How to get Tech Jobs and Internships in Jamaica
Introduction
Are you a fresh high school or college graduate looking to land a job in the tech industry? Are you an individual who already has a job and currently looking to pivot into tech? Or are you just curious about what it takes to gain a tech job? Well, if you answered yes to any of those questions then this is the article for you.
Certificates
Contrary to popular belief it is possible to land a tech job without a degree. This has become even more widespread in recent years. You have a wide range of international sites e.g. Udemy, Coursera, etc. that you can use to obtain certificates. We also have local companies like Icreate that offer an ever-expanding list of courses. The company recently announced a partnership with edX which will expand the course offering of the institute. Companies like Google and Microsoft launched programs that offer individual certifications. Google made a bold step by calling its certificates a “degree replacement”. You can check out the Microsoft courses here and the Google courses here. Employers love to see certificates, especially if they relate to the job you are applying for. Don’t just limit yourself to the websites I mentioned, there are a ton of other educational websites and programs out there that offer certificates.
Digital Presence and Portfolios
Having a Portfolio is a top priority when it comes to obtaining tech jobs. Portfolios are used to showcase your skills, projects, certificates, a little about you, etc. This gives employers a glimpse of the individual before hiring them. There are both good and bad portfolios so ensure that you research a couple of portfolios to find what works for you. Some persons build their portfolios from scratch while others use websites/services like WordPress, Webflow, Google Sites, etc. Using a service like Google Analytics allows you to track and measure the number of individuals who visit your portfolio. A link to your portfolio can be added to social media websites like LinkedIn and Twitter. Having a strong digital presence means that persons can discover you online and your portfolio. After all, what is the point of having a beautiful portfolio if no one can find it? You can view another impressive portfolio here.
Job Search Websites
Signing up for websites that post tech jobs often, remains important. Once you sign up you can turn on job notifications so that the minute a job is available, you can apply. Applying immediately can give you an advantage over persons who apply a week or more later after the job is posted. Check out: CaribbeanJobs, Seekuur, LinkedIn, Ikonwork. Seekuur was built by a team of Jamaicans. The website also gives information on how well you match for jobs posted. You can check out Seekuur’s Telegram Jobs Channel by selecting this.
Social Media and Networking
LinkedIn remains a powerful tool for networking. You can connect and follow individuals who work at companies you are interested in. You even have the option of direct messaging recruiters and CEOs of companies. Ensure that your LinkedIn profile has all relevant fields updated and that a professional photograph and banner are displayed. Don’t just connect with people, engage them! Comment on posts made by them and reply to comments on your own posts. LinkedIn allows you to give updates on certificates gained and courses currently being pursued. Recruiters/CEOs have reached out to me on LinkedIn offering jobs and I have heard of many other individuals who were also approached due to having an updated, active, and well-run LinkedIn account. If you are job hunting then you can simply message individuals working for companies that you are interested in and ask them about roles being offered. I have seen many cases where persons post job offerings on LinkedIn and Twitter that are not officially listed on any site. Just by following the right persons, you can gain a job. This works especially well if you interacted with the job poster before and already have a brilliant LinkedIn or Twitter profile.
Networking is certainly a difficult topic for many persons on the job hunt. Truth is that having ‘links’ can make getting the job a lot easier. If you don’t have any links then you can go out and ‘create’ some. Going to an event that a company you are interested in is hosting/attending, direct messaging employees and trying to form relationships with them, or joining clubs like Rotaract and Toastmasters. Finding a local Rotaract Club to join may be as easy as searching Instagram or asking a friend that you think might be a member.
We can choose to complain about the system in place or we can choose to use it to our advantage. It is easier to change a system from the inside than from the outside.
Jamaica has several tech communities, you can find the list here. Getting a job in one of the tech communities can be as easy as replying to a message someone sent. Persons in these tech communities post jobs often and all you would really need is the skills required to fill the role. The communities also host meetups which offer another avenue for you to network.
Remote Work
Many developers view living in Jamaica while working remotely i.e. getting paid in USD, EURO, etc. as the ‘holy grail’. Companies all over the world have been hiring more remote workers. Several Jamaican developers are working for international companies while living in Jamaica. Automatic(creators of WordPress) recently recruited Jamaicans for software development roles. You can check out websites such as Data Kitchen, Arc, Daily Remote, and many others to look for remote jobs.
You are only as limited as you believe.
Roles, Roles, and More Roles
You do not have to be a software developer, I repeat, you do not have to be a software developer. There are a wide variety of roles that need to be filled in the tech industry. Schools and universities must realize that students need not become software developers. There are roles such as UI/UX designer, DevOps Engineers, Data Scientists, Project Managers, Scrum Managers, Cyber Security Analyst, and a plethora of others. It is important to note that you do not have to write a single line of code for certain tech roles. You can spend a little time each day and browse the wide range of jobs in the tech industry that are in demand. Flooding the country with a bunch of software developers may do more harm than good.
Knowledge is King
The more knowledge you have available to you, the better. Find out what are the usual requirements/skills needed for jobs you are interested in. Common programming languages/frameworks used by Jamaican companies include Java, ASP.NET, and ReactJS. Flutter has also surged in popularity recently.
Few Jamaicans are aware of the salaries paid out by these companies. During the interview or after reviewing the contract tends to be the first time Jamaicans become aware of how much they will be paid. Most companies in Jamaica refuse to post the salary information for roles. Luckily, there is a website that shows salary data that you can access here. The website also provides salary data for non-tech jobs.
Interviews can be anxiety-inducing for some and painful for others. Asking employees that work for a company what questions you can expect to hear and how they answered those questions can increase your chances. Asking a friend to do a mock interview and being 30 minutes early should help as well. It is also good to look up general interview tips and tricks.
Job requirements are often used to ‘weed out the weak’. Even if you do not tick all the boxes for a particular job, apply anyway. You would be surprised to know that persons less qualified than you are applying for these jobs. Apply, apply, apply! Send out as many applications as possible. The worse you can get is a no.
Internships and You
Before we begin this section let me plainly say that unpaid internships make absolutely no sense. Several companies simply use these to take advantage of individuals. In certain circles, these types of internships are referred to as ‘free labor’.
There are certain companies in Jamaica that everyone wants to work for. It can be difficult to get in due to the amount of competition. A strategy used by some is to gain an internship for the company they are interested in then start to befriend their managers and co-workers. These people apply for jobs while still in the company which makes getting that job easier. Bear in mind that just because you are doing an internship doesn’t guarantee that you will be hired. Be smart and play your cards right.
UWI and UTECH both have internship programs that allow students to gain some experience at a company while still in university. Ask your computing departments about these internship programs. UWI has a department of Placement and Careers which you can give your resume. They will send it to companies looking for prospective employees.
Countless students get hired through these internships and some even begin working full time before they leave university. If possible, try to get the job before you are finished with university. The first tech job a person gets may not be their ‘ideal’ but it does add experience that can be placed on one’s resume. As you may be aware, certain companies won’t hire you for a role unless you are experienced.
Note: If you are looking for a cool resume builder then check out NovoResume.
Promising News
Recently, the government of Jamaica officially launched the National Coding in School Programme. This program aims to educate students from grades 1 to 13 in the field of software development. These students will also be given an internship at Digicel. I believe it is a move in the right direction as the world continues to be eaten by software. Even if these students do not go into software development, at least they will have knowledge that can help them to navigate our world that becomes more reliant on technology. Web 3.0 is becoming increasingly popular and we will need Jamaicans that not only understand it but can also build technologies that take advantage of Web 3.
Closing Thoughts
I have heard many stories about individuals placing the needs of a company above themselves, even to their detriment. This type of mentality leads to persons foregoing better/higher-paying opportunities to remain loyal to one company. Many of these persons justify their decision because the company took them in when they just graduated, were still in school, or at a time when ‘no other company wanted them’. Loyalty, while commendable, is something that requires careful consideration. If you tell a company your plans to leave and they give you a counter-offer that simply means that they could have been paying you more. Counter-offers tend to be a way to keep you from leaving. You can check out this tweet which gives an example of blind loyalty.
When an opportunity presents itself, we must seize it.
Be as resourceful as you can. You can check out this thread about useful resources. We also have to be honest with ourselves. Why is it that I have been failing to secure a job? What error did I make in that recent interview? Should I keep applying or should I seek to upskill myself? How qualified am I for the job that I am applying for?
You have to also think about the other individuals applying for jobs and ask yourself, would I be chosen over this individual? What can I do to give myself an advantage and increase my chances?
Covid-19 forced many companies to start the process of digital transformation. This has led to more tech jobs being available to individuals in Jamaica. Other Caribbean countries started hiring Jamaicans and individuals from all over the world. We have to realize that we are a part of a global marketplace and that the world has forever changed. It is imperative to upskill ourselves, take on new opportunities and keep updated on the latest tech trends.
As Digital Transformation the world over continues at a rapid pace, more tech jobs will be created. The internet has surely reduced the barriers between the people of the world. The job hunt isn’t easy so be patient with yourself and good luck!
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