📖 About this guide

Why have we developed this resource? If you’re looking for your ideal software engineer job, it’s important to understand how companies are hiring developers in the current hiring climate. We will make sure you approach your interview processes in an effective way because you know what companies are looking for.

The goal of this guide is to help developers define what their ideal next role looks like and how to secure their dream job.

What is happening in the job search landscape? While the demand for excellent developer talent still outstrips supply, we’ve seen a cool down since the hottest developer hiring market ever at the peak of the pandemic. Companies with solid foundations are still hiring, but many are hiring more conservatively in response to the changing macroeconomic conditions.

In addition, it hasn’t become less competitive for developers looking for jobs. You may be interviewing alongside retrenched developers that have lost their job to no fault of their abilities.

What does this mean for your job search? It’s important to stand out as the obvious choice by identifying a distinct connection between what a company needs (in the role you’re interviewing for and in general). It’s also important to showcase the skills and insights you can offer to address these needs.

Using examples from your past experience is the best way to show a company how you can add value to them.

We hope this guide assists you in the above and also helps you identify your priorities for an ideal role. Just as you are being interviewed by companies, you are also interviewing the companies.

Who is OfferZen?

OfferZen is a community-first job marketplace that helps developers succeed in their job search. This drives our wider mission: To help developers and their teams thrive in the tech ecosystem.

As a developer job marketplace, we interact with 2 000+ companies hiring developers every day across Europe and Africa. This gives us first-hand experience with what companies are looking for in their interview processes and workplaces. It also shows us how developers need to approach their job search to succeed.

Who is this guide for?

This guide is intended for any software engineer looking for their next career opportunity or trying to secure their dream job. Whether you have over ten years of experience or you’re looking for your first professional role, it’s useful to consider how companies think about developer hiring, when preparing for your job search.

There’s no point in leaving room for error when you have control over factors in your job search, including; setting realistic goals considering the current hiring market, preparing effectively for interviews, standing out as the top option for a company, and accepting the best offer for the next step in your career.

What does this guide contain?

• How to best prepare for your job search.
• Tips to effectively prepare for interviews.
• How to approach the final interview stages with companies as well as what to do before and upon receiving an offer.
• Preparing for your new role.