path to teach yourself the languages behind front-end development, such as:

Similarly, if you’re more interested in the back end, our Back-End Engineer Career Path will teach you how to use tools like:

Regardless of which role you choose, we’ve got an extensive catalog of programming courses that’ll help you master the languages you’ll use throughout your career. Check out the rest of our Career Paths for more options.

After mastering a few programming languages, it’s time to start building projects. Each Career Path also includes Portfolio Projects — designed to teach you how to take your coding skills off-platform and build your own personalized projects that you can include in your portfolio. Whether it’s a website, a machine learning model, or a calculator, building projects will deepen your understanding of the concepts and processes you learned in your courses. Plus, with workspaces, you can build your own projects right here on Codecademy.

Workspaces are integrated development environments (IDEs) that you can use in your browser. In other words, you can jump right into creating your own projects without needing to set up a local environment on your computer.

But workspaces aren’t just about building projects. They also give you the room to be creative and test out various methods and functions on your own. Plus, they’re shareable, so you can show off your coding skills and even get tips and insights from other developers. They’re also a great way to prepare for technical interviews and start building a portfolio — but more on that later.

3. Job preparation & application

After finding the perfect role and learning the required skills, it’s time to look for jobs. Heads up: Many people lose steam in this stage of the process.

Some feel discouraged because they lack the skills or experience outlined in job descriptions, not realizing that you don’t necessarily need to have all of the required skills. Others are thrown off by the interview process — especially technical interviews. But, with a little preparation, you can stand out from other entry-level applicants and set yourself up for a more streamlined process.

First, do a little research. Visit Glassdoor, LinkedIn, and company career pages to get a sense of common values in the industry. See what the recruiters and hiring managers in your field are looking for. This will help you know exactly what to highlight in your resume and portfolio. In another article, Madison, our Manager of Technical Recruiting, shares some tips for landing a job in the tech industry.

Next, you’ll need to build a resume and portfolio. These serve as your first impression with potential employers and clients. Not only do they provide a quick overview of your experience, but they also showcase your proficiency with the tools and languages in your tech stack. In other words, they allow recruiters and hiring managers to see if your skills are up to par — so you want to make sure they’re polished and accurately illustrate your capabilities.

But don’t worry, it’s not as complicated as it sounds. We offer several resources that’ll help you build a solid portfolio, such as:

Once your resume and portfolio are polished and ready to go, it’s time to start applying for jobs. But before you hop on Indeed, you’ll need to know how to read a job description.

4. Preparing for technical interviews

During a technical interview, you’ll be asked to complete a coding problem. This helps interviewers assess your technical skills and ability to solve problems.

The problems you’ll face in your technical interviews will push your coding skills to the limit. They might test your proficiency with your preferred programming languages or even programming concepts like data structures and algorithms. Fortunately, we’ve got a wide host of resources to help you prepare.

In our new Interview Prep page, you’ll find everything from courses that’ll test your skills with various languages, to articles where professional developers share their insights and experiences with technical interviews.

We even offer a complete technical interview guide that’ll help ensure you wow your interviewers and maximize your chances of getting the job. Plus, you’ll soon be able to practice for technical interviews right here on Codecademy with our new Code Challenges!

Coming in early November, Code Challenges will allow you to prepare for technical interviews with real coding challenges pulled from some of the top companies in tech. After taking a few Code Challenges, you’ll be fully prepared to walk into your technical interviews and blow them away with your expertise.

Kickstarting your career with Codecademy

No matter where you are in your journey, it’s always helpful to get a little support. With Codecademy, you’ve got an entire community at your fingertips — developers, both new and professional, from all around the world that can help you achieve your goals.

If you find yourself feeling stuck and unsure of what to do next, try reaching out to other learners on our forums and asking for advice. You can also connect with other developers in one of our chapters around the world to learn from their experiences. Or, take a look through our Learner Stories and see how other learners have launched new careers and achieved various other goals.

In short, Codecademy is your one-stop-shop for entering the world of code. We’ll teach you the basics of programming, guide you in your mastery of your preferred languages, help you build a portfolio, prepare you for technical interviews, and more.

To learn more about how we can help you launch your new career, check out our Career Center. You’ll find a host of helpful resources designed to propel you along your journey, such as:

• Tips from recruiters in the tech industry
• Workspaces
• Portfolio Projects
• Code Challenges

Ready to enter the world of tech? For a limited time (ending October 23rd, 2021), we’re offering a 40% discount for annual memberships to Codecademy Pro and Pro Student. In other words, you can get access to all the resources listed above for a fraction of the cost.

So, what are you waiting for? Kickstart your new career by signing up now! (For students, click here.)

Finding a new job in tech isn’t always the most intuitive process. So, we sat down with several recruiters in our community and asked them to share their insights.

In the video above, Madison Olson, Codecademy’s Manager of Technical Recruiting, shares her top tips that’ll help you navigate the job-hunting process. Read on (or watch the video) to learn how to find find the perfect position, highlight your strengths during the interview process, and more.

1. Optimize your resume to make it past the bots

“Dig into job descriptions, optimize your resume, and use a fairly consistent resume across the board, but tailor it to specific roles.”
— Madison Olson, Codecademy’s Manager of Technical Recruiting

It may sound tedious, but tailoring your resume for each job you apply to will maximize your chances of being called in for an interview.

With platforms like Indeed and LinkedIn, applying to jobs has never been easier. This means that recruiters and hiring teams are often inundated with applications. To make their jobs easier, many of them turn to applicant tracking systems (ATS).

In short, ATS screen job candidates and rank them by how well they match the job posting. This is done, in part, by analyzing your resume for keywords included in the job description.

By making sure those keywords are included in your resume, you’ll have a much better chance of being marked as a suitable candidate. Otherwise, your application might never even reach the hands of a recruiter.

To learn more, check out our article on how to read a job description.

2. Explore all of your opportunities

You might already have your eyes set on a specific company or industry. But, as Madison points out, there are lots of jobs that could be a great fit for you:

“Cast a wide net at the beginning [of your job search] because you might come across something you end up being excited about. Even if you don’t do something you’re the most excited about initially, you’ll still learn things that’ll be valuable in your next role — so think about how you can learn and grow.”

During your job search, you may come across a role that you’re well-suited for but doesn’t quite align with what you had in mind. For example, say you want to be a Full-Stack Developer at Tesla, but they’re only hiring Front-End Developers.

In this case, do you apply for the front-end role, or do you wait for a full-stack opportunity? Madison recommends the former. As she explains, it could easily lead to your dream job later — and you could learn some valuable skills along the way:

“Any good company will try to help facilitate a transition for you if you come into one role and decide to pursue another opportunity. Of course, you have to temper your expectations a little. It can take some time to make sure the company can support your professional development and learning, and get you exposure to that type of opportunity and eventually transition into that role.”

3. Don’t rule yourself out

Too often, job seekers miss out on great opportunities because they think they’re underqualified. Maybe you’re missing a few of the skills listed in the job description or fall just shy of the required years of experience. While it’s great to be selective, don’t let this deter you.

“Most job descriptions are split into ‘must-haves’ and ‘nice to haves.’ If you meet some of the key must-haves along with some of the nice to haves, it doesn’t hurt to apply,” Madison said. Continuing, she explains:

“What I hate seeing candidates get tripped up on — and is super prevalent in the tech industry and beyond — is when you see a position that has four or five years of experience [as a requirement], but someone only has three, so they don’t apply. If you’re missing one or two years but still have the same general amount of experience, don’t let it stop you from applying.”

Similarly, don’t be intimidated by job titles. While looking for their first job in tech, many people limit their searches to junior or internship positions.

But, as Madison explains, every company has its own naming conventions. Say a company lists an entry-level position as “Software Engineer I.” You could miss out on a great opportunity if you’re only applying to “Junior Software Engineer” postings.

So, make sure you’re paying close attention to the requirements for the role. As long as you hit most of the criteria, there’s still a chance you could land the job.

4. Use examples to illustrate your soft skills

While hard skills are usually illustrated in your portfolio and during technical interviews, soft skills are harder to showcase.

The term “soft skills” refers to those you use to handle the less technical aspects of your job, like working with teammates and solving problems. While you can (and should) include them in the skills section of your resume, interviews provide a better opportunity for you to put them in the spotlight.

During the interview process, you’ll be asked to speak to your past experiences. This might include times when you’ve worked as part of a team or a problem you’ve had to solve last-minute. Generally, you’ll want to use examples related to the role you’re applying for — but what if you don’t have any relevant experience?

In these cases, it’s important to remember that soft skills are transferable. It’s completely okay to use examples from non-technical positions or even your personal life. As Madison recommends:

“Don’t hesitate to utilize experience you think might not be relevant for these questions. If asked about a time you made a mistake, you might struggle to think of a time you made an engineering mistake, but you can talk about something else — even if it’s outside of engineering or tech.”

Need more help with this one? In another article, we take a closer look at how to showcase your soft skills.

5. Speak to growth opportunities, not bad experiences

If you’re switching careers, you’ll likely be asked why you’re leaving your current position or field. You can almost think of this as a trick question. You might have a long list of complaints about your current or past employer, but that’s not what they’re looking for.

Instead, discuss what you’re looking to gain from your next role. As the saying goes, it’s not what you say but how you say it.

Felt micromanaged at your last company? Highlight your excitement for more autonomy. Got passed over for a promotion? Share your excitement for professional development and opportunities for growth. As Madison explains:

“The big thing to do is talk about your experience, what you’ve learned, and how you’ve improved and adjusted and will continue to do so going forward. Focus on yourself and your continued growth.”

6. Know that it’s okay to say “I don’t know”

At some point during your interviews, you might face a question that leaves you stumped. It might be about a lesser-known function or your approach to solving a complex problem.

In these situations, many people try to come up with something on the spot. You’ve finally got your foot in the door, and the last thing you want is to leave them questioning your expertise, right?

But, as Madison points out, it’s better to simply admit that you’re not sure — as long as you follow up with an explanation of how you’d go about finding the answer.

“It’s totally okay to admit what you don’t know. You could say, ‘I actually haven’t had experience with this before, but in a situational sense, this is what I might do.’ I think that’s a big strength for someone — if they admit what they don’t know or are able to talk about a mistake they had — it’s all about where you go from there.”

7. Feel empowered to ask tough questions

Asking questions is a critical element of the job-hunting process. Accepting a job is a big decision, and you’ll need as much information as possible to guide your decision-making.

Imagine coming across a company you’d love to work for. You meet all the requirements, the listed benefits sound promising, and all in all, you think it’d be a great fit. But — you see a few concerning comments on sites like Glassdoor.

Some people may see the bad reviews as a red flag and move on. Others might simply apply and hope for the best. But, as Madison explains, situations like these are great opportunities to find out more about the company.

“Feel confident in asking questions throughout your interview process. [If you find bad reviews on Glassdoor], ask about your concerns — they can address any steps that have been taken to resolve the problem.”

Asking questions can also lead to insights that’ll help you perform better in future interviews.

Say you made it through a couple rounds of interviews, but the company ultimately decided to go in another direction. It’s disappointing, but it happens.

Still, you can use this opportunity to identify your areas of improvement. Try reaching out to a recruiter and asking for feedback. As Madison explains:

“It’s totally fair to ask for feedback, [but] you have to be a little lenient and understanding. If it’s just an application, it’s going to be harder for a recruiter to get back to you. If it’s after a phone call [or an in-person interview], they have a little more context. Ask, but temper expectations.”

Preparing for your job search

The tips above will go a long way in helping you find your perfect role, but there’s more work to be done. Along with optimizing your resume and knowing what to say (and what not to say) during interviews, you’ll also need to build a portfolio, prepare for technical interviews, and more.

If you need help preparing for the rest of the process, check out our Career Center. You’ll find valuable resources like:

• Portfolio Projects that’ll help you illustrate your skills
• Workspaces you can use to build your experience with projects you can share with recruiters
• Code Challenges to help you prepare for technical interviews, and more.

Or, if you’re looking for more insights from recruiters about finding jobs in the tech industry, check out the videos below:

When applying to jobs, how often do you read the job descriptions line by line?

Many people skim through them, reading just enough to make sure they qualify for the position before applying. We get it. Reading each and every job description can feel like a waste of time.

But, job descriptions actually hold a great deal of information. If you know what to look for, you can find insights into the company’s culture, your potential role, and even what to include in your resume to boost your chances of being called in for an interview.

Below, we’ll show you how to read a job description and use it to optimize your resume. Then, we’ll show you how to prepare for the next steps of the job-hunting process.

How to read a tech job description

The first step in reading a job description is discerning what’s required from what’s desired. Anything listed as a requirement is a must-have — especially when it comes to technical skills.

For example, if a company has knowledge of C++ as a requirement, they’re specifically looking for candidates who are comfortable with that language. The same goes for JavaScript and other languages. In many cases, they may already have some applications written in that language, and for you to help maintain or improve them, you’ll need to be familiar with it.

Still, not having certain skills isn’t always a deal-breaker, especially if they’re listed as “preferred” or as “a plus.”

Say a job description lists Java as a requirement and JavaScript as preferred. Even if you’re only familiar with the former, you might still be an eligible candidate for the position.

Also, remember that skill requirements are usually listed in order of priority. So, you may want to focus on job descriptions with your stronger skills listed towards the top of the qualifications section.

Insights into the role

Job descriptions can also give you some insight into what you can expect while working at the company. For example:

• Look for how the word “team” is used. In some positions, you fly solo most of the time — but if you see the word team incorporated into the lists of daily duties, you’ll likely be working in a highly team-oriented atmosphere.
• Pay attention to the technologies they list. They’ll often give you some insight into what you’ll be doing on the job. If SQL is listed, you may be working with databases. If Swift is listed, you’ll most likely be developing for Apple devices.
• Check to see who you’ll be reporting to. Working on solutions is only part of the job. Your work has to be approved, and knowing how many people have to give you the thumbs up may help you get a good grasp on your workflow. For example, if you’re reporting to a director, and the company is under 50 people, you can assume that there are likely only 1-3 stakeholders when it comes to your daily work.

Insights into the company culture

A job description is typically a wide-open window into the company’s culture. It may even include things that you can’t find on its website or in articles about the organization. Human resources or other managers who write job descriptions may include interesting details such as:

• Annual company retreats
• Volunteer work employees do in the community
• Happy hours with complimentary food and beverages
• Info about rec rooms with pool, ping pong, or other games
• A gym
• On-site cafeteria
• Food delivery services

As you read through the job description, keep an eye out for requirements like “thrive in a fast-paced environment” or “must be able to juggle multiple projects at once.” Phrases like this might indicate a growth mindset at the company, and if you prefer work environments that are a little less hectic, you might want to consider another role.

Insights into the interview process

One of the key insights into the interview process you can get from the job description is who you’ll be reporting to. You may not know how many interviews you’ll have, but you can rest assured that until you sit down with the person you’ll be reporting to, there’ll be at least one more face-to-face or phone interview before they pick you for the job.

Some companies will outline the interview process, step-by-step, right on the job description. They may also list who your primary point of contact will be.

How to know if you should apply

According to Madison Olson, Codecademy’s Manager of Technical Recruiting, you don’t have to have all of the listed skills on a job description to apply. As she put it:

“Most job descriptions are split into ‘must-haves’ and ‘nice to haves.’ If you meet some of the key must-haves along with some of the nice to haves, it doesn’t hurt to apply.”

Similarly, you also don’t have to meet the exact experience requirements outlined in the job description. This doesn’t mean you should apply for a senior position if you’re just starting out. But, if you have the same general amount of experience or you’re only a year or two shy, consider throwing your hat in the ring.

Applicant tracking systems and resume optimization

Job descriptions are also a valuable resource for optimizing your resume. Companies often receive dozens (if not hundreds) of applications for open positions, and recruiters just don’t have the time to go through each one. So, many rely on applicant tracking systems (ATS).

According to Jobscan, 99% of Fortune 500 companies use ATS because they help streamline the recruiting process by screening job applications and resumes.

Many ATS use natural language processing, machine learning, and AI to analyze and rank candidates by how well their resumes match the job description. If your resume doesn’t include the keywords the ATS is looking for, there’s a good chance that the recruiter won’t even see it.

This is why you should tailor your resume for every position you apply to — or at least the jobs you’re really excited about. It might seem tedious, but taking the time to make sure your resume reflects the skills and requirements outlined in the job description will help maximize your chances of being called in for an interview.

Having the right keywords in your resume will also show recruiters that you’re serious about your application and not just applying to anything that might be a good fit. If you’re applying for a job as a Mobile Developer but Kotlin and Swift aren’t listed in your resume — how will they know you’ve got the right skills?

While sharing tips for improving your developer resume, Jovanay Carter, an Associate Recruiter with Codecademy, recommends:

“[Being] prepared for and intentional about the roles you’re applying for. You have to somehow demonstrate in your experiences, cover letter, or resume, that this is actually what you want.”

Preparing for the next steps

While knowing how to read a job description is important, applying is just the first step toward getting the job. Once you hear back from the company, it’s time to start preparing for the interview process.

Depending on the role you’re applying for, the interview process might consist of two parts: behavioral and technical interviews. Behavioral interviews are those you’re probably familiar with, in which your interviewer asks questions about your past roles and experiences.

Technical interviews, on the other hand, assess your proficiency with some of the technical skills outlined in the job posting. You might be given a coding problem to solve or asked about the inner workings of various programming languages and other tools. Technical interviews are your chance to showcase your skills and problem-solving ability and ultimately prove you’re the best choice for the role.

So, it goes without saying that you’ll want to bring your A-game. We offer several resources that’ll help you prepare for your upcoming technical interviews, including courses like:

1. Pass the technical interview with Java
2. Pass the technical interview with Python
3. Pass the technical interview with JavaScript

On our Interview Prep page, you’ll also find tips and insights from professional developers, a complete guide to acing technical interviews, and more.

Or, if you need a little more help with the overall job-hunting process, check out our Career Center. You’ll find helpful resources that’ll help propel you along every step of the way, such as:

• Tips from recruiters about what they’re looking for in candidates in your field.
• Workspaces, which you can use to code independently and build your own mini-projects.
• Code Challenges — real technical interview assessments pulled from top companies to help you prepare.

Ready to get started? Sign up now! For students, click here.