Andrew Pallant

I have had students ask me about how to get hired or who is hiring. I have also had employers ask me how to find developers when they have had a tough time hiring quality employees. These are tough questions to answer, but I have been on both sides of the table.

For Students

• You need to show employers your work. Get on GitHub.
• Do not stop learning, but do not just read. Do something, build something.
• If you are a designer or decent at design build a portfolio.
• If you have a portfolio of work, have it reviewed by someone in the industry
• You cannot be a designer or a web developer without a website; time to build one. Use your website as a playground for new ideas.
• Network! Find local groups in your area and get involved. Meet employers and employees.
• Interview those who are interviewing you. You should know who is hiring you.
• Be true to you. Do not cut yourself down to fit, you will not be happy
• Find a mentor. Someone who you trust, will help you and guide you when you need it.

For Employers

• Get into the colleges. Co-op, Advisory Boards, teaching and other activities can help you get to know students.
• Get involved in the local groups, socials and events
• Potential hires should be able to show their work. Check their GitHub.
• Create a Mentorship program. It really helps recruit and keep employees.
• Do not think of employees as replaceable.
• Be true to your promises. If you make a promise, keep the promise!
• If you cannot keep employees, it may not be just money, check your leadership and current policies.
• Build a culture that makes you proud and that attracts the people you want
• Hire character and train them to be what you need.

The hiring process is a two way task for both employees and employers. You should be interviewing each other. You should both stay in the know of what is trending. Do not get complacent with your hiring practices or how you go about getting hired. Always be cutting edge on best practices and always be networking.

Good luck to all!

Related Title: http://andrewpallant.ca/wordpress/5-steps-finding-employment-computer-web-developer/