How Senior Developers Navigate The Current Job Market: 4 Tips To Stand Out

You sent thousands of applications, but no one called you back. You went through long interview processes to get ghosted at the last minute.

If you are a developer looking for a job right now, you are on a tough ride. Because the game has gotten harder and harder. 

Why?

Many different factors. 

To keep it short, the recent tech layoffs pushed too many people into the market, which was already full of Bootcampers, CS Graduates, and self-taught developers.

Remote work means global competition, and AI is around the corner, promising to automate developer work. I’ve written extensively about this here and here. 

In this situation, many developers are getting anxious and asking themselves, “When will the job market get better?” 

When you feel confused, the best thing to do is to step back and think.

Analyze the situation logically and start with the fundamentals. By looking at the core principles behind what’s happening, you will find the best solution.

1. Focus On Value

I added this as the first point because I want you to keep this in mind throughout this whole article. If you can deliver value… Then you will never run out of a job. 

This means that you can solve problems logically and think in systems, which is what software engineers do all day (besides crunching code).

Banks, hospitals, and businesses run on software.

For the world to stop needing developers would mean for the world to stop.

It doesn't matter how the market is doing; people wake up every day using hundreds of different applications to get things done. If you can help maintain, extend, or create new software, you will not run out of a job, at least in the next decade.

2. Don’t Let The Noise Distract You

When you listen to and read all these articles about “how the job market is doing,” instead of getting smarter and improving your skills, you become distracted and anxious.

You get out of the present moment.

A trick I use to avoid this is to ask myself, " What effect does this content I am consuming have on me and my emotions?” 

Does this information I am consuming make me feel empowered and push me to act? Or does it demotivate me and make me feel like there is no hope?

The thing is, being a developer is already hard. 

You have a lot to learn and a lot of work to do. Your attention is your biggest asset, so invest that attention wisely. You don’t need more negativity in your life.

🚨P.S. Are you looking to fast-track to the Senior level with quality resources, feedback, and accountability? Click here to join our Free Community - The Senior Dev Academy. 🚨

3. Who Cares About “The Market”

The market doesn’t matter because, first of all, we can't predict the future no matter how hard we try. It is the nature of life. Nothing stays the same. Everything is in constant change. 

Looking at how the economy is doing, there is a big chance that the “good old times” will never return. The world has changed, and software development has changed with it.

Second, even if the market improves, you must do the same.

You must brush up your skills, fill technical gaps, and learn how to sell yourself. Regardless of the market, you still have to improve yourself.

Waiting for the “magic moment” when it will get better is a bad career strategy. There is no magic moment, only the present moment.

Which brings me to the next point…

4. Ask The Real Question

While many developers ask, “How is the market doing?” You should ask, “How am I doing?” Shift your focus from the market to yourself. Because while you can’t change gravity, you can improve your plane. You can't change the market, but you can change yourself.

This is an opportunity to think critically and understand what you are doing well and what you are not doing well in your developer career. 

If you are a JavaScript developer, I will guess from my experience. Your fundamentals could be stronger, your experience delivering end-to-end across the entire stack could be improved, and you need help in technical interviews.

All these problems can be solved. Make a plan and start implementing it instead of waiting for more YouTube videos about how bad things are.

Things are not that bad, and procrastinating will only make them worse. Don’t wait for the magic times to come back. Fix what you can. Do it now. 

To recap, yes, the developer job market is not as good as it used to be.

But it is still one of the best jobs you can have, both in terms of pay and quality of life.

Focus on improving yourself and creating value with your technical skills, and you will have your best chance. Keep improving your skills, learning how to do technical interviews, and selling yourself, and you will be fine.

Because the world runs on software, and it needs YOU to keep running! 

Until the next one,

Dragos

🚨P.S. Are you looking to fast-track to the Senior level with quality resources, feedback, and accountability? Click here to join our Free Community - The Senior Dev Academy. 🚨