Are you an entry-level developer on the job hunt? As we’ve covered previously, there’s a hiring boom for software developers. But, as any technical recruiter will readily tell you, simply completing a course and creating a fancy CV won’t necessarily mean you’re job-ready.
You also have to take into consideration the fact that there’s a record number of candidates seeking the same positions as you. But the good news is that while the competition is extremely tough, not everyone will be a good fit.
According to a ManpowerGroup study, as many as 74% of hiring managers report some difficulty finding candidates with fundamental skills. This challenge is naturally worse in technical fields, and it means you’ll have a great chance of standing out if you take the right approach to launching your tech career.
In this article, we’ll help you get started by sharing six solid tips to build your entry-level coder pre-hiring checklist. Let’s dive in!
1. Technical Foundations
When you apply for an entry-level coding position, you can expect to have your fundamentals tested.
According to Gary Hemming, Owner & Finance Director at ABC Finance, “One piece of recruiting advice that works in pretty much every field is to start with the technical foundations. Every minute you spend interviewing someone who can’t even do the most basic of tasks is a minute wasted. By front-loading these trivial but critical checks, you may free up your team to focus on candidates who truly belong in the pipeline.”
For entry-level coders, a good basics check may be as simple as a five-minute online coding task. This shouldn’t involve anything too strenuous or overly complicated. The goal is simply to see if you have the most important skills needed for the role, and to weed out non-coders or people who genuinely have no prospect of being able to do the required work.
2. Portfolio & Projects
For Adrian Iorga, Founder & President at 617 Boston Movers, looking at what a candidate has done rather than what they say is the key.
According to him, “Taking a look at a candidate’s public work is arguably the easiest way to see what they’re capable of building and how motivated they are to attempt difficult work. Many people may exaggerate their abilities or even fabricate skills and experience, so when it comes to technical skills, you can’t simply take a candidate’s word for it. But a portfolio of verifiable projects is much harder to fake.”
So, do you have a tangible body of work to speak for your skills? Prospective employers will likely want to inspect any public repositories you’ve built or community contributions you may have made.
This is one of the reasons why we strongly recommend undertaking a coding bootcamp. And if you’re curious how intensive training translates into real work, check out these common misconceptions about tech bootcamps.
You’ll likely stand out if, for example, you’ve taken a personal interest or passion and turned it into code, for example, by launching a website for your t-shirt brand. Things like these can offer an insightful window into your real-world skills and mindset.
At the bare minimum, you should set up a GitHub profile and include a few projects that showcase your skills. GitHub has become the go-to platform for beginners looking to share their work, and having an active profile can be a great way to attract attention, even without applying for jobs. At the start, don’t make the common mistake of trying to stack up as many projects as possible. It’s usually much better to start with one or two well-documented, thoughtfully built projects.
3. Live Coding Assessment
Are you confident in your ability to handle a live coding assessment? These tests come in the form of structured, time-boxed challenges and are usually a great way to evaluate problem-solving under pressure.
Lacey Jarvis, COO at AAA State of Play, says, “The key thing to observe is not necessarily the answers candidates give, but their thought process. For example, do they talk through edge cases and ask clarifying questions? In real-world contexts, an effective approach to understanding a problem and articulating various approaches to solving it is usually the most important part of problem-solving. While this can be taught, candidates who already demonstrate this competency may integrate more readily into your team.”
Live coding tests may be held either in person or digitally, and may include more challenging technical tests like on-the-fly coding, design questions, one-liner scripting, regex, or core trivia.
4. Take-Home Assignment
Skills-based hiring is one of the top tech recruiting predictions for the future, so expect to be tested over and over. In many cases, this will come in the form of an opportunity to work individually on a take-home assignment.
As Peter Čuček, Owner at Tuuli, shares, this is a great way to evaluate what a prospect might be capable of creating when you let their creativity run free. “Take-home assignments simulate real-world development without the pressure of a live interview.” He says. “You may assign a 2–4-hour project, accompanied by clear requirements and acceptance criteria. The key isn’t just whether the feature works, but how it’s built.”
If you can deliver clean, well-tested solutions on your own, with a clear documentation of your thought process, this would demonstrate the self-motivation and craftsmanship that strongly suggests you’ll be a long-term success on a team that values the fundamentals.
5. Culture Fit & Soft Skills
Technical skills are critical, but they aren’t the be-all and end-all of being a coder, especially at the entry level.
Being a good culture fit and having the right mix of soft skills are arguably just as critical for inexperienced software engineers to have. A brilliant coder who can't collaborate or adapt won't thrive, so you’ll likely be assessed on these intangible qualities too.
Laurence Bonicalzi Bridier, CEO at ArtMajeur by YourArt, emphasizes this point, advising, “Behavioral interviews reveal a candidate's past actions, offering concrete examples of their soft skills. Focus on questions that highlight their willingness and ability to work in teams, handle conflict, learn, and solve problems. You can also learn a lot about whether a candidate is a good culture fit by doing a moderate background check.”
Having a personal blog or other published content around coding may not be essential, but it would be a strong sign of dedication if you have one. Recruiters would love to review your writing for insights into your thought processes and to evaluate just how good a technical and cultural fit you may be for their team.
6. Final On-Site & Follow-Up
The final step in the recruitment process is frequently an on-site (or virtual) “day in the life” where you’ll meet cross-functional partners (QA, product, design, etc). Think of this as a final once-over.
At this point, you’ve already impressed the recruiter, but they would like to see, as a final, cursory step, just how well you integrate with the team practically.
You’ll likely get interviewed by other senior team members, who’ll then provide some feedback on things like engagement, problem-solving, and cultural fit. If there are no outstanding concerns, you’ll likely receive a formal offer next.
Closing Thoughts
No single step guarantees success. But if you take all the tips we’ve shared and apply them together, you’ll significantly improve your chances of landing your dream entry-level role. If you enjoyed reading this article, here’s another we’d recommend: The Ultimate Guide to Starting a Web Development Career.
