![\"nice\"](\"https://cdn.jsdelivr.net/gh/MakeSchool-Tutorials/job-search-navigator@c46601b498ef8f2d113742a03a94ec8eb7ba14ce/P00-outcomes-mastery-tree/assets/nice.gif\" "\\"\\"")
\n Let’s face it. The job search is challenging. The following tutorial will ensure you increase your focus, motivation, effectiveness, and fun while pursuing your job search! We want you be as prepared as possible.
We do not want this to be your interview! It's important that you show up well to your interviews, and the best way to do that is to make sure you're prepared long before the interview takes place.
Often times it's hard to even land that first interview, so we want to make sure you're ready for that as well. Bottom Line: following this tutorial will boost your confidence, and increase your chances of getting that interview!
"},{"id":"T0E6OlNlY3Rpb24tMTE4MzY=","title":"Learning Outcomes","htmlContent":"By the end of this tutorial, you should be able to...
Take a moment to write down these learning outcomes and reflect on them. Make sure that as you progress through the tutorial that you're furthering your understanding, and that by the end, you have completed all of the outcomes.
\nAbove is the Make School Outcomes Mastery Tree. Think of this as your roadmap to getting that job offer by the end of your time here at Make School. Here's how to read the tree:
Download your own copy of the tree and start filling it in with where you're at so far.
\nIt's time to start thinking about what kind of role would best suit you! There's lots of different engineering roles out there, at lots of different types of companies! There's also no right answer to this. While skill-level definitely plays a role, your decision is also going to be based a lot on personal preference. Some people prefer a smaller company over a bigger one, or vice versa. Both are absolutely fine!
What's not fine is not knowing your path, so we're here to help you with that!
Create a copy of this rubric using File --> Make a Copy. From there, begin filling it out to find your Match, Reach, and Fallback roles, and then name at least 3 companies that would fall into each of those roles.
\nIf you have questions around this, or need help filling it out, talk to your SPD instructor or coach!
We will revisit Match/Fallback/Reach in chapter 3 in more detail. For now just get a baseline!
\nCongrats on taking the first steps into navigating your job search! Setting down this foundation now will make navigating the rest of this tutorial much easier, so make sure to take the time to properly fill out the two items above before you move on.
"}]},"next":{"id":"T0E6OlBhZ2UtMjM2MA==","slug":"emotions-of-the-job-search","title":"Emotions Of The Job Search"},"previous":{"id":"T0E6OlBhZ2UtMjM2MA==","slug":"emotions-of-the-job-search","title":"Emotions Of The Job Search"}},{"id":"T0E6OlBhZ2UtMjM2MA==","title":"Emotions Of The Job Search","slug":"emotions-of-the-job-search","sections":{"nodes":[{"id":"T0E6OlNlY3Rpb24tMTE4NDA=","title":"Emotions Of The Job Search","htmlContent":"Does this describe you?
We’re going to talk about how to point yourself in the direction of growth, and how the process can help build your resilience!
We're going to utilize a journal for this chapter. Before moving forward, make a copy of this journal, and use it for the actions that appear in this chapter
\nOr maybe you feel like this:
Prepping from a technical side is only part of the process! Just like you wouldn't go into an interview without preparing for the technical questions, you need to prepare to handle the emotional aspect just the same.
"},{"id":"T0E6OlNlY3Rpb24tMTE4NDE=","title":"What does internship and job ready mean?","htmlContent":"Make School considers students internship/job-ready when they have completed the following:
Those are the hard requirements, but there's more to it than that. In addition to the requirements above, there are 4 general buckets to consider for being being internship/job-ready:
We’re going to spend time here focusing on the emotional side, as the job search can be an emotionally tolling process.
As fast as you can, write down all the thoughts and feelings you have about the job search.
\n\nNow, what are you feeling confident about as you search for a job? Your resourcefulness, your technical skills, your work ethic, your excitement to get out of school?
\nSome popular questions people generally ask themselves:
It’s perfectly normal to have these kinds of questions. But also, remember to think about a lot of the positives that you have in your life right now, or the positives that’ll happen once you get that job:
You are wise! Bringing in balanced perspectives is a part of managing your job search stress. Bring it home with some visioning practice:
Imagine yourself gainfully employed by the end of your time at Make School. You’re doing work that matters to you, you’re growing your skills, you have enough money to take care of yourself, one morning in your first week it hits you - you made it.
\n\nWrite down answers to the following as you envision this scenario:
\n\nWrite down and reflect on the following:
\n\nIdentity: Depending on how old you are, your culture, your life events - we’re all at different phases of life. For many of us, we’re beginning or are in the middle of a fun process that psychologists call “individuating”, which basically means becoming your own person. This usually happens around 18-40. Some say it never ends. In this process we are:
Even in the healthiest forms, this process can elicit feelings of isolation, excitement, freedom, fear.
Because it’s so important to know what you really want in life (because that’s the stuff you’ll really go after), we’re going to spend some time thinking about how your values (what you currently think is the most important) are similar or different from your environments. Having this kind of self-awareness can help us know when we’re making decisions based on what we “should” do versus what we actually want.
What are your top 3-5 values? Write these down and reference them for when you’re looking into companies you want to work for. Do these companies embody these values?
\nInner Critic: Buddhist scholars and therapy practitioners call these states of mind habit patterns or mental formations. Depending on the type of psychology one studies or practices, they might be called schemas, archetypes, sub-personalities, or ego states. Perhaps they represent an ongoing interaction between the amygdala and the prefrontal cortex.
How we think about ourselves influences our behavior, and also our inner critic. The inner critic is going to be the first (and likely primary) voice telling us we can’t do something. When we’re in the job search, the inner critic tends to rear its ugly head and fill us with negative thoughts, putting us down and making us feel less than. We can get ahead of this by learning to work with our inner critic. Try the following to increase your emotional resiliency:
Choose 1: ACT / WRITE / DRAW
\n\nPersonify them: Give the critic a name. What do they look like? Sound like? What kind of character are they? What makes them tick?
\n\nWrite in their voice: What do they think of your work? What do they want for you? What are they afraid of?
\n\nIn your own voice: What do you want from the critic? What would you most like to hear from them?
\nTalking about yourself in the 3rd person
“Lauren was really surprised by that interview question so she was unsure how to answer. This isn’t a reflection of how smart she is, and now she knows how to prepare next time.”
Self-Affirmation
“Lauren may have made a mistake, but it doesn’t define her! She’s brave and knows how to pick herself back up.”
Closely related to the inner critic is imposter syndrome. Have you ever found yourself feeling like you didn't belong? Or have said the following to yourself:
If you've ever felt this way, know you're not alone! And we have a great guide to help you with ways to combat this feeling:
Review the Imposter Syndrome Tool, and write down 2 strategies you're going to use to help combat imposter syndrome!
\nSince we’re alive, we will experience rejection. You most likely will experience significantly more rejections than offers in the job search, and that is the reality for the majority of individuals, so rest assured you’re not alone!
Can you think of someone you really admire who has experienced rejection?
\nHere are a few you may be familiar with:
Think about a time you were rejected. What did you learn about rejection? Write down these findings
\nRejection is difficult to deal with. It's important to keep the following in mind every time you go through rejection:
Write down advice to your future self who has been recently rejected. What wise words and practical advice do they need to hear?
\n\nWrite down advice to your future self who has received great success. What wise words and practical advice do they need to hear?
\n\nHow do you think you might grow over the course of the job search?
\nIt's important to have a form of self-care that you practice. In addition to helping ground you on a daily basis, you can take pieces of it and do them individually if they help with working through the feelings of rejection.
Below are some suggestions of what to do. Whether you're a morning person or a night-owl, try some of these out in your self-care routine:
Create a 20 min self-care routine from this list of ideas, or ones of your own
\nDealing with all of this in the job search process (and beyond) will be something you'll always be working on. It takes a long time of consistent practice to master working with your inner critic and creating a self-care routine that works best for you. As you go through your job search process, remember the following:
Don't lose sight of these as you go through this process. Now, let's get into the next phase of the job search prep!
"}]},"next":{"id":"T0E6OlBhZ2UtMjM2MQ==","slug":"contact-management-system","title":"Contact Management System"},"previous":{"id":"T0E6OlBhZ2UtMjM2MQ==","slug":"contact-management-system","title":"Contact Management System"}},{"id":"T0E6OlBhZ2UtMjM2MQ==","title":"Contact Management System","slug":"contact-management-system","sections":{"nodes":[{"id":"T0E6OlNlY3Rpb24tMTE4NDc=","title":"Contact Management System","htmlContent":"Applying for jobs consists of a lot of moving parts. Between keeping track of connections, names, emails, status of your application, interview dates, what connections you have at various places, what offers you have out, it can easily turn into a situation like this:
So let's try to avoid that!
"},{"id":"T0E6OlNlY3Rpb24tMTE4NDg=","title":"Job Offer Steps to Success","htmlContent":"For this chapter, we're going to be using the Job Offer Steps to Success tool. This tool includes a contact management system, a network builder, an application tracker, networking goals sheet, and a job offer calculator! We'll go over each of these parts in the next sections
Create a copy of the Job Offer Steps to Success using File --> Make a Copy. From there, open the Instructions tab, and read through the instructions before we cover the other tabs.
\nFrom here on out, we will refer to your copy of the Job Offer Steps to Success sheet as your CMT: Contact Management Tool. We will be using it a lot, and this will make it easier to refer back to
"},{"id":"T0E6OlNlY3Rpb24tMTE4NDk=","title":"Networking Goals","htmlContent":"This is an important first step, as it's something you can take immediate action on today! It's also going to be key in terms of unlocking referrals for you, and for expanding your connections! Remember, 80% of job offers happen through referrals, so it's important to start building your network now so that you have more people who can refer you down the road!
Write out your networking goals for the next 2 terms on the Networking Goals tab of your CMT. Use the example provided in the tab as a guide.
Make sure to take time at the end of each term to check in and see if you met your goals. Also use that time to plan goals for future terms!
"},{"id":"T0E6OlNlY3Rpb24tMTE4NTA=","title":"Contacts","htmlContent":"Use this tab to keep track of contacts you make or are planning on making during each term! Here's a brief overview of each column:
Fill in any contacts you've made so far in your CMT, and add ones that you want to reach out to. Feel free to make a new section titled \"Junior Year\" to put any contacts you made during your first year at Make School
\nEvery time you make a new contact, fill out their info in this table!
"},{"id":"T0E6OlNlY3Rpb24tMTE4NTE=","title":"Your Network","htmlContent":"This is more for visualizing your network. As you add contacts and establish connections with them, you can add them to your network here, and start seeing how everyone is connected! Maybe you'll find your contacts know each other!
Fill out the Your Network tab with your existing contacts. Add more as you make them!
\nThis tab is ESSENTIAL when you start sending in job applications! Filling it out will help you keep track of which companies you're interviewing with, which ones you still need to apply for, where your status is with each company, and more. It's a way to manage all the moving parts instead of trying to keep it all in emails and your head. Here you can get a view of everything and see what needs your attention next.
If you've already started your job application process, fill the Applications tab of your CMT out now with all the places you've actively interviewing at, places you've applied, places you're going to apply, and ones where you are no longer pursuing.
Think of this as your epiphany moment, the great realization:
This calculator will give you an estimate (one more time, ESTIMATE) on how many job offers you can expect to get based on the following:
The first two are self-explanatory, but what is a \"meaningful\" contact?
Think of your contacts. Of them, who matches the following description:
Think of the people in your network who fit the above description, and those are your \"meaningful\" contacts
In your CMT, fill out the yellow boxes in the Job Offer Calculator. Use your current number of LinkedIn connections, current number of applications submitted, and current number of meaningful contacts to start.
\nThough the number of expected job offers may be small at this moment in time, it is NOT representative of where you will be in the future. Use this as a learning experience to see how many more applications and connections you need to make!
If you obtain a high score on the job readiness rubric, please use the calculator under the (Job Offer Calculator - if High Job Ready Score) tab
Start playing around with numbers on the job offer calculator and see what it would take to get at least 2 offers. That should be your goal going forward.
\nRevisit this tool and update it as you go through your job search. It's going to be vital to keeping you accountable and on track to getting that job!
"}]},"next":{"id":"T0E6OlBhZ2UtMjM2Mg==","slug":"find-roles","title":"Find Roles"},"previous":{"id":"T0E6OlBhZ2UtMjM2Mg==","slug":"find-roles","title":"Find Roles"}},{"id":"T0E6OlBhZ2UtMjM2Mg==","title":"Find Roles","slug":"find-roles","sections":{"nodes":[{"id":"T0E6OlNlY3Rpb24tMTE4NTU=","title":"Find Roles","htmlContent":"Finding a role that suits you can be challenging. Here we'll take some time to figure out what matters most to you, and see what companies align with what you're looking to get out of a role.
IMPORTANT NOTE: You may see reference to a website called app.jobtracker.io in some of these videos. Rather than using that, please utilize the Applications tab in the Contact Management Tool from the previous chapter!
\nTake 3 minutes to watch this intro video
\n\n\n\nThen make a copy of this document that's mentioned in the video. Fill it out with your \"Must-Haves\" and \"Nice-To-Haves\"
\nThere's a number of job search platforms out there, and it can feel overwhelming not knowing how to use them. Don't worry, we're here to help you out!
Watch this video on how to navigate job search platforms
\n\n\n\nHere is the search term variations doc that's mentioned in the video.
\nNot satisfied with what you uncovered before? Other than the common job search platforms, there's a few other ways to find jobs as well! This includes Make School partners, VC portfolios, and creative ways to use Google!
Watch this video that walks through alternative ways to find roles
\n\n\n\nHere is the search term variations doc again for your reference
\nA lot of this can seem daunting, especially when you're reading your 50th job posting.
To help with this, spend no more than 30 seconds on evaluating if you should add the job to your list of potential companies. This might sound short, but just evaluate if you match 70% of the requirements. Don’t be too picky. We’ll go wide with potential roles then narrow down later.
"},{"id":"T0E6OlNlY3Rpb24tMTE4NTk=","title":"Additional Resources","htmlContent":"If you need another source, we got one more for you!
Check out the Internship and Job Resources doc for a comprehensive list of job boards, organizations, tips, and additional resources to help you land that job!
\nNow that you're armed with the knowledge, let's apply our learnings and find some roles!
Based on your must-haves and nice-to-haves, use the skills you just learned to find the following roles:
\n\nRemember to add these jobs to the Applications tab in the Contact Management Tool!
\nWhen you're ready to narrow down, many of these platforms allow you to utilize their filters to niche down into what you're looking for. Some also may even have alerts you can set up so you're notified whenever a new job gets posted that matches what you're looking for!
Watch this quick video on how to use Job Search Filters and Alerts on LinkedIn!
\n\n\nAlright, we've found our roles, now it's time to make some warm connections! Remember you can always revisit this chapter and future ones whenever you do a new batch of job searches.
"}]},"next":{"id":"T0E6OlBhZ2UtMjM2Mw==","slug":"find-warm-connections","title":"Find Warm Connections"},"previous":{"id":"T0E6OlBhZ2UtMjM2Mw==","slug":"find-warm-connections","title":"Find Warm Connections"}},{"id":"T0E6OlBhZ2UtMjM2Mw==","title":"Find Warm Connections","slug":"find-warm-connections","sections":{"nodes":[{"id":"T0E6OlNlY3Rpb24tMTE4NjI=","title":"Find Warm Connections","htmlContent":"IMPORTANT NOTE: You may see reference to a website called app.jobtracker.io in some of these videos. Rather than using that, please utilize the Contact Management Tool from chapter 2 to fill in the information you find!
\nWhat's the difference between a warm connection and a cold connection?
Asking for a referral, information about how to prep for an interview, industry knowledge, etc.:
In other words, having a stronger connection with someone at a company you want to work for will unlock a lot more doors than cold-calling people on LinkedIn!
But connections rarely start out warm, so how do we change them from cold to warm?
"},{"id":"T0E6OlNlY3Rpb24tMTE4NjM=","title":"See who you know","htmlContent":"The first step is to see if you already know someone at the companies you're looking at (1st degree connection). And if you don't, do you know someone who knows people at this company (2nd degree connection)? Most connections start out cold, but the goal is to transition them from cold to warm by reaching out and gettin to know them!
Follow this video here to see how to leverage your LinkedIn network to create warm connections. See if you can do this on other job search platforms as well!
\n\n\n\nMake sure you go through and all Make School staff on LinkedIn so that your network expands and more warm connections can be made!
\n\nDon't forget to add contacts to the Contact Management Tool
\nDid you find that a Make School staff member is connected to someone at the company you want to work for? Use this message template to send an email to the Make School staff member so that they can set up an intro between you and their connection!
\n\nNote there's a lot of useful message templates in this doc! We'll revisit this in the next chapter, but take a look through this and keep it in mind!
\nDon't feel limited by LinkedIn and other job search platforms. In fact, sometimes you can get a stronger connection by reaching out through other channels, such as social media!
Watch this video on how to use Facebook to find warm connections
\n\n\n\nTry this out for yourself and see if you have any 2nd degree connections to companies through Facebook. Then reach out to your friends for an introduction to these 2nd degree connections!
\n\nTry this on Instagram, and other social media platforms as well!
\n\nDon't forget to add contacts to the Contact Management Tool
\nIf you think you can get a lot of messaging done in a limited amount of time, sign up for a Premium LinkedIn trial for unlimited LinkedIn Messaging, regardless of if you're connected to someone!
Ok, you've gone through and found a ton of people to contact. What's next?
"},{"id":"T0E6OlNlY3Rpb24tMTE4NjQ=","title":"Find Contact Info","htmlContent":"If you don't have a mutual friend, or don't have a way to obtain someone's contact info, there are a few tools available to help you with this.
First, utilize your network to see if they have the contact info of your list of people.
\n\nIf not, watch this video on strategies for finding contact info. Apply your learnings from the video, and try to find the contact info of whoever you're missing!
\n\n\nNow we have our list of contacts, and lots of ways to contact them! How do we wrap this all up? It's time to actually send the messages!
"}]},"next":{"id":"T0E6OlBhZ2UtMjM2NA==","slug":"write-company-contact-messages","title":"Write Company Contact Messages"},"previous":{"id":"T0E6OlBhZ2UtMjM2NA==","slug":"write-company-contact-messages","title":"Write Company Contact Messages"}},{"id":"T0E6OlBhZ2UtMjM2NA==","title":"Write Company Contact Messages","slug":"write-company-contact-messages","sections":{"nodes":[{"id":"T0E6OlNlY3Rpb24tMTE4NjY=","title":"Write Company Contact Messages","htmlContent":"Time to start crafting your messages for your contacts!
Keep in mind the context that you're sending these messages: these are people you probably don't know well (if at all), and you don't want to start off by asking for a referral. They don't even know you yet!
Think of these first meetings as informational interviews: you're just trying to learn more about them and the company. Don't come in hot out the gate asking for a referral, you need to build a relationship and some report first!
"},{"id":"T0E6OlNlY3Rpb24tMTE4Njc=","title":"How to Craft your Messages","htmlContent":"Let's start off on a good note!
Watch this video that explains how to utilize the Warm Contact Message Templates.
\n\n\n\nOnce you're done, open the template doc yourself, and start using them to craft your messages for your list of contacts!
\n\nFeel free to utilize the first Industry Coffee Message Template as well
\nWhat if you already have some warm connections, and you're ready to ask them for something beyond an initial chat? We've got some templates for that as well!
Review the other two templates in the Industry Coffee Message Templates doc, and use those as starting points for these messages.
\nMake sure you re-read them before sending to check for spelling, grammar, and rephrasing you want to do before sending your messages!
If you haven't yet, download the Grammarly Chrome extension, which automatically checks spelling and grammar for you on any textfield (including emails) that you write into on a chrome tab!
\nOnce you're comfortable with your messages, it's time to send them out!
Send out those messages to your contacts! Make sure to add any updates to your Contact Management Tool!
\nGreat work! You're almost there! At this point you should establish your warm connections. Once that's done, move onto the next chapter where you'll begin the job application process!
"}]},"next":{"id":"T0E6OlBhZ2UtMjM2NQ==","slug":"apply","title":"Apply"},"previous":{"id":"T0E6OlBhZ2UtMjM2NQ==","slug":"apply","title":"Apply"}},{"id":"T0E6OlBhZ2UtMjM2NQ==","title":"Apply","slug":"apply","sections":{"nodes":[{"id":"T0E6OlNlY3Rpb24tMTE4NzA=","title":"Apply","htmlContent":"IMPORTANT NOTE: You may see reference to a website called app.jobtracker.io in some of these videos. Rather than using that, please utilize the Contact Management Tool from chapter 2 to fill in the information you find!
\nAlright the time has come!
Time to take all your diligent prep work and apply it to...well, applications!
Alright let's get into it
"},{"id":"T0E6OlNlY3Rpb24tMTE4NzE=","title":"Make School's Job Application Process","htmlContent":"Watch this quick video that describes Make School's 5-step process for job applications. Note that instead of using JobTracker, utilize the Applications tab in your Contact Management Tool to achieve the same result.
\n\n\nHere's that process described in the video outlined below. Yes this will be more work to do, but you'll get far better results!
Apply:
Follow-up:
Ok we have our process, now let's apply it using the 10-10-10 routine.
The 10-10-10 Routine refers to the following tasks you will do each week:
Each and every week you will aim to hit these objectives. If this seems like a lot, remember the Job Offer Calculator you did earlier. Interviewing is a marathon, not a sprint, so pace yourself accordingly.
Take some time to read over the 10-10-10 Routine doc. There are lots of resources and templates in there to use for reaching out to people.
\n\nAs you go through this weekly routine, use the 5-step process we outlined before for each job application!
\nThis process can get overwhelming, so it's important to block off dedicated time for it, especially as you start getting more involved in the process.
Every week ...
\n\n![\"schedule\"](\"https://cdn.jsdelivr.net/gh/MakeSchool-Tutorials/job-search-navigator@c46601b498ef8f2d113742a03a94ec8eb7ba14ce/P06-apply/assets/schedule.png\" "\\"\\"")
\n \nWhen you receive your offer letter, we'll go into the final phase: negotiating! Rarely is it in your benefit to not negotiate for a higher salary, and doing so could net you a 10-20% increase to your starting pay, a signing bonus, or more! Not negotiating is leaving money on the table, and allowing the company to pay you the lowest that they think you'll accept. Show them you know your value! Check out the later chapter in this tutorial around Salary Negotiation as well!
Read up on our tips to negotiating, and when the time comes, reach out to the Student Experience Manager, and the Outcomes Manager who can help you with specific steps for your situation!
\nWe promise this won't take longer than 2 minutes!
Please take a moment to rate your understanding of the learning outcomes from this tutorial, and how we can improve it via our tutorial feedback form
This allows us to get feedback on how well the students are grasping the learning outcomes, and tells us where we can improve the tutorial experience.
"},{"id":"T0E6OlNlY3Rpb24tMTE4NzU=","title":"Congrats!!","htmlContent":"You have submitted your first batch of job applications by now, and that is something to be proud of! This tutorial will be updated as more content is added, so check back and refresh when you use it so you can get the newest guides and tips!
"},{"id":"T0E6OlNlY3Rpb24tMTE4NzY=","title":"What's Next?","htmlContent":"Keep repeating the processes you've learned so far in order to grow your network and submit more applications. Eventually the time will come when you need to interview! While technical interview prep will be covered in your classes and mock interviews, there's more to an interview beyond acing the technical questions. Read on to learn more!
"}]},"next":{"id":"T0E6OlBhZ2UtMjM2Ng==","slug":"behavioral-interviewing","title":"Behavioral Interviewing"},"previous":{"id":"T0E6OlBhZ2UtMjM2Ng==","slug":"behavioral-interviewing","title":"Behavioral Interviewing"}},{"id":"T0E6OlBhZ2UtMjM2Ng==","title":"Behavioral Interviewing","slug":"behavioral-interviewing","sections":{"nodes":[{"id":"T0E6OlNlY3Rpb24tMTE4Nzc=","title":"Behavioral Interviewing","htmlContent":"Beyond the knowing your data structures, algorithms, and how to answer FizzBuzz, the interview process has a whole other layer to it that doesn't require technical knowledge at all. An interview process is made of two main components: technical interviewing, and behavioral interviewing.
"},{"id":"T0E6OlNlY3Rpb24tMTE4Nzg=","title":"Behavioral Interviewing","htmlContent":"Behavioral interviewing is a standardized method designed to elicit information from a job candidate about relevant past behavior and performance. It is based on the premise that the best predictor of future behavior is past behavior.
Put more simply, the point of these interviews is to see if you're someone that the team would enjoy working with. The interviewers are trying to answer questions like the following:
The above are just a small sample of the kinds of questions the interviewers are trying to answer by conducting behavioral interviews. Lucky for you, most of the questions are similar from company to company, so you can prep for these in advanced.
"},{"id":"T0E6OlNlY3Rpb24tMTE4Nzk=","title":"What They CAN'T Ask You","htmlContent":"Before we dive into what you should prep for, it's important to know what interviewers can NOT ask you, as it would be illegal for them to do so.
It is illegal for an employer to ask you certain questions, such as:
For more information on illegal questions, check out this resource
\nIf you're ever asked these questions, this should be a red flag, and it would be advised to not pursue employment with this company
A few quick Pro-Tips of what not to do in an interview:
Alright, PSA is out of the way, let's dive into how to prep for this:
"},{"id":"T0E6OlNlY3Rpb24tMTE4ODA=","title":"Behavioral Interviewing Categories","htmlContent":"Questions will generally fall into the following categories:
There are also logistical questions (salary requirements, start date, relocation, etc.), but we're giong to spend the time here discussing the above categories.
Note these aren't all possible categories you may encounter, but aims to cover a majority of them.
\nLuckily for all of these categories, we can apply the same strategy!
The STAR method stands for the following:
You also want to make sure to follow up at the end of the question where you describe what you learned from the event.
For each question you get asked, use this method to describe an event that matches the question. Here's an example:
Have you assumed a leadership role before?
While it's tempting to write out a full script to answer these questions, in reality, it will be too hard to memorize a script for all of the questions you may prep for. It will also sound scripted to the interviewer if you are just reading off of a prompt...cause you are!
If you write out these bullet point answers instead, it comes with a few more benefits:
Alright so we have our strategy, let's put it into practice!
First create a new document called Behavioral Interview Questions - This is where you'll put all the questions/answers that you write. You will use this to prep for interviews and as a personal resource for the interview process! Any new question you encounter, add it to the doc!
\nThis is a popular one for a reason. The goal here is to show that you know how to admit your own faults, and what you're working on to improve them. Nobody is perfect, so avoid saying you have no weaknesses/failures, or a \"strength\" like being a perfectionist. Give real answers, and use the STAR method!
Using the STAR method, craft answers to the following questions:
\n\nEven when you're starting out, employers still want to gauge your leadership potential. Leadership doesn't necessarily mean you led a project/team though: it can measure other qualities as well, such as knowing how to deal with a difficult coworker, or how you responded when someone challenged your decision, or how you were able to persuade people. Even if you haven't had an explicit leadership role, you should be able to respond to most of these types of questions. If no examples come up related to tech or Make School, thank back to other times in your life that could work as well!
Using the STAR method, craft answers to the following questions:
\n\nPeople want to know that they can work with you. They want to see if you're going to be easy to work with, and that you'll support the team.
Using the STAR method, craft answers to the following questions:
\n\nHow you handle stress/pressure is critical to how you perform on the job. You will most likely experience fast deadlines and crunch in your career, and your employer is going to want to know how you handle it:
Using the STAR method, craft answers to the following questions:
\n\nLastly, you are going to want to highlight why you're the person for the job! Remember, you're trying to sell the interviewer on you, so come ready with some great selling points! Just make sure to work on that balance of highlighting work while not going into bragging territory.
Using the STAR method, craft answers to the following questions:
\n\nThe above questions were just there to get you started and thinking on how to answer these types of questions. We've got plenty more practice for you to look through, as well as more resources and documents to get a better understanding of behavioral interviewing!
Read through the below resources and questions, and practice your behavioral interviewing!
\nYou got your interview coming up! You may be feeling like this:
That's ok!! It's totally understandable to be nervous, anxious, or worried. You also may feel good, and ready to just do the thing! Either way, if you've been following this guide so far, you've been doing all you can prior to the interview to prep accordingly. Here we'll outline a few tips and strategies to follow for the night before and day of the interview!
"},{"id":"T0E6OlNlY3Rpb24tMTE4ODk=","title":"The Night Before","htmlContent":"You want to know all the latest news of the company to show you have vested interest in working with them. Check the company website, read their blog, google them for any news articles, find some key points. You want to be able to congratulate people if they recently launched a product, or express you interest in working on X product, etc. It shows you are interested in the company beyond just a paycheck, and can showcase a passion for working at the company.
Spend some time researching the company you're interviewing for and come up with at least 2-3 talking points.
\nIf you have the name(s) of your interviewer(s), go find them on LinkedIn! Try to get at least the following info:
Your interviewer(s) have been looking at your LinkedIn to get a better sense of you, you should do the same for them! This also allows you to connect with them on a more personal level, which could give you an advantage during the interview!
Spend a few minutes researching your interviewer(s) on LinkedIn
\nEvery interview always concludes with the \"do you have any questions?\" question. You always want to have questions to ask!
Luckily, if you've done the previous steps above, you've got a few great questions ready to go! If you need some help building out some more, here are a few questions from Jessica Barnett that work regardless of company:
If you are interviewing with multiple people, it's also perfectly fine to ask them the same questions, or a sub-set of the same questions! In fact, it's in your best interest to do so to see how people answer them: do they give the same answers, or different?
Come up with questions to ask your interviewer(s)! Feel free to use the 3 above in addition to your own.
\nGet a physical notebook and pen, and write down notes in it during your interview, and when the interviewer answers your questions. The purpose of this is twofold:
Little things like this matter. Not on their own, but added up together, they lead to big impressions.
Find a physical notebook and pen to use for the interview
\nDo a few technical and behavioral interview problems for some practice. Practice ones you anticipate the company asking you. You can get a sense of this through researching on online through sites like Glassdoor, or by googling \"[company name] technical interview questions\". Don't hesitate to reach out to your peers as well who may have interviewed with this company previously. Learn from each other!
While it is good to practice, don't do this at the expense of your self-care. You could do 100s of problems the night before, but if you show up to the interview after getting crap sleep, eyes heavy, fueled solely by coffee, you won't be as sharp, and you're more likely to make a mistake.
Don't sacrifice a good night's sleep! A well-rested brain can handle interview problems way better than a sleep-deprived one.
Do some practice technical and behavioral interview problems, but then get some sleep!
\nSeriously. You will interview better if you're well rested.
7-8 hours. Just do it.
You've been preparing for this. You've got this. Worst case, it's a great learning experience that will prep you for the next one. Best case, you get a job. Either way, you're gaining something from it, so take some breaths, and get after it!
"},{"id":"T0E6OlNlY3Rpb24tMTE4OTE=","title":"The Day Of","htmlContent":"Alright, you got a good night's sleep, and the day has finally come! Let's go over a final checklist:
Whether the interview is in-person, over a video call, or even just on the phone, you want to feel good for the part. Take a shower, brush your teeth, put on deodorant, all that good stuff. Even if you won't physically be around people, it's about making yourself feel better and prep for the part. It'll put you in a much better mindset!
Practice good hygiene!
\nYou're interviewing in tech, so a suit is not required, but you also don't want to be in your PJs. Wear something you would wear in a professional setting. Again like the hygiene above, even if they can't see you, it's more about prepping for the job you want, so take a few extra minutes to figure out what you're going to wear!
Wear something you'd wear in a professional setting.
\nMake sure you have it! You should've gotten it the night before!
Grab your notebook and pen
\nJust to keep things fresh in your head, do a light review of the research work you did the night before.
Do a light review of:
\n\nWhen you exercise, you warm-up first to prime your muscles and not shock your system. Same concept applies here: do 1-2 easy/medium interview problems to get your mind in the right headspace and ready to tackle these kinds of questions.
Do NOT let this consume you! This is not the time to cram, you're just warming up for the interview. Don't stress yourself out here.
Do 1-2 technical interview practice problems. These should be easy/medium difficulty relative to you
\nSeriously. Take 3 deep breaths. It's ok to have some nerves before the interview, that's perfectly normal. We just don't want the nerves to consume you.
If you've been following this tutorial, working with the outcomes/student experience teams, your coach, and have been doing practice problem prep, then you are prepared for this interview. Remember, regardless of the outcome, you're going to be better for it one way or the other.
So take those 3 deep breaths and head on into your interview.
You Got This.
"},{"id":"T0E6OlNlY3Rpb24tMTE4OTI=","title":"Post-Interview","htmlContent":"You've done it!! Congrats!! At this point, you can revisit any of the previous chapters to prep for other interviews as needed. Once you have an offer, check out the next chapter on salary negotiation to finish strong!
"}]},"next":{"id":"T0E6OlBhZ2UtMjM2OA==","slug":"salary-negotiation","title":"Salary Negotiation"},"previous":{"id":"T0E6OlBhZ2UtMjM2OA==","slug":"salary-negotiation","title":"Salary Negotiation"}},{"id":"T0E6OlBhZ2UtMjM2OA==","title":"Salary Negotiation","slug":"salary-negotiation","sections":{"nodes":[{"id":"T0E6OlNlY3Rpb24tMTE4OTM=","title":"Salary Negotiation","htmlContent":"Congrats! You’ve received a job offer, and you must be super excited!
While many people think this is it, you've still got some work left to do. You want to make sure your offer is fair, and that you're getting what you're worth. Use this chapter to prepare for your salary negotiation!
"},{"id":"T0E6OlNlY3Rpb24tMTE4OTQ=","title":"But Should I Negotiate My Salary?","htmlContent":"You should always negotiate your salary. This is normal in Silicon Valley. Employers expect it. A little negotiation work can make you a lot of money (ex. 2 hours of negotiation = thousands of dollars earned).
Absolutely Not. A few thousand dollars is a very small amount relative to a company’s budget.
Asking for more money does not lead to higher expectations. Employer happiness with employees is binary - they are either satisfied with your overall contribution or not. Once they hire you, they don’t think about if your contributions correlate to your pay. Your manager likely won’t even be aware of how much money you are making.
It’s totally normal and okay for salary conversations to get heated. It’s a game, both people are trying to optimize their gain while respecting each other. We’ve seen dozens of negotiations get heated and then, after it resolves, people start positively at the company as if nothing happened. This is normal. However, it is not normal for companies to attack your character or ask you uncomfortable questions like “why don’t you trust me?”. If this happens it could be a sign of a toxic company culture - you may not want to work there. Going through a salary negotiation may bring to light red flags you may not have otherwise seen until after you started!
Some are open. Some aren’t. There's no harm in asking!
That's understandable! Reach out to the Make School outcomes director so that they can address your concerns directly!
Excellent! Let's keep going
"},{"id":"T0E6OlNlY3Rpb24tMTE4OTU=","title":"Parts of an Offer","htmlContent":"Before we dive deep into the negotiation, let's make sure we have a solid base to work off of by confirming a few things about your offer.
You have the offer in writing as a digital or physical document. A verbal offer is never official, and should not be treated as such. You should never accept an offer verbally or on the spot.
If you receive a verbal offer respond with, “I’m really excited to look this over and am excited to run this by my mentors and friends.” Talk to the Outcomes Director and Student Experience manager to make sure the terms are fair.
\nYour offer should contain your salary: a fixed regular payment, typically paid on a monthly or biweekly basis but often expressed as an annual sum, made by an employer to an employee. Salary amount will always depend on the company, but you should be in the $90k+ range. This scale below shouldn't be viewed as absolute truth, but as a rough guide for estimating what a company may offer based on their size/value:
Your future employer will benchmark your salary based off your previous salary. This means most employer won’t pay you less than your previous employer. That means that a gain of a few thousands of dollars from negotiation can mean tens or hundreds of thousand more dollars over your career.
Equity: ownership of a company. This comes in the form of a stock, or any other security.
You get more equity the earlier you join a company because
Here are roughly what the industry norms are for equity:
Assume the value of your equity is $0. Most equity isn’t worth anything because few companies exit or IPO. Be weary of companies that try to replace a fair salary with more equity. Remember, this is money you may never see (and likely will not). For every Uber or AirBnB, there are 100s if not 1000s of companies that don't have a successful exit or IPO.
If you truly think a company has a shot of getting big, ask your employer the following questions:
\n\nYou should expect companies to share this information. If they say they can’t it may be a red flag
\nWant more info on equity? check out our Salary Negotiation Guide
\nA bonus is an amount of money added to wages on a seasonal basis, especially as a reward for good performance. They're also given as a starting bonus that you get if you sign with the company as a one-time bonus. These are typically larger than a standard bonus.
Note that there may or may not be a bonus, and some bonuses come with strings attached (i.e. you don't get it unless you stay at the company for X years). Make sure the company doesn’t give you a big bonus in lieu of a smaller salary.
Calculate your bonus vs. salary to assess the long term financial impact.
\nThe above cover the major parts of your offer. But you should still read it in its entirety. Keep the following in mind:
You may be getting an offer as an employee or a contractor. There are many differences between an employee and a contractor. Here we'll highlight the major ones:
If you are working as a contractor, there are more differences to read about in detail. You can do so in our Salary Negotiation Guide
\nDon’t fall in love with your first offer!
Your offers are far more appealing to other companies. Leverage your first offer to snag one at a dream company.
Apply to 30 new companies with a message like this:
\n\n“I already have an offer in hand but I’m really passionate about your company. I only have a couple weeks. Is it possible to talk on that timeline?”
\nThis message (politely) pressures companies to prioritize your application. Apply to your reach companies with this!
Message all current places where you’ve applied with something like this:
\n\n“Hi [RECRUITER], I just received another offer but am really passionate about your company. I only have a couple weeks. Could we talk on that timeline?”
\nThis message helps you reignite interest from places where you’ve already applied
You may receive an exploding offer: one that expires at a certain date.
This is generally looked down upon in the HR world, so if you get one, contact the Student Experience manager. We may help you extend the deadline.
Ideally, you want multiple offers. As you’ll see below, you can leverage them in negotiation.
"},{"id":"T0E6OlNlY3Rpb24tMTE4OTg=","title":"How To Negotiate Your Offer","htmlContent":"Alright, we got the prerequisite knowledge out of the way! Time to talk about how to negotiate your offer
So you definitely don't want to do that (they won't just hand you money, we promise). Here's a better strategy to follow:
Here’s an email script and tips from Glassdoor, as well as a 50 page guide by John Doody
\nAlright, you're now prepared with the knowledge needed to tackle a salary negotiation. So what are you waiting for??
Follow the 5-step guide outlined above to embark on your first salary negotiation!
\nRemember, we're here for you every step of the way! Reach out to the outcomes director, student experience manager, and your coach for support!
"}]},"next":{"id":"T0E6OlBhZ2UtMjM2OQ==","slug":"appendix","title":"Appendix"},"previous":{"id":"T0E6OlBhZ2UtMjM2OQ==","slug":"appendix","title":"Appendix"}},{"id":"T0E6OlBhZ2UtMjM2OQ==","title":"Appendix","slug":"appendix","sections":{"nodes":[{"id":"T0E6OlNlY3Rpb24tMTE4OTk=","title":"Appendix","htmlContent":"There were a LOT of resources dropped in this tutorial. Here is a comprehensive list of resources created by Make School for you to reference should you need a specific resource in the future. These also include resources that didn't make it into the actual tutorial itself:
Applying for jobs consists of a lot of moving parts. Between keeping track of connections, names, emails, status of your application, interview dates, what connections you have at various places, what offers you have out, it can easily turn into a situation like this:
So let's try to avoid that!
"},{"id":"T0E6OlNlY3Rpb24tMTE4NDg=","title":"Job Offer Steps to Success","htmlContent":"For this chapter, we're going to be using the Job Offer Steps to Success tool. This tool includes a contact management system, a network builder, an application tracker, networking goals sheet, and a job offer calculator! We'll go over each of these parts in the next sections
Create a copy of the Job Offer Steps to Success using File --> Make a Copy. From there, open the Instructions tab, and read through the instructions before we cover the other tabs.
\nFrom here on out, we will refer to your copy of the Job Offer Steps to Success sheet as your CMT: Contact Management Tool. We will be using it a lot, and this will make it easier to refer back to
"},{"id":"T0E6OlNlY3Rpb24tMTE4NDk=","title":"Networking Goals","htmlContent":"This is an important first step, as it's something you can take immediate action on today! It's also going to be key in terms of unlocking referrals for you, and for expanding your connections! Remember, 80% of job offers happen through referrals, so it's important to start building your network now so that you have more people who can refer you down the road!
Write out your networking goals for the next 2 terms on the Networking Goals tab of your CMT. Use the example provided in the tab as a guide.
Make sure to take time at the end of each term to check in and see if you met your goals. Also use that time to plan goals for future terms!
"},{"id":"T0E6OlNlY3Rpb24tMTE4NTA=","title":"Contacts","htmlContent":"Use this tab to keep track of contacts you make or are planning on making during each term! Here's a brief overview of each column:
Fill in any contacts you've made so far in your CMT, and add ones that you want to reach out to. Feel free to make a new section titled \"Junior Year\" to put any contacts you made during your first year at Make School
\nEvery time you make a new contact, fill out their info in this table!
"},{"id":"T0E6OlNlY3Rpb24tMTE4NTE=","title":"Your Network","htmlContent":"This is more for visualizing your network. As you add contacts and establish connections with them, you can add them to your network here, and start seeing how everyone is connected! Maybe you'll find your contacts know each other!
Fill out the Your Network tab with your existing contacts. Add more as you make them!
\nThis tab is ESSENTIAL when you start sending in job applications! Filling it out will help you keep track of which companies you're interviewing with, which ones you still need to apply for, where your status is with each company, and more. It's a way to manage all the moving parts instead of trying to keep it all in emails and your head. Here you can get a view of everything and see what needs your attention next.
If you've already started your job application process, fill the Applications tab of your CMT out now with all the places you've actively interviewing at, places you've applied, places you're going to apply, and ones where you are no longer pursuing.
Think of this as your epiphany moment, the great realization:
This calculator will give you an estimate (one more time, ESTIMATE) on how many job offers you can expect to get based on the following:
The first two are self-explanatory, but what is a \"meaningful\" contact?
Think of your contacts. Of them, who matches the following description:
Think of the people in your network who fit the above description, and those are your \"meaningful\" contacts
In your CMT, fill out the yellow boxes in the Job Offer Calculator. Use your current number of LinkedIn connections, current number of applications submitted, and current number of meaningful contacts to start.
\nThough the number of expected job offers may be small at this moment in time, it is NOT representative of where you will be in the future. Use this as a learning experience to see how many more applications and connections you need to make!
If you obtain a high score on the job readiness rubric, please use the calculator under the (Job Offer Calculator - if High Job Ready Score) tab
Start playing around with numbers on the job offer calculator and see what it would take to get at least 2 offers. That should be your goal going forward.
\nRevisit this tool and update it as you go through your job search. It's going to be vital to keeping you accountable and on track to getting that job!
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