"How easy is it to get a job in the UK?" - My Honest Take 🇬🇧💼

Not gonna lie, this is the hardest question I get asked. I moved into the UK in 2022 via Meta. How, you ask? The job market was literally on fire then 🔥. Covid was subsiding. Companies had money to throw around, and needed you to come work for them yesterday. That was the easiest time to relocate probably in the last few decades.

And then, we know what happened next. Companies overhired. Layoffs started happening 📉. The number of software jobs is at an all-time low. So no, it isn't easy to get a job in the UK. Not even for people who are in the UK already.

But, it's not all gloom right? People still get hired ✅. Here's how it could work (no guarantees, obviously):

1. Branding by association 🤝

We all have people we follow and look up to. Some of these people might also be working in fields you want to get into. Connect with them. Network with them. No, don't use ChatGPT, people can sniff that from a mile away 👃.

So what do you do? Use your words. Ask them how you can help them in their growth story. Eventually, that influence also rubs off on you ✨. This is the same as working at any large company or graduating from a world-renowned college. I'm assuming you don't fit into one of those two buckets (I didn't either), so this applies to you.

2. External Influence/Proof of work 🛠️

Let's say you're already somewhat known in the communities you want to work in. However, when applying to jobs your resume gets sidelined, or people don't reply to your DMs 📭.

Firstly, please tell me your resume wasn't written by ChatGPT and your projects don't have any heart put into them ❤️. If you're building projects with the purpose of ticking a checkbox rather than flexing your creative muscles - trust me, people can tell.

So, what do you do then? For ideas - think of all the inconveniences you face in your day. Note down each of them ✍️. Pick one (you can use ChatGPT here) and build it. Build it in a way where it speaks uniquely to who you are as a developer. Share it with the world 🌎. Put it in your resume. Use it in your DMs. Share your story.

These 2 things are the Pareto tasks of the job application story. This is 80% of your work done 📊. The rest is up to external factors beyond your control.