#CareerAdvice #BackendDeveloper #JobSearch #Java #SpringBoot
Hey everyone 👋, I’ve been experiencing a frustrating situation lately and could really use some advice. I have 3 years of experience as a backend developer, specializing in Java and SpringBoot, but I’ve been facing a 100% rejection rate in my job applications. 🤯
I’ve applied to nearly 200 positions ranging from entry-level to senior roles, and I haven’t heard back from a single one – not even for a phone interview. 📉
Here are a few things I’ve been considering as possible solutions to improve my job search:
– Re-evaluating my resume and cover letter to ensure they are tailored to each position 🔍
– Reaching out to my network for referrals and recommendations 🤝
– Exploring different job search platforms and networking events to increase visibility 🌐
Has anyone else faced a similar situation or have any tips to share? Your insights would be greatly appreciated! Let’s help each other out in navigating the job market together. 🚀
The US market is absolutely trash right now, but I figure if you’re applying to majority US-based companies without a presence in Canada that could be why.
on a quick 5 sec scan you don’t have enough YoE (usually 10+) to warrant 2 page resume yet
I’m a Canadian citizen and I was applying to US jobs too couple months back and on average I was scheduling 3-4 interviews a day (15-20 interviews a week), I’m willing to bet 90% it’s your resume
* Bad formatting
* Experience does not warrant a 2-page resume
* Socials should not take 3 lines
* Right margin does not mirror left
* … too many issues to list
* Bad / inconsistent grammar
* `Framework` missing `s`
* “Control” in `Version Control` is capitalized, but “monitoring” in `Production monitoring` is not
* … too many issues to list
* Bullet points are too generic (lacking context and impact)
* What were the actual features and problems you implemented and fixed?
If you are a Canadian citizen, put it in your header; from my talks with recruiters in Canada, they often have to filter through 1000+ resumes where over half of applicants require sponsorship (either now or in the future)
volunteer work – nobody cares! scholarship awards – are you kidding me? Education takes up too many lines.
Overall, its not terrible. Maybe its the type of jobs you are applying to or old postings.
2 YOE U.S. based here also struggling to find any Java / Spring boot jobs.
There are very few reasons why someone who has 3 yoe needs to have a two page resume. You can definitely condense it.
Wow you’re getting a bunch of pretty trashy responses. Your work experience looks pretty decent. Some minor formatting issues on your resume. But you should be qualified for a back end position. I work with literally dozens of people with these qualifications.
When you say you are “applying” and getting “automatic rejection” what is happening exactly? Are you just blasting out the URL to this resume to a bunch of random job sites? Are you open to both contract and full time work, and both on-site and remote? This makes me think you are applying for the wrong jobs or are not meeting some citizenship or geography standard, or you’re insisting on remote jobs which aren’t offered, or the places are rejecting all candidates that they don’t get from certain recruiters or sources, etc.
This resume is worst than mine and I’m in school
Oh, Java jobs are the worst. It is somewhat outdated, so very few jobs asking for Java, maybe 1/3 as many as jobs asking for Node.js and Python.
Worse, Java jobs always require more than 8 YOE.
Because it is an old technology, so there are just so many jobseekers who possess this long period of work exp, that is why you with 3 years cannot stand out.
Canadia needs to elect better people.
The “right” way to write a resume can be pretty polarizing, the comments here show that.
But I’ll leave you with this. The one and only thing these employers have to go off of at the application stage is your resume. It’s literally all they have about you. It couldn’t be anything *but* the resume.
Do some research into how to write a good SWE resume. Most importantly, make sure your research is SWE-specific. Our resumes are very different from other industries.
For example, you already broke the cardinal rule of resume writing. It should be 1 page. Even someone with 10+ YOE should be keeping it to one page. Resumes are summary documents. They contain recent and relevant experience that should be presented in a simple and concise manner. They are not a comprehensive documentation of all your work history. That’s what a CV is for, not a resume. If your resume is more than one page, you’re trying to jam way too much information into it.
If you broke that rule… one of the most common, one that isn’t even SWE-specific, imagine all the other rules you’ve broken.
Look into tech comm. SWE resumes are technical documents, that follow the rules of tech comm. Learn the fundmentals so *you* know what makes a good resume. Don’t rely on other people giving feedback.
Your resume in terms of keywords is fine. The formatting of tasks and accomplishments needs some work but shouldn’t be affecting an initial screen.
The market is bad. I have 13 YoE and score an average of 3-5% interview rate right now. I know multiple people from 4-15 years who are unemployed for months now. You probably are lacking in YoE and hitting this filter. Companies want more experienced folks right now. The mid level market is effectively dead in the water. You can choose to wait it out or find a different career path.