MindMap – How to get hired…for software testers, of course
Our latest MindMap comes directed from the community. We put a tweet out asking for ideas for MindMaps, one on hiring came up.
So we started a forum post and got some good ideas. And here we present the MindMap.
Many thanks to all those that contributed – Paul Berry, ElizaFx, Jeff Lucas, Phil Kirkham, Stephan Kämper and Stephen Janaway.
Download (ZIP) (img, PDF, text, xml, Opml, Freemind).
In a list format here for easy reference -
Be Active
- Professional Networks: Create a profile
- Professional Networks: Ensure it is complete
- Professional Networks: Be professional, it’s not Facebook
- Connect with people you know, not just anyone
- Quality, over quantity
Social Media
- Blogging
Events
- Meetups
- Conferences
- See STC events listings
Not interested in a position?
Recommend others:
- Personally / directly
- Via social media
Industry specific communities
- Software Testing Club
- STP
- StickyMinds
- WeekendTesting
- Mailing Lists
- Context Driven Software Testing (Yahoo)
- Agile Testing (Yahoo)
Opportunities
Job Postings
- Traditional Job Boards
- Jobserve, Monster, etc
- Go direct, apply on company websites
Social Media
- People often post jobs or their availability
- Forums
- Blog posts
- @stcjobs
Professional networks
- Workfu
Make friends
Take your time to get to know people
- Recruiters
- Software Professionals
- Developers
- Project Managers
- Designers
- Etc
- Testers
This is a slow burn process
- On and offline
- Reach out to them when you are job hunting
- Help them too!
Recruitment Agencies
- Let them come to you
- Avoid telephone calls to start with
- They put you on the spot
- Ensure the position genuinely interests you
- Avoid sharks
- Recruiters can be sneaky
- Ask around for recommendations
- Test them on their knowledge of the industry
- Ensure the job is genuine
- There are many time wasters out there
Demonstrate
- How do you add value?
- How do testers in general add value?
- Can you diversify?
- Your skills
- What are you learning?
- Do you really care?
- Be helpful
Why is Google missing from the party?
One can obtain precious information if searching for “Software Tester” in Google Maps, after zooming in on the interest area.
Hi Stefan – good point. Would you like to highlight a specific example(s) of how you use Google?
First I search for the position I am looking for (e.g. Software Tester) while zoomed in onto the interested area in Google Maps.
This will reveal jobs, S.T. Companies, Recruiters and people having this job in the area (depending on the area / country).
First I go through all people and google their names to find out where they work at. Then I will go to those companies web sites and see if they have any available positions.
Then I gather the jobs at the ST companies and recruiters.
After this I make a mind map with all the jobs and their descriptions.
Then I sort them to see which I like the most and rate them according to how fit I am for the job.
Finally, I start sending emails with customized CV and Cover Letters using the ordered list at a rate of ~ 3 per 2 weeks.
I don’t focus one just one perfect job because the equation has many (usually unknown) important variables that don’t depend on me or my skills.
I’m going to try a few of those types of searches and see how it can integrate and be added to the MindMap, thanks!
Great post as this is very applicable to me right now. I am currently looking for a new testing job. Going to make sure I’m covering everything that is mentioned here.
Thank you! I hopefully find a new job that allows me to continue working with mind maps