Hello!
Did I tell you I'm starting a job board? It launches today! It's called Tech Job #1.
In this newsletter I'll tell you why I'm doing this and where I'm going with it.
Why launch a job board?
Many struggle to get their first job in tech.
Many e.g. training organisations promise to help with this, but typically find it too difficult to solve the actual problem — taking someone from where they are into an actual sustainable job in the industry. That's fine, it is quite difficult!
Instead they focus on solving smaller, more tightly scoped parts of the problem, like training someone to have xyz set of skills. In theory getting the job is then just a matter of sending out some applications.
Unfortunately life isn't that simple. What it takes to get a job is always changing and it's often different from person to person. For those trying to break in it can be very confusing.
I'm launching a job board because it all starts and ends with a job — the first job. What is it going to take you to get from where you are to seeing that first pay check in your account? That's the question I'm interested in helping people answer.
What kind of job board is it?
A private job board laser-focused on helping you land your first job in tech.
So, not much like other job boards!
Firstly, it's going to have very few jobs. Under three per week. I will be finding them and posting them myself, and they will be aimed at who is using the job board at that moment. They're not 'exclusives' — I'll be selecting them carefully from online sources as promising opportunities. These aren't the only jobs people should be applying for, but they should be the first.
Secondly, it's going to have very few job hunters — at least at first. I'm going to work closely with a small group, focusing on helping them specifically find their first job. Based on those successes and failures I'll invite more people — but never more than I can actually help.
Thirdly, each job will come with a guide on how to maximise your chances of getting that job. To be clear, no one can get you a job you're not qualified for and it wouldn't be good for you anyway. This guide will instead help explain the job, technical terms and concepts involved, and how you can best prepare.
That's to start with. My hunch is that more will be required to help people break through, so expect changes.
Why am I doing it?
I care about the grittier side of education, where you're trying to help people achieve things in the real world rather than just learn a list of skills. It’s fun to me — what gives all this education stuff its energy.
The ‘unrealistic’ long-term vision is — what if anyone could get any job they liked? Or at least any job they were willing to put the work into learning the skills for. I think that world would be better.
I also think there might be some money in it, albeit not immediately.
May I see it?
Or, well... maybe!
If your primary career goal right now is to break into tech, take a look at the website and the apply page. If it seems like it might be right for you, you'll find the instructions there.
Likewise, if you know anyone else who is in that position, please do send them the website. If you’re not sure, feel free to email me back.
Thanks for reading! Other news from me:
I finished Attack on Titan today. So sad. Wishing there was some kind of titan shampoo they would give Eren because that shit was gross by the end.
I finished (my first) playthrough of Cyberpunk 2077: Phantom Liberty the other day. I think I'll write more about that but it was a big experience. Goddamn I love that game.
I also made a few fun engineering decisions building Tech Job #1 board, which once again I'll write about soon. Most of them have worked out, apart from one — don't try to use sqlite for webapps in production. Or at least, I haven't figured out a good solution yet. But the DX is so tempting...
Have a great week! And do let me know how you are, if you want to.
K
I am up for it.