Securing Your First Job in Software 5: Optimize Your Online Search

This post is part of a short series on actionable steps in acquiring your first developer job, which I utilized in 2018 to become a Software Development Engineer with a major cybersecurity company.

As I mentioned in my original post, this ain't no one-man show; we all depend on the support of people around us to make it somewhere in life. This isn't cheating, it's a fact. When looking for employment, preference should always be through personal connections first, be them family, friends, acquaintances, job fairs, or even recruiters. If you keep your job search a complete secret, you might as well accept the fact that it's going to take you much, much longer to make those connections. Having said that, there comes a time when you'll need to step out and start applying to positions you find on your own rather than sitting around waiting for the perfect opportunity to come to you.

Search Criteria

Inputting the following search criteria on job search sites yielded the most relevant results, in my personal experience. Obviously your criteria will differ, but consider this a starting point that you should keep notes on.
Keywords (separated by "or" in one long string): "software" or "java" or "python" or "android" or "programmer"
Not (prefaced with "NOT" on some sites): NOT "TS/SCI" or "clearance"
Categories: IT and Software, Information Technology, Technology
Job Titles: Software Engineer, Software Developer, Java Developer, Python Developer, Android Developer, Programmer
Location: 10-15 (max 30) miles or less from zip code
Hours: Full-time

Tracking Progress

I keep a Google Sheets spreadsheet to track all applications that I send out. Why? A better question is, why not? This way I can see at a glance all the relevant information for a job posting that I'm applying to: Company, Position, Location/Distance, Found (where?), Applied (when?), Follow-up, Skills, Pay, Contact (name), Phone, Email, and Site. Then I can add regular status updates as I follow-up and even highlight the rows in different colors depending on how far along I am (called or emailed back, interviewed, offered, etc.).

Best Websites

In my original post I suggested a ton of sites to sign up for and start searching on (CareerBuilder, Indeed, Monster, Washington Post Jobs, Idealist, and Craigslist). But when I actually stepped back and did an 80/20 analysis on which 20% of sites were leading to 80% of applications, I was surprised to find that I can narrow down this list by a LOT.
Best sites to search for jobs on: Indeed, LinkedIn (try their Easy Apply feature), and (if you have a degree from a local university) your alma mater's career portal
Best sites to list your resume on (and wait for calls): CareerBuilder (though this gets overwhelming at a certain point and you may want to turn it off), Dice, and Indeed Prime (I know it sounds premium, but it's free)
I honestly had very little luck anywhere else. Or, you could just target companies and apply through their websites.

Godspeed, applicants.

Read on: 6: The Technical Interview

Other posts in this series:
Securing Your First Job in Software 1: Register New Contact Info
Securing Your First Job in Software 2: Update Your Resume
Securing Your First Job in Software 3: Practice Your Pitch
Securing Your First Job in Software 4: On Recruiters
Securing Your First Job in Software 6: The Technical Interview
Securing Your First Job in Software 7: Ask Your Value Questions