Hi ,
Happy Sunday!
I have had a few interesting discussions this week regarding the current state of the market, and I wanted to bundle my thoughts for you here.
We often focus so much on getting the interview that we forget to strategize what happens during the process.
Here are three observations from this week on certificates, recruiters, and technical rounds.
1. Don't be a "Papiertiger"
In Germany, we have a specific word for things that look threatening or impressive on paper but are actually harmless in reality: Papiertiger (Paper Tiger).
I see a lot of developers collecting certificates like Pokémon cards.
"I just got my basic Python certification!"
Unless you are aiming for a massive corporate enterprise that relies heavily on automated keyword scanning, these certificates rarely open doors.
If you have an education budget ("Weiterbildungsbudget") from your current employer, don't waste it on a syntax course or a generic cloud certificate just to have another logo on your CV.
Value beats certificates every time.
Instead, try to solve a business problem. Go to your Product Owner, ask what boring task they do manually, and use your education budget to learn the tools needed to automate it. That is a story you can sell in your next interview. A certificate just proves you can study; a project proves you can build.
2. Recruiters are not your career counselors
I get asked often: "Should I apply for myself or use a recruiter?"
My answer is: Use a recruiter, but stop treating them like a CV forwarder.
My very first job was placed by a recruiter. I was young, I trusted them blindly, and I ended up in a toxic "Bruchbude" (dump) where I was miserable. The recruiter got their commission and ghosted me.
The Lesson: You cannot outsource your due diligence.
However, a good recruiter is a massive asset if you use them for intelligence gathering. Don't just ask about the interview date. Ask them:
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"What is your honest feedback on my CV?"
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"How much competition is in the pipeline?"
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"What is the real budget for this role?"
Use them to negotiate harder than you would be comfortable doing yourself.
3. The Technical Gauntlet
What does a technical round look like in Germany right now?
It varies wildly, but you need to be mentally prepped for one of these four formats:
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Async Coding: usually LeetCode style in an online IDE.
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The "Homework": A take-home task (24-76 hours).
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PR Review: You get a messy Pull Request and have to review it (I love this format as it tests communication).
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System Design: "Build a bit.ly clone." Standard for Senior+ roles.
Pro tip: Always ask the recruiter exactly which format to expect. Going into a System Design interview when you prepped for LeetCode is a recipe for disaster.
[WIP] Building in Public
Quick update on the free web app I am building to help devs with their applications:
I've switched the stack multiple times (form Tanstack Start to Hono + React SPA) and now I've settled on React SPA with Convex for the backend / db integration. I must say convex is a pretty interesting project!
Anyhow the prototype is coming along well! I am currently still fixing some major issues like mobile responsiveness.
I plan to send out the first early-access link to this newsletter list in about 1-2 weeks.
Need help right now?
If you have an interview coming up and don't want to leave it to chance, I offer specific coaching sessions where we practice these exact technical rounds.
Have a great start to your week,
Andre from CodingCareer
