Application Process

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Part 1: Getting Interviews

Getting interviews is arguably the hardest part of landing a tech job. The current job market has thousands of qualified candidates competing for each position.

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The 2025 Job Market is a Bloodsport

1. Understand the Reality: Online applications are largely ineffective in today’s market. Thousands of applicants compete for a single position, and automated systems filter out most resumes before a human ever sees them.

2. Cold Application Success Rate: Almost every software engineer (even those with top degrees and FAANG experience) can get ghosted on most cold applications if they don’t use the right strategy.

3. The End of the Boom Era: The peak of the industry was back in 2019 and 2020 (especially during Covid). Companies were hiring like crazy and standards were lower. That bubble has burst now, and we’re in an economic rebalancing phase with lots of layoffs to offset overhiring.

4. New Success Strategy: This doesn’t mean you can’t get hired - the strategy just needs to be different. Small simple tutorial projects that everyone is doing will not cut it anymore. You need to have at least one solid end-to-end product that you’ve built, deployed to production, that solves a real problem (potentially with a few paying users - not mandatory but extremely helpful).

5. Product Engineer Era: We are now in the era of the ‘Product Engineer’ - Software Engineers who can use all the tools they have access to ship end-to-end features, have a strong understanding of one area (maybe frontend), but also have a good grasp of the rest of the system as a whole (even if it’s abstracted away using a 3rd-party provider/library).

6. What Actually Works: This industry is fundamentally about showcasing your hard skills and connecting with real people. You need to interface with humans to be successful. Mass online applications are no longer effective.

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The Numbers Game: Application Strategy & Success Metrics

Treating your job search seriously means understanding it’s partly a numbers game, especially when getting those initial interviews. Your goal is to maximize your chances with a consistent and strategic approach.

• Daily Application Target: Aim to apply for at least 5-10 high-quality, well-researched jobs every single day. If you’re currently unemployed and can dedicate more time, this number could be higher. If you’re working or studying, adjust accordingly but maintain consistency.
• Use a Job Tracker: We can’t stress this enough – use a job tracker like TealHQ’s Job Tracker to keep your applications organised, follow up, and analyse your efforts.
• Callback Success Rate: Monitor your callback rate (the percentage of applications that lead to an interview invitation). You should be aiming for 20% or higher. This is a critical indicator of how well your public presence (resume, LinkedIn, GitHub, portfolio) resonates with employers for the roles you’re targeting.

If your callback rate is consistently below 20%, it’s a strong signal that your public presence and application strategy need a deep analysis to identify what the issues could be. It means that, despite your efforts, you’re not appearing as a compelling candidate to employers.

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The Resume Reality Check

Despite what many career counselors might tell you, your resume is not the golden ticket to job offers. However, you still need a clean, professional resume as a basic requirement.

Your resume should be:

• One page only - Recruiters don’t have time for lengthy resumes, and multiple pages often signal inability to prioritize information
• Clean and error-free
• Focused on relevant experience
• Quantifiable with metrics where possible
• ATS-friendly with simple formatting

For a simple, effective CV template, use this Google Doc template.

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Avoiding Unintentional Signals of Inexperience

Beyond what you put on your resume, how you present yourself can inadvertently signal inexperience or lead to biases. Here are some common pitfalls to avoid:

• Using the word “Junior”: Avoid labeling yourself as “Junior” in your job titles (past or present), on your LinkedIn profile, GitHub, or personal website. Let your skills and project experience speak for themselves. Focus on the role you’re targeting, not a potentially limiting label.
• Highlighting Graduation Dates (for recent grads): Consider removing your graduation year from your CV, especially if you’re a recent graduate. This encourages recruiters to focus on your skills, projects, and experiences rather than your age. Position your education section below your work experience to emphasize your practical contributions.
• Displaying an Unprofessional Email Address: Use a clean, professional-sounding email address (e.g., firstname.lastname@email.com) for all job-related communications. Avoid old, cringey, or overly casual email addresses.
• Showcasing Only Basic Tutorial Projects: While tutorials are great for learning, a portfolio dominated by simple, common tutorial projects (e.g., to-do apps, basic weather apps) can signal a lack of initiative or ability to tackle more complex, real-world problems. Strive to include at least one unique, end-to-end project that solves a real problem. This is our philosophy @ Code & Creed. We believe in building real products that solve real problems.
• Listing Every Skill Imaginable: Avoid overwhelming your resume with a long list of skills, especially if many are at a beginner level or irrelevant to the roles you’re targeting. Focus on proficiency in key technologies relevant to the job. You should not have a ‘Skills’ section on your resume. Each of your skills should be embedded in each of the relevant roles and projects you’ve worked on so that it’s clear when they were used and what impact you were able to have.
• Neglecting Proofreading: Typos, grammatical errors, and inconsistent formatting on your resume, cover letter, or even in emails can create an impression of carelessness or lack of attention to detail, which is often associated with inexperience.

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Consider Part-Time or Student Positions

If you’re struggling to land a full-time role, or still in school or working another job, don’t overlook part-time opportunities and student positions or internships. These can be a strategic entry point into the industry:

• Lower competition compared to full-time roles
• Valuable on-the-job experience for your resume
• Opportunity to learn professional development practices
• Potential to convert to full-time later
• Build real connections with professionals in the field
• Income while you continue learning/studying

Many successful developers started with these “foot in the door” positions before transitioning to full-time roles. They’re not just fallback options—they’re legitimate strategic paths into the industry.

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Stand Out with Real Product Experience

In a sea of candidates with identical tutorial projects and cookie-cutter portfolios, nothing sets you apart like having built a legitimate product that solves a real problem and potentially has paying users.

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Why Real Products Matter More Than “Projects”

1. Signal Strength: Anyone can follow a tutorial. Very few people can identify a problem, build a solution, and get it in front of users. This demonstrates initiative, product thinking, and execution ability—exactly what companies pay for.

2. End-to-End Experience: Building and shipping a real product forces you to tackle all aspects of development: product design, frontend, backend, deployment, security, performance optimisation, and user feedback—giving you genuine full-stack experience.

3. Tangible Results: “I built a Twitter clone” is forgettable. “I built a tool for a relative that helps small businesses schedule appointments and got 5 paying customers” is memorable and impressive.

4. Interview Material: Real products provide countless stories for behavioral interviews about overcoming challenges, making trade-offs, prioritising features, and measuring success.

5. Tutorial Projects Are Not Impressive: Let’s be brutally honest - no hiring manager is impressed by another to-do app, weather app, or Netflix clone that was built following a YouTube tutorial. These projects signal that you can follow instructions, not that you can solve real-world problems independently.

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How Code and Creed’s Resources Make This Possible

While most candidates struggle to create meaningful projects, our Company Building Guide provides two powerful resources to help you build something legitimate:

1. Guides on building a company: We have detailed resources on how to build a company from scratch:

   • Philosophy - Our philosophy on building a company
   • High-Performance Founder - Become a high-performance founder
   • Parent Company Setup - Setup your parent company
   • Idea Validation - Validate your ideas
   • MVP Development - Build your MVP
   • Marketing - Market your product
   • Scaling - Scale your team and get investment
   • Exiting - Exit strategies

2. Titan Platform: Our flagship product development environment gives you everything you need to build production-ready applications:

   Titan provides the infrastructure, tools, and guidance to build products that would normally require a team of engineers and DevOps specialists.

   • Ready-made infrastructure - Databases, authentication, deployment pipelines
   • Developer-friendly workflows - Focus on building features, not fighting with tooling
   • Built-in monetization paths - Turn your project into a potential business
   • Community support - Get feedback and help when you get stuck

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Get Team Experience

Don’t make the excuse that you don’t have any real-world company experience.

You can get real work experience at the non-profit community: TechFleet.

• No portfolio required
• No resume required
• No experience required
• No previous education required

You’ll work on real projects with real teams, gaining valuable experience that you can put on your CV as actual software engineering internship experience.

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Building a Network

By far the most effective way to get interviews is through your network. Almost every successful job placement comes through a warm connection who can advocate for you.

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Strategies

1. Start by doing excellent work that solves real problems that you or someone you know has (and sharing it publicly)

2. Engage genuinely with people in your field on social media. You cannot afford to be introverted in this market.

3. Attend virtual and in-person events in your area (Recruiting events, meetups, hackathons, etc.)

4. Contribute to open source or other community projects (We have folks posting their projects on our Discord server. Offer to help!)

5. Offer help before asking for favors.

6. Be specific when reaching out about opportunities.

For university students, it’s crucial to take full advantage of campus career fairs and actively research other avenues for networking and landing internships. A simple web search for “how students can get tech internships” or “networking tips for university students” can yield valuable, actionable advice tailored to your situation.

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Tech Career Fairs and Conventions

Attending tech career fairs and industry conventions is one of the most effective ways to make personal connections with potential employers. These face-to-face interactions can significantly increase your chances of landing interviews.

Major UK Tech Events:

• Silicon Milkroundabout (London, biannual) - One of the UK’s leading tech job fairs held at The Old Truman Brewery. Features 100+ innovative companies looking to hire tech talent. Next event: June 14-15, 2025.

• Women of Silicon Roundabout (London, ExCeL) - The UK’s largest tech event for women, bringing together 5,000+ tech professionals with numerous hiring companies. Scheduled for November 26-27, 2025.

• Tech Job Fair by TechFair (Virtual) - A virtual tech job fair platform connecting you with top companies and major tech employers across the UK & Ireland.

• Tech Show London (ExCeL London) - A massive tech conference with dedicated career areas and networking opportunities with leading tech companies.

• London Tech Job Fair (by TechMeetups) - Connects talented professionals directly with hiring companies in a relaxed environment. Scheduled for September 25, 2025.

Tips for Making the Most of Career Fairs:

• Research attending companies beforehand
• Prepare a concise pitch about yourself
• Bring printed copies of your CV (even if most interactions are digital)
• Dress professionally but appropriately for tech culture
• Follow up with connections within 24-48 hours after the event
• Treat every conversation as a potential interview

• Effective Networking Guide (Chance: 40-50%)

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Building an Online Presence

For juniors especially, building an active online presence is critical for networking and job success:

1. Create Meaningful Projects:

   • Build and ship real projects that solve actual problems (can’t stress this enough). Stop with the Youtube clone projects.
   • Document your process and learnings publicly on LinkedIn and X
   • Host all your code on your GitHub with clean documentation

2. Share Your Work:

   • Post about updates to your projects on LinkedIn and X, and iterate on user feedback
   • Write deeper technical blog posts about what you’re learning in your downtime (see Deep Dives)

3. Engage With Communities:

   • Participate in discussions in our Discord server
   • Attend virtual or local meetups and hackathons
   • Post anything useful you learn on X or in the Discord server

4. Consistency Matters:

   • Set a sustainable posting schedule
   • Document your journey, including challenges and failures
   • Focus on providing value rather than self-promotion

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Effectively Communicating with Recruiters

Once your networking efforts, online presence, or applications start to bear fruit, you’ll likely interact with recruiters. These conversations are a critical early screening stage. Here’s how to navigate them effectively:

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Initial Contact and Professionalism

• Be Clear and Concise: Recruiters are busy. Clearly convey your career goals and what you’re looking for. If they reach out about a role that isn’t a fit, politely decline, thank them, and briefly state what kind of opportunities do interest you. This keeps the door open for future, more relevant roles.
• One Platform Rule: If you’re initiating contact, cold email the recruiter (more on how to do this in /direct-outreach-to-recruiters-and-hiring-managers). Don’t bombard them across multiple channels.
• Do Your Homework: Before the call, quickly research the recruiter (if possible) and the company they represent. Show just a little bit of initiative.

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What to Ask the Recruiter

This is your chance to learn more and assess if the role and company align with your goals.

• Clarify the Role: Ask for details beyond the job description. “What are the ‘must-have’ qualifications for this role versus ‘nice-to-haves’?” “What does the day-to-day look like?” “What is the team structure?”
• Company Culture: “Can you describe the engineering culture?” “What are the opportunities for growth and learning?”
• Hiring Process: “What does the interview process look like (leetcode, system design, etc.), and what’s the anticipated timeline?”

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Discussing Salary Expectations

Salary discussions can be tricky, but transparency is often appreciated.

• Research Beforehand: Use sites like levels.fyi to understand market rates for your experience level, role, and location, especially for larger tech companies. This gives you a data-backed understanding of potential compensation.
• When to Discuss: Some recruiters bring this up early to ensure alignment. Try to ask this as early as possible. If they end up asking first, it’s okay to provide a researched range or to defer by saying something like, “I’m keen to learn more about the role’s specific responsibilities and the team first, but my research indicates a range of X to Y for similar roles. Is that in line with what this position offers?”. This is also another great answer.
• Leverage for Mid-Level and Above: If you’re a mid-level or senior+ candidate, your leverage is higher.
  For mid-level and senior roles, consider the levels.fyi negotiation package. Their team can provide personalised advice and even assist with negotiating your offer. They often operate on a success fee or money-back guarantee if they can’t improve your initial compensation.

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Showcasing Your Value

Recruiters are often generalists and may not grasp deep technical nuances. Your goal is to convey competence, enthusiasm, and problem-solving ability.

• Highlight Real Products: This is where your “Stand Out with Real Product Experience” pays off. Talk about the products you’ve built:
  • What problem did it solve?
  • What was your role?
  • What technologies did you use (briefly)?
  • What challenges did you overcome?
  • What was the impact or outcome (e.g., users, feedback, learning, happy family/friends/customers)?
• Connect to Your Online Presence: Mention your active GitHub, technical blog posts, or contributions if relevant. For example, “I recently did a deep dive on [insert topic], which helped me implement [feature] in my product, so I’m very comfortable with doing whatever is necessary to get the job done.” This is music to their ears and makes you appear very proactive.
• Confidence and Clarity: Speak clearly and confidently about your experiences. You built it, you understand it. Your ability to explain complex things simply is a valuable skill. You have all the context in your head since you built it, so don’t be afraid to use it. Just speak clearly and slowly. Don’t rush. Take short pauses to think if you need to.

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Interacting with Recruiters from Smaller vs. Larger Companies

• Large Companies: Recruiters are often specialized and part of a large HR function. Processes might be more structured.
• Smaller Tech Companies/Startups: Recruiters (or sometimes even founders/hiring managers) might be more generalist. They’re often looking for passion for their specific mission, adaptability, and a willingness to wear multiple hats. Show genuine interest in their product and problem space. Again, all of this will come naturally when you’re building a real product.

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Common Recruiter Questions and Preparation

Here are some common questions recruiters ask in initial screening calls and how to prepare:

Question	Your Goal	Preparation Tip
”Tell me about yourself.”	Concise overview of your relevant skills, experience, and career goals.	Prepare a 1-2 minute “elevator pitch” focused on your key achievements and what makes you a good fit for this type of role. Tie it to your real product work.
”Why are you interested in this role?”	Show genuine interest and that you’ve researched the role/company.	Connect your skills/experience to the job description. Mention specific aspects of the company, its mission, or the role that genuinely appeal to you.
”Why are you looking for a new opportunity?”	Frame your reasons positively (e.g., seeking new challenges, growth).	Avoid negativity about current/past employers. Focus on what you’re moving towards and how this role aligns with that.
”What are your salary expectations?”	Gauge if your expectations align with their budget.	As mentioned above, research with levels.fyi. Provide a researched range or ask for theirs first if you’re comfortable.
”What’s your availability/notice period?”	Logistical planning.	Be honest about your notice period, but also don’t be afraid to delay a little if you need to (2-4 weeks is fine).
”What are your strengths?”	Highlight relevant skills.	Focus on 2-3 strengths directly applicable to the role, with brief examples.
”Do you have any questions for me?”	Show engagement, gather crucial information, and assess fit.	Always have questions. This shows your interest. Examples: “What does success look like in the first 6-12 months in this role?” “Can you tell me more about the team I’d be working with?” “What are the next steps in the hiring process?”

Remember, the initial recruiter screen is about making a good first impression and ensuring basic alignment. Be professional, be prepared, and let your genuine enthusiasm for your work shine through. Allow the recruiter to guide the conversation, but be ready to articulate your value.

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Direct Outreach to Hiring Managers

A highly effective strategy is to bypass recruiters and reach out to hiring managers directly:

1. Find Hiring Managers

   • Identify the specific team/department you want to join
   • Look up the hiring manager on LinkedIn
   • Use Boolean search on LinkedIn: Type "Hiring" + "Company" or "Hiring" + "Job Title" to find relevant people

2. Email Process

   • Find their email (using tools like Hunter.io or Wonsulting’s NetworkAI)
   • Send a personalized, concise message showing you’ve done your research
   • Include specific examples of your work relevant to their team

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Part 2: Passing Interviews

Now that you’ve actually secured some interviews, you need to be prepared for the different types of technical assessments you might face. Most software engineering roles will include one or more of the following interview types:

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Additional Support Options

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Remember

Job hunting is a numbers game, but smart strategy beats blind volume. Focus your energy on:

1. Don’t take any rejection personally.
2. Keep building genuine skills and meaningful projects.
3. Cultivate a network of professional connections by being helpful and authentic.
4. Prepare thoroughly for each interview type.
5. Demonstrate your value through real work, not just words.