Top 10 Mistakes When Seeking An Entry-Level Software Job

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00:00 - Intro
00:38 - #10 Not Pacing Yourself
01:39 - #9 Doom Scrolling
03:27 - #8 Putting Eggs In 1 Basket
05:18 - #7 Taking Rejections Too Hard
06:39 - #6 Believing Interview Is Easier
07:17 - #5 Getting Overwhelmed
08:18 - #4 Being The "Least Bad”
09:49 - #3 Applying Online
11:13 - #2 Thinking This Will Be Easy
12:09 - #1 Feeling Sorry For Myself

[@haruka3203]

Welcome to 2020-2024, where applying to jobs is like submitting lottery tickets.

[@rd_HIND]

😂 that's comforting

[@justeddJ]

Hey KC, first a HUGE thanks for your videos man. I was literally no-sleep studying for like 6 months and several times I got the feeling it was going to take forever to get just an answer. Recently I got my first and only job offer and I still can't believe it. For me the lesson is never give up, you can always be better. No matter how old and cliche it is. Most of the problem is fighting yourself and keeping the focus. You are in charge for your life.

[@CreatedByKC]

Thanks for the support and congrats!! Hard work pays off :D

[@KayderimGameplays]

This is painful, it's been 9 months since i've been looking for any entry job in I.T, i've been looking since the day i finished college and couldn't find anything, it feels like everything i studied for 4 years is completely worthless now

[@espressowizard]

How have you been doing? Have you found any job yet? Sorry for asking.

[@KayderimGameplays]

@@espressowizard Nah, and i lost hope on doing so this year. I"ll just do what i can to get by

[@spyth168]

#4 hit hard. There is no shortcut, and you really need the skills and knowledge (plus luck) to land a job in this job market. Thanks for the content.

[@ScreamGM963]

Amazing points man, really put things into perspective

[@BinhDoughCow]

This video hit the nail head on. I am 3 months post grad and I could relate with almost every point you said. Just got my second FAANG rejection yesterday and this made me feel a bit better. Thank you!

[@gwengayhart4505]

Diversify! FAANG are not the only companies that hire. Look local in resilient industries (healthcare, government to name just 2), and start from the “inside out”: current or past employer, then current or past industry (retail, hospitality, finance, etc), companies where you have connections of ANY kind. There’s really very little reason anyone who’s followed his other advice to be applying cold online (at least without first exhausting all of the above first).

[@izamalcadosa2951]

Another great video, KC!!

[@gregorywacker766]

Been hammering my job search since May. Its rough, but no where near as rough as 2001-2003. I disagree with not spending time applying to job posts online. You learn a lot about requirements by doing this. At least an hour a day does not hurt and only helps you know where you need to shore up your skill set. Interviews are brutal these days. All we can do is keep hammering. I figured this vid was going to be on the recent tech layoffs. Hopefully 2024 recovers at some point.....

[@izamalcadosa2951]

Applying for jobs on indeed, monster, zip recruiter, dice, career builder, etc, is not a very efficient and effective way to find a job. The best way is to get contacted by recruiters or hiring managers directly or having an internal referral or friend or family member.

[@gregorywacker766]

@@izamalcadosa2951 When you have exhausted all the ways you mentioned your left with job posts as your only option if you want to keep moving forward daily. Sure you keep an eye on your network for any movement but I think submitting your resume daily keeps you motivated and your day structured. You also learn what the industry is looking for and cover letters get easier the more your write them and they can be recycled. It is also an opportunity to hone your resume(s) to fit the tech stack your after. I had 2 great opportunities that both made it to third interviews and final rounds since May from the 250 or so submissions I did. They really don't take that much time. You decide if its worth it. I personally want a job and when my network is not producing I am not going to stop moving towards my goal. When I started in May it was a chore to write cover letters and target my resume but now I can do it in 5 min. From that work I am better at articulating my experience and can respond well to questions about it. Not getting hired for either of those two opportunities was brutal but a very powerful learning experience. Job searching in a terrible market is a humbling experience but is a great time to repay all the personal technical debt you have accrued over time and makes you realize how important networking is when times are good. I say leave nothing on the table even if it is not as effective or efficient. Blind submission break up your day between coding and caffeine. Finding a job is work these days, grab a shovel and dig in ;) Job boards need APIs so I can just submit by.....wait a tic...hrmmmm ;)

[@tip278]

Very salient points, especially 6 and 3

[@sparklitd]

Thanks for this, KC.

[@byduhlusional]

The toxicity in doom scrolling is so true. Some of the people who have experience give good advice, but the types of people who have experience and browse those forums tend to be the types of people who want someone to look down on.

[@Grays1k]

my internship ended in august, didnt get a return offer because the company just didnt have work. since august ive probably applied to atleast 800+ positions, ive learned so much throughout this time, got 2 certifications, perfected my resume, practiced a lot for interviews, and now im at a point where im putting all my eggs in one basket. i just had my final round interview for jpmorgan for the ETSE program and i think it went really well, i was a part of the first super day and im really hoping this is it. if i dont get this i dont even know anymore man ive had 4 interviews in the 6 months

[@never_give_up944]

Best of luck, you've done your best. That's all you have control over, remember that!

[@gonzalezm244]

Putting all your eggs in a basket is tough but it might be your best chance

[@raba650]

I took part in that same ETSE hackathon for 2022. 56 teams (6 people per team). All my teammates got an offer except for me 😐 which sucked but it happens since it's the luck of the draw despite everyone doing a good job. A lot of other people didn't get an offer either so it happens.

[@itsMohak]

Very good discussion

[@ginjaturtles]

The ending was honest and great thank you! Job searching sucks super bad for everyone in every industry. Its a difficult and tedious process to convince someone to hire you. Focus on what you can control and maximize your portfolio/CV and attitude People sleep on networking and recruiters. Requires a lot more effort but much higher success rate than spamming online applications

[@challengeyourmind3937]

The edit with the aimless scrolling part is really nice.

[@kompila]

Hey KC, again great content and consistency! ~Cordial, Francis

[@randomstuffman01]

Good video. Thanks. toronto canada.

[@sukapow]

Three things that universities expected us when we graduated 🎓 1: Get a job 2: Create a company(startup) 3: get a master degree

[@zephedits7088]

Hey Kevin great videos, wanted to know if you needed a video editor/thumbnail designer for the channel?

[@ErazerPT]

One thing people (fresh out of a "learning environment") don't grep all that well, esp those in tech areas is how poor their "people skills" are. Many can't even speak or express themselves properly. How do you expect to interact with your team, clients, etc? If you're in the 1%, you're afforded some leeway. But jobs look for those, they don't look for jobs. If you're looking for a job, you're not them. Fun story: i was once asked in an interview if i had a problem with animals. Told them "no, love them, just don't have any". Reason was, one of the team members usually took his dog to the office. No one would give up the dog for me if i had an issue with it, that's for sure. Sometimes, you get rejected for who you are, not what you can do. Work on being the person other people want around them, it's as much a skill as any other.

[@sunnyhuang295]

i've been working so hard... networking, studying, building projects... is that not enough? i genuinely feel sorry for myself at the same time i don't know if it's me or the market anymore...

[@markolitovchenko5452]

same :(

[@raba650]

When you mentioned that recruiters qlso got laid off, it reminded me of a job offer I had from a staffing agency who's client was just waiting to get funding. The recruiter I was speaking to sounded like a positive job offer for a Java position paying like $140k (granted this would be my first job as a bootcamp grad). Long story short, the recruiter got laid off & the position fell through the cracks. I even rejected a different position that paid less ($80k) because of it, which also sounded like a for sure thing 😅.

[@calleocho2107]

Ooff, you got hungry

[@lucaslimma6707]

The worst mistake when seeking an entry-level job is not being an US citizen

[@griegBrew]

Whose mistake is it?

[@lowwastehighmelanin]

Not true. Lots of H-1B holders here in California. Arguably more of them than us citizens.

[@ifeoluwaadeoye6557]

​@@lowwastehighmelaninare they working entry level jobs?

[@lucaslimma6707]

@@lowwastehighmelanin its much harder to get a job without a greencard/citizenship because the employer has to sponsor you, and after being sponsored there's only a small chance you will be selected. "Arguably more of them than us citizens" that's unarguably not the case lol

[@arthfreestyle9974]

Brutal

[@HiffClunger]

You're like the Kid Cudi of the SWE influencers man, keep it real as always. Coincidentially, those are your initials too lol. Much love man. Two years searching for a SWE job post a CS degree, 2k+ applications and yet nothing, but learning Go as I take a break to watch this vid. c:

[@CreatedByKC]

Thank you for the support!!

[@IamAWESOME3980]

I have trouble getting mid level software engineer position

[@TheKwiji]

This is not a fair comparison to the usa as i feel like its easier to get a job in germany but, i did not really follow any of these tips and it still worked, heres what i did: i applied to a company that i really really wanted to get into but got rejected, i applied to about 5 others and got a job at an ok company with a, for my field ok salary. After two years of working i saw an open position at the first company i applied to. Thats the point where i got a hook, i collaborated with them already through an automotive company so writing the application was ez. I got a senior position and am super happy at the company now. If i had started there immediately i most certainly would be mid level right now. So even if you fail there might something good come out of it. Just apply, just work and keep applying till youre satisfied. After having made enough connections, you will be recommended by others for good positions.

[@josemartinez0530]

💯💯💯💯💯💯

[@javiersaenz1040]

Hard work is overrated. It's all about connections

[@youngjesus5992]

im prbbly still like 6 months away from even feeling competent enough to start looking for jobs in software and even then itll prbbly still take me months to even find a job so rn im starting to look for a house to buy since im 21 and still living with my parents. im just struggling with the question if its the right decision to buy a house rn or just wait till i find a job in software. i live in a small town in california called Porterville and i think the closest places with software jobs are in fresno or bakersfield which are both 1hr away from me

[@arthfreestyle9974]

You'll start from scratch?

[@youngjesus5992]

@@arthfreestyle9974 no I’m already 3.5 months into learning Front End. I started taking the Front End Developer course offered by Meta in the beginning of December too and I’m now at the React JS portion of the course

[@dejistudios2696]

Okay. As for this, I'd advice that you stay with your parents and hone your skills enough until you get that job before leaving. Don't follow societies standards of getting out of the house by 18 or 21, truth be told you'd suffer it badly. You get out of the house when you're financially capable of taking good care of yourself, your tax, and other miscellaneous. Good advice, talk to your parents about it, be patient, if things doesn't seem to go as planned, then you'd need to take on a different job to survive till you get your dream job. Hope this helps mate

[@youngjesus5992]

@@dejistudios2696 rn I’m making $64k as a welder that’s why I was thinking about buying a house but wasn’t sure if it was the smart thing to do a year or so prior to switching careers.

[@raba650]

I'd say still apply since you never know if they'll actually give you a chance (some people do get that chance with not a lot of knowledge). Besides, even when you feel ready, it'll still be a waiting game so why not just start applying while studying? I also live in California, but I'm open to relocating if needed. Also, freelancing projects for people you know will give you actual job experience (that's what I've done).

[@TrevorR_333]

Are these tweets in his thumbnails real?

[@lowwastehighmelanin]

Re: #5? Turn off notifications. Have a set time to check emails. Don't let the push notifs and badges grind you down either. It's not healthy mentally. In general.

[@eashaankumar]

This guy is making this video just so he can make money out our confusion. He IS the problem, just not in the way he expects.

[@andreas.111]

...how?

[@lowwastehighmelanin]

That "don't apply online" advice is actually trash, buddy, sorry.

[@izamalcadosa2951]

He is mostly right!! Applying for jobs online is one of the worst ways to find a job! He and other career experts have proven that through research and stats!