I had spent many years sifting through job postings and feeling overwhelmed by the never-ending list of specific language requirements. It wasn’t until I needed to hire for my own development team that I truly understood these giant lists and can provide some insight on when you should apply.
Each company that you work for has its own set of software and development practices, largely formed by current and past developers and what they were comfortable with at the time. Tech companies always want to keep moving forward and implement the newest technologies before their competitors, but with tight time constraints it is inevitable that not all of the code gets converted, therefore creating a giant list of very specific software and coding languages that the company uses.
Here are some things to keep in mind when determining which jobs to apply to:
- The list of desired skills are a “wish list” of skills and a developer probably doesn’t exist that has every skill. If a developer does exist with proficiency in every single skill listed, they will get hired, but the likelihood of finding this person is very small.
- If you have similar experience, that is probably good enough. For example, if the posting lists Oracle and you have experience with SQL Server or MySQL, you should probably still apply. Although it would be amazing to have someone with the exact skillset walk right in and perform the job flawlessly, hiring managers know to account for a learning curve when on-boarding. Demonstrated experience with a similar technology means that it will probably take you less time to learn that someone who has never worked with a database.
- If you are proficient in at least half of the skills, you should consider applying. If you do not have at least half of the skills that the posting requires, you probably are not strong enough for that specific position. This doesn’t mean definitely don’t apply especially if it is your dream job. However, every application you submit takes a significant amount of your time to fill out and provide the necessary information and references. This time might be better spent on positions that you are more likely to receive an interview.
- Be prepared to take a quiz. A lot of programming jobs offer a quiz to assess your skillset. Keep this in mind when applying and always be honest about your skills. Most hiring managers will allow you to answer the questions with the languages that you are most comfortable with. However, if your resume has listed that you have 5+ years of experience with MySQL and you can’t write a simple SQL query to join two tables, the employer is not going to look kindly on you.
- Years of experience refers to years of relevant experience. If a senior level job asks for 10 years of relevant experience and you have 8 years working in the industry as a developer, you are probably ok to still apply. However, if you have 10 years of experience in retail and 2 years of experience as a developer, you probably do not qualify for this position.
Good luck in your job hunt and always remember to be honest with employers as to your skills. If you don’t know something be upfront and acknowledge that you don’t know, but you will work hard and are excited to learn.
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