TLDR: I got really lucky to be honest 😅
When interacting with the developer community back in Bangladesh, people are generally curious to find out how I got hired in Europe. Or, more importantly, how they could do the same. A recent Reddit comment from me prompted some folks to reach out to me so I thought of doing a writeup. There is, of course, a wealth of resources out there that can help guid your way. My experience, however, is quite unorthodox. So I felt it might be interesting putting this in writing in case it might be of help to others.
By unorthodox I mean that I am a self taught developer. Well, to be fair, I did attend a computer science degree but I chose to drop out after 2 years. Traditionally, one would complete their Bachelor’s and do a Masters abroad. This would be the “safe” approach to go about things. Frankly, I didn’t think it was possible for me to get a Visa abroad without a degree. But at one point in time I was quite frustrated with the industry back home and did a lot of research on how I could find better opportunities.
In 2021, I was a Senior Frontend Developer at an OTT platform called Bongo. I had around 5 years of experience building single page web applications in React. I had a lot of fun at Bongo working on stuff like payments, video player UI, analytics integrations etc. I felt that it was quite an interesting industry to work in. So I took my existing experience of building UI and thought of specializing in building products that streamed media. This helped me narrow my search parameter a lot. So I think acquiring domain knowledge within a specific industry and then specializing in it is an interesting strategy to stand out of the crowd.
On top of this, I feel like having significant experience in mainstream and popular technology elevates your profile a lot. I got lucky in a way because I started my career when React was just starting to get popular. I do pat myself in the back a bit for not going the Angular or Wordpress route. While the job I was hired for had nothing to do with React, my knowledge and experience came in handy during interviews and assignments. But, then again, I could have just stuck it out with Python/Django which might have paid off right about now. I guess the bottom line is that significant amount of experience in any sufficiently popular technology attracts the right sort of attention.
I feel like having a clear grasp on one’s strengths and weaknesses is also very critical. This combined with industry know-how came in handy navigating job search. For example, I am not very passionate about grinding Leetcode so I made a conscious effort to avoid places that would require FAANG style interviews.
Last but not least, I think it is only fair to mention that I found my job abroad during a hiring boom. It was right after the “great resignation” and it was relatively easy to find opportunities. I feel like I could never have made it in the 2023 market.
The first real piece of resource that gave me any hope was a website I found called relocate.me. This had information on salary, cost of living, taxes, visa process etc. By filling out their questionnaire I was able to identify which countries I could apply to. This was how I could further narrow my search to the following list of places:
My next big resource that helped me immensely was the “How To Get An Analytics Job” podcast. I like listening to technical podcasts. I feel like they are a low effort way to keep up with the industry. I have a long term plan of moving into the Data Science industry so I used to listen to podcasts within that space. While it was specifically about getting a job as a Data Analyst, I feel that most of the advice applies to getting a job in general. One of the episodes really helped me improve my LinkedIn profile and get visibility from the right people. It was not much effort to be honest. And I am not saying that I have the best profile out there. But just a little tweaking helps a lot. Now, I know that LinkedIn might not seem genuine to some of us technical folks but it really is a great place to network and find opportunities. This is very important because, while applying at jobs could certainly land you interviews, a reference or a recruiter vouching for you is a game changer. As this Redditor aptly put it— Referrals Are King.
Now lets mention one thing I am guilty of always suggesting but not being great at myself. A nice, one page, ATS compliant resume with concise bullet point and action statements. I will add in some links to resources but it’s always good to keep an eye out for more.
In conclusion, (I let AI generate the rest 🙏🏾) the journey to finding a job abroad without a degree was not a straightforward one. It involved a lot of research, strategic planning, and a bit of luck. But with determination, a focus on building skills in a high-demand technology, and a good understanding of your strengths and weaknesses, it is certainly achievable.