I’m looking for help navigating entry-level software engineer positions targeted at new graduates. Can anyone recommend tips, resources, or platforms to find these jobs? Struggling to get responses from applications despite relevant skills and internships. Any advice would help!
Oh, man, entry-level software engineer roles are like unicorns sometimes—mythical, elusive, and probably guarded by a dragon. Here’s what you need to do to make this less painful:
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Referrals are King: If you’re just spraying your resume around on job boards, you’re basically throwing paper airplanes into a hurricane. Hit up LinkedIn—search for employees at companies you’re eyeing, stalk (uh, network with) alumni from your university, attend meetups (yes, I know IRL is painful, but it works).
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Your Resume Probably Needs Therapy: I’m not joking—recruiters scan it for about 6.2 seconds. Focus on your projects and quantifiable impact. Binary blabber like “built a website” doesn’t cut it anymore. They want to hear “Built a React web app that handled X daily users and cut loading time by Y%.”
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Platforms to Exploit: AngelList (for startups), BuiltIn (regional tech hubs), Handshake (seriously useful for recent grads), and LinkedIn Jobs (apply and also stalk recruiters). Don’t forget Twitter (tech bros and hiring managers like to tweet out random, unposted job openings).
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Don’t Apply with Just the Job Posting: Tailor—yes, T-A-I-L-O-R—your resume and cover letter for each position. It’s soul-crushing, I know, but ATS bots chew up generic resumes and spit them out faster than JavaScript rejects “undefined.”
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Open Source Projects/Social Proof: If you’re not getting interviews, recruiters might be wondering if you can ACTUALLY code. Contribute to GitHub projects, build something silly/fun but meaningful (like a meme generator), and put it out there. Having tangible work online can fill that ‘no experience void.’
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You’re Not Google-Ready Yet: Startups and smaller companies desperately need hungry juniors. Don’t bypass them while chasing dream jobs at FAANG and ending up racking rejection emails like Pokémon cards.
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Persistence Over Pride: You’re going to hear “No.” A LOT. Like, enough to soundtrack your nightmares. Keep refining your approach, put yourself out there, and switch strategies if something clearly isn’t working.
Pro tip: If you’re ghosted after interviews, follow up once or twice max. If they’re ignoring you beyond that, move on—they’re not worth the heartbreak.
You’re overthinking this whole thing. Sure, @techchizkid gave some solid advice, but let’s not pretend it’s all a checklist you need to complete like a side quest in a video game. Here’s the reality:
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University Career Services: Seriously, stop overlooking this. Go to them, like… yesterday. They have access to internships and entry-level gigs that never hit public job boards. Plus, companies love hiring from their existing campus pipelines.
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Apply to Internships: You might think you’re beyond internships, but NOPE. A lot of new grad “full-time” hires come from companies converting their interns. Stop waiting for the dream role and look for internship programs targeting recent grads—it’s like sneaking in the side door.
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Networking is Overhyped Sometimes: Yeah, everyone yells ‘network!’ as if it’s a magic word, but don’t treat it like Instagram follower farming. If LinkedIn DMs feel fake to you, that’s because they probably are. Instead, build genuine connections by contributing to communities you’re already passionate about (Discord groups, open-source forums, etc.).
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Job Markets are Cyclical: A ton of new grad postings come up between August and November or January to March. If you’re applying in a dry season, you’re just screaming into a void.
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Tech Tests SUCK but Do Them Anyway: You don’t like coding challenges? Cool, neither does anyone else. But skipping them drastically shrinks your applicant pool. The secret? Practice solving those predictable problems on platforms like LeetCode and HackerRank without burning out.
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HireVue and Recorded Video Interviews: If you’re stuck doing these, exaggerate your enthusiasm. You’re auditioning to an algorithm that rewards the person most likely to sell vacuum cleaners in a Hallmark movie. Caffeine helps.
Lastly, maybe stop hoarding those rejection emails and beating yourself up every time one lands in your inbox. Toss ’em. Nobody dwells on your coding bootcamp project more than you. Chill. It’s not a sprint; aim for opportunities that’ll let you grow, not just survive.
Alright, you’ve got some solid advice already, but let me throw in a different flavor here—no fluff, just practical alternatives to mix up your strategy.
1. Hackathons Are Your Backdoor
Why wait for companies to respond to your generic applications when you can impress them live? Hackathons are golden for the new grad crowd, not just for the projects you complete but because recruiters (yes, RECRUITERS) sometimes sponsor these events and scout talent. You get face-time, and if your team crushes it, you’ve got instant credibility. Platforms like Devpost showcase ongoing hackathons.
2. Remote Work-Specific Platforms
You’re chasing unicorn jobs, but maybe check out remote-focused job boards like We Work Remotely or Remotive. While others are concentrating their efforts on hyper-local opportunities, you open your net to a global pool.
3. Master the Art of Informational Interviews
People love talking about themselves (true story), so use LinkedIn to find software engineers or even hiring managers and politely ask for a 15-minute informational interview. Don’t beg for a job; instead, ask about their experiences, their career path, what they look for in entry-level candidates, etc. If done right, these casual conversations often lead to referrals.
4. Be a Tech Events Lurker (In a Good Way)
Major tech hubs host dozens of free or low-cost meetups, online or in person. Bookmark Meetup.com and Eventbrite, filter events, and attend those featuring lightning talks by engineers or hiring teams. When you go, don’t just sit there—follow up with speakers on LinkedIn afterward. “Hey, I attended your talk. Loved what you said about [specific thing].”
5. Build a “Learn in Public” Portfolio
It’s one thing to say you’re learning Python—it’s another to blog or tweet about learning Python. Share hurdles, breakthroughs, and even incomplete projects on Medium or Dev.to. Many junior devs have gotten job offers not from referrals or apps but because a hiring manager stumbled across their content.
Spotlight on Challenges:
- Time Sink Alert: Hackathons and “learning in public” can eat your time. Keep some balance, or else you’ll end up building an amazing GitHub repo… with no time to apply for jobs.
- Random Rejections: Remote work roles often attract TONS of candidates, so your resume gets iced fast if you’re under-polished.
Competitors like AngelList and Handshake might seem essential, but don’t limit yourself to just those platforms like others mentioned. Using niche spaces (like We Work Remotely or Dev.to) can reduce competition with all those folks blindly applying to FAANGs. Adjust based on what feels natural for you—chasing tips blindly can burn you out faster than attempting to parse legacy code without comments. Keep moving.