My previous article focused on exposing you to the possibilities in the tech industry and why and how you should jump at these opportunities. In this article, I describe how to apply for a job in tech as a NoCode techie — and actually get the job. I draw stories from my own experience to help you have an easier and smoother experience.

First things first–stop applying for thousands of roles

Hot take: if you are applying for more than 3 roles in a month, you are doing it wrong. Casting a wide net doesn’t bring you the job you want. It brings you that number of rejections because when you put little to no effort in an application, it shows. Apply for the right roles, focus your efforts on the below tips and see your results improve.

Find the GATEWAY role(s)

When breaking into any industry of work different from the one you are currently in, the best way to start is to find a gateway role. After you have determined you want to get into a field, like product marketing, customer success, product management etc, the best thing to do is to find a real life vacancy to apply to and give it your best.

If you have zero to 2 years of work experience, an Associate role can be a great way in. If you have more experience that can translate, you can pursue more mid level-senior level roles. Now this may not be the role you end up in. But it is still very important because it is the role that makes you see what skills you need to get, or learn to find the ideal first job in tech as a NoCoder.

My gateway role was a “BTL and Expansion Marketing Manager” role with Wave Mobile Money. I had experience with BTL marketing activities as part of my work with Colgate Palmolive and I ticked many of the checkpoints on the job ad and I had just concluded my Msc in Marketing so it was a good gateway role. I didn’t end up getting that job. But my experience and efforts with Wave in June 2021 were critical to getting my role with Oyster in Jan ’22 and even my new job after I was impacted by layoffs.

Tailor your external narrative to suit where you are going

Once you have figured out a role or broad field you want to work in, it’s time to align your professional brand to that. Two main aspects of your persona that can make or break your job search–CV and LinkedIn Profile.

CV

Your CV is usually the first thing a recruiter or hiring manager will see about you. That CV needs to tell the story of a candidate they would want to learn more about. A good way to make sure your CV tells this story is to take note of the keywords they have put in the job ad. As much as possible, describe your experience in those words. Draw all possible parallels from the work you’ve done in the past with the role to which you are applying.

When I identified the Product Marketing vacancy at Oyster, I had already had some experience applying to Wave, and Paystack a few months prior so this was my 3rd time redoing my CV. I spent close to three days with the team at Career Wheel(Shoutout Joel) documenting my experiences and drawing parallels to the JD that was in front of me. It is tasking, but the opposite is worse.

Additionally, tailoring your CV with keywords(from the Job ad) is mission critical because sometimes the applicant tracking system that companies use(eg. Greenhouse, Workday) scans your CV for them. And you want to pass that test.

Think about it this way. If you were looking for a drug to cure a headache. And the description of one drug talked about how it is a pain reliever listing a bunch of ailments without actually focusing on curing headaches and another one that explained how it was good for headaches (the symptom you were actually experiencing) and how quickly it has cured headaches in the past etc. Which one would you spend money on?

LinkedIn

Recruiters and hiring managers, even interview panels, will look at your LinkedIn as part of assessing you. So why not give them something good to see? I always say that people really underutilize their LinkedIn bio. It’s a really good place to have the attention of your target audience(recruiter, hiring manager etc). My recommendation is to tell a story with it.

You were in a different field and wanna break into tech, talk about that in your LinkedIn bio. You have cool hobbies that make you a good teammate, leave a line in there. It is also a good place to show that you are a cultural fit. Put yourself forward in the light of the role you are going for and help them see you as a good fit.

Identify an anchor/sponsor/mentor

When applying for jobs, especially if you are making a career transition, you need an extra boost. A good CV and LinkedIn presence can get you far, but nothing beats having someone who wants to help you succeed. This tactic is a well documented way to skip the queue and get into the door. You can apply for a role and get hired without having one of these, but your chances are significantly better when you have one.

When I applied at Wave, I connected to someone who had calls with me and helped me identify the right things to put on my CV etc. In fact when I was rejected from the role, they went further to find out why and came back with detailed feedback for me. When I applied to Paystack, I identified an anchor who helped me by reviewing my CV and application questions etc. When I applied to Oyster, I reached out and established a connection with my hiring manager. This gave me an avenue to check on my application.

There is a confidence that comes with having someone in the organization you are trying to join give your CV a thumbs up or simply be in your corner. You have a place to bring your concerns or challenges.

Identifying the right anchor is very important. A good rule of thumb is trying to connect with the hiring manager or recruiter who posted the job. But it could also be a member of the team you are trying to join as they could be very helpful with insights and how to set yourself apart in the role.

Bonus Tip: To find candidates for your mentor/sponsor, search the company name on LinkedIn. In the responses that show up, click on “People” to see who works there and filter for your ideal candidates.

Write cold emails that convert

Once you have identified who might be helpful to connect with in your application process, it’s time to write cold emails that convert. Cold emailing has become one of the best ways to access previously inaccessible opportunities. But there is a way to do it right. My personal strategy is identifying common ground. Do a lot of professional stalking to learn about the various “candidates” you have identified as a good anchor/mentor for your application. That helps you determine the best way to initiate contact.

Once you have your common ground topic, send a LinkedIn connection request with a NOTE. That LinkedIn note is the best, free way to send your first cold email. If you have a pro subscription, you could also use LinkedIn InMail.

I did a lot of research before I sent my cold email to my anchor/mentor in my Oyster application–and that cold email led to an actual Zoom call–which then led to a series of events ending in my hire. Learn more about job related cold emailing here.

And now, with the right role identified, CV and LinkedIn updated, and a mentor or sponsor in your corner, you are ready to apply like a pro. Watch as you get called into more interviews and reach more offer stages.

This article was originally published in my monthly newsletter on LinkedIn for NoCode Techies. I write about remote work, product marketing and excelling as a NoCode tech professional.