This week I stumbled upon an interesting post by someone on LinkedIn who recently got hired in Germany (Amine Barchid).
He initially thought finding a tech job in Berlin would take him 2 weeks, but it ultimately took him 4 months. Honestly, in the current market, that ain't half bad!
Let's have a look at the numbers a little bit: He applied to 47 companies, got callbacks from 8, and offers from 2.
This means he sent around 2-3 applications per week.
=> Normally, I recommend sending out 1 to 2 a day.
He received a callback for around 17% of his applications, which I would currently rate as above average for a junior to mid-level developer. The good thing is he ended up getting offers from 25% of the companies he received a callback from.
This is also something I see all the time:
Getting an interview is the hard part => getting the offer should be easier
Back in the day, most developers were able to get offers even if they underperformed in interviews.
They would also get plenty of interviews and were therefore able to practice in those interviews.
This is not the case anymore.
As we all know, the tech market has changed dramatically in these last few years, and the trend is not going upward as of now.
The good thing is: It is still possible to get interviews.
And the top 10% of applicants are still getting offers left and right.
So the important takeaway is that you need to get into that top 10% as well.
The lesson that stuck with me: job descriptions are wish lists, not requirements.
Whenever you find a job and you think to yourself that your current CV does not match: => Do not give up.
You still have plenty of options:
Adjust or tailor your CV specifically to that company.
Explain in your cover letter why you think you are still a great fit.
Just call or contact them directly and ask if they think you should still apply.
If you are currently looking for a role, keep pushing. The market is tough, but consistency and a targeted strategy still win in the end.
And if you need help doing that, feel free to reach out :)