My take on getting a software engineering job in Belgium

In June 2024, I started looking for a software engineering job in Belgium. Within a week, I had a "yes" from multiple companies. I had the luxury of choosing, despite having no professional experience.

No professional experience doesn't mean no experience at all. I had already spent years building random side projects.

During my studies, I built more than 10 projects. My GitHub was active after I graduated because programming was something I kept doing outside of the classroom.

That's experience too. It gave me something concrete to show employers, even without any employment history. I wasn't starting from the same position as someone who had only completed their degree.

I have a bachelor's degree in computer science, spent a year working as an employee and ran my own company for a while. I've also reviewed applications, interviewed candidates and even hired a full-time employee.

I'm certainly no expert in this field but I do believe that these traits have helped me find a job and will help me land new jobs in the future if I would ever need one.

I think a lot of applicants could improve how they present themselves. That applies to experienced developers too and probably to plenty of jobs outside software.

The market is harder but companies are still hiring. I keep hearing versions of the same complaint: "Nobody is hiring, and every job asks for experience I don't have." My job hunt in 2024 also doesn't tell you how easy yours should be today.

How I would approach getting a job is to think: "What can I do to make a company want to talk to me?"

Imagine you're the one hiring an engineer and receive a pile of applications. You have to decide who deserves a closer look.

When I was doing that, I wanted evidence that someone could do the work, learn what they didn't know and contribute to the team. For a junior, I was especially interested in curiosity, the ability to grow and self-thought experience.

Instead, I received a lot of vague applications clearly written by AI without any depth in the text.

Here's an example from an application that I recieved:

"I am particularly interested in Enkryptify because of the opportunity to join a company at such an early and defining stage. The idea of contributing beyond a narrowly defined role, taking ownership, and helping shape how the company grows is very appealing to me."

Replace the company name and you could send it every startup in the world.

I'm very much in favor of using AI. Use it to research a company, challenge your text or make your writing clearer. But your application should still contain your own experience and judgment.

Your resume (CV) and cover letter are often your first chance to make that impression. Here are a few ways that I would do when looking for a job:

1. Show something you've built

Personal projects are one of my favourite things to see in any application (junior or senior). What did you decide to make in your own free time? So no school projects or work related projects.

Link to something I can try, show a short demo or explain an interesting problem you solved. Tell me what you actually did. A list of frameworks doesn't tell me much about your ability to use them.

You don't need 50 projects or a million users. Why did you build it that way? What broke? What would you change now?

My own projects gave me things to talk about that nobody else had. That's the part of my experience I'd encourage you to copy: give the person reading your application evidence of what you can do.

2. Let your interest come through

I like working with people who care about programming. People who get curious about how something works and want to understand it.

When I applied for jobs, I mentioned programming YouTubers I watched in my free time (Theo T3 and ThePrimeagen). The recruiter wasn't technical and didn't know them but it showed that in my free time, I watch content about programming.

That doesn't make watching YouTube a qualification. You don't need my hobbies and you don't need to be extraverted to talk thoughtfully about your work. But don't start name-dropping creators because I mentioned them here.

3. Consider a short, personal video

A one or two-minute video would catch my attention more than another generic motivation letter.

I'd use it selectively for companies I particularly wanted to join. Introduce yourself, explain why this specific role interests you and show something relevant you've done.

If you're applying to an automotive software company and you've built a small CarPlay app, talk about it. That's a much more interesting connection than saying you're excited about their innovative environment.

Make a video talking to the camera for that company and make it personal. Do not use the video for multiple applications.

4. Try the product and notice something

You're going to work on that product for many years, why not use it for 10 minutes before you apply? It helps when you can make it even more personal. You could say something what you really liked about the product or an improvement you think can be made.

Keep it modest. You don't know every constraint behind the product and the team may already know about the problem. Describe what you observed and why it might matter.

5. Be yourself

Don't invent an interest in cars because the company works in automotive. Don't pretend you spend every evening programming if you don't.

I'm drawn to people who love building things. Coding after work isn't the only way to show that you take the job seriously. People have different responsibilities and different amounts of free time. Whatever your situation, you should be able to talk about your work honestly. If you used AI to build something, be ready to explain the result and the decisions you made.

The point of these examples is to help someone understand you. Copying them would produce another generic application. Make the next application more specific and cut the paragraph about being excited to join a dynamic team.

Before sending an application, read it from the employer's side. What in it would make them want a conversation with you?

I think this gives you a better chance than sending more applications that say very little. I think some people make themselves much harder to hire than they need to. If you're already doing this and still struggling, DM me. I'll see whether I can help.

And if you hire engineers in Belgium, I'd like to hear where you agree or disagree. Especially if your experience looks different from mine.