| HN Mirror

It's about differentiation.

Sure, you're looking to get hired for your code chops - and your employer is looking to hire you for your code chops, but in a sea of new grads something has to make you stand out. Given that traditionally hackers have been very bad at design, UI, and aesthetics, being one who isn't blind to these virtues is very valuable indeed.

And image is everything, especially when trying to get hired.

I think the submitter is off to a good start - he doesn't portray himself as the stereotypical hacker. He's active, he loves mountain biking, and his life doesn't revolve around sitting in front of the terminal. Great. Having sifted through piles 'o resumes before, I can tell you he's already on the top half (yeah, it really is that simple to get in the top half of the pile, especially for new grads). Oh, it's not just the mountain biking, it's the fact that he appears to have substantial actual code experience (as opposed to "I took a class on that").

Uhoh, I think this about to turn into a short essay:

For the submitter: I grew up in Metro Vancouver, and before graduation I did make a concerted effort to find code jobs there - the pickings are truly slim. Have you applied to jobs out east? Toronto, Montreal, and Ottawa are all epicentres for tech jobs in Canada - far moreso than Vancouver. Also do not neglect the good old US of A, as a Canadian citizen getting a TN visa is almost trivial so long as you have a job offer. Oh, and for some odd reason Nova Scotia is also pretty rich in programming jobs...

I see you went to SFU and seem to have a co-op term of experience - this is good, but to be perfectly honest may not cut it against other candidates who have more fleshed out co-op experiences through university. Your cards have been dealt and you must play them, but remember this as a potential comparative weakness and try spin your open source contributions more strongly.

To address your concerns directly from my own pre-grad job hunting experience (as well as 6 co-op terms of sometimes insanely difficult job hunting): do not expect companies to call you back, or be overly timely on most contacts. In this market there are far more employees than positions, and while it would give everyone warm fuzzies to give personal callbacks for failed interviews, this realistically isn't going to happen. Not calling you, for better or worse, is the de facto standard for most jobs. Also, being disappointed at your lack of experience is not really lacking in courtesy - it's a fair observation that may actually be correct.

If you want a response, call them. No, I'm not being sarcastic, condescending, or facetious. I've opened more doors cold-calling people than any job website or spiffy resume has ever earned me. Differentiate, find out who will be reading your resume (cold calling works wonders here) and pen a cover letter with their name on it. Talk to your interviewer, ask questions, make an impression outside of the interview room. This goes back to the point about differentiation - it makes all the difference in the world (it is worth noting that this works both professionally and romantically ;)). DO NOT treat the job like "yet another job" - for the interviewer that leaves a very bad taste. Failing to be knowledgeable and curious about their work and their company is very bad for this reason - you are communicating that they have yet-another-generic-position-at-generic-company. Showing enthusiasm about what they do, and asking good question, especially pre-interview (e.g., during the job fare) is a very, very good way to make a good impression. It may shock you how few people do this.

Whatever you do, do not treat the job finding process as mechanical - that you toss your resume in one end, follow the handy on-screen instructions, and kablammo! Job! No, it doesn't work that way - every worthwhile job I've ever had has been hard fought and won. Following the "rules" (submit resume, wait for response, go to interview, wait for response) is honestly for suckers, and you'll be one too if you follow it without deviation.