Job Search
2022-09-21
I spent the first half of the year exploring the job market for new opportunities. (With success). Below I will share a few helpful resources.
Research
Preliminary research has multiple facets. It should give you the lay of the land. Where are you headed? Where do you want to work? Who is hiring? What does their interview process look like? Salary ranges, benefits, culture. Reach out to people in your professional network. You should know what you want and optimise for those options.
Resources
- The Senior Engineer Jobsearch
- Glassdoor
- Blind
- levels.fyi (salary ranges)
- patio11's guide on salary negotiation
Application
Get your resume up to date. Tailor it to the position you are applying for. Don’t skip on that optional cover letter.
Resources
- Resume guide from a tech lead
- CS Career Questions Subreddit
- Referrals might be useful, a vulgar guide
Interview Prep
Depending on the role you might have to prepare for multiple types of interviews. Coding, system design and behavioural interview are common ones.
Resources
- Glassdoor has insights on the content of each interview type. Great starting point.
- LeetCode for practising coding interviews. It’s worth to pay for the premium subscription.
- Cracking The Coding Interview: Probably the most recommended resources there is. I’ve found the actual coding questions not very useful. But the book also contains lots of advice surrounding the job search, mindset and process.
- System Design Interview Vol. 2: Okayish, depends on your previous experience. If you don’t work on distributed systems in your current position it’s well worth it.
- System Design Interview on Youtube: Probably the best resource on system design I’ve come across. Lots of in-depth videos for a lot of common design questions.