How to Find a Top Paying Developer Job

So you want a top paying development job? Well, while there’s no way to guarantee success (otherwise everyone would have one!), especially in these tough financial times, there are a few things you can do to at least improve your chances of getting that dream job. Here are four important things we think that you should consider:

 

1. Be Good at What You Do

Top employers employ top people; it can often be as simple as that. Therefore you need to be the best developer you can be. That means constant training, staying ahead of the game, keeping your skills current, and keeping up with your industry.

 

This isn’t as hard as it sounds. But you do need to read around your language and the general industry you work in. You need to understand best practice, know who the leading lights are in your field and why. Anything that results in you writing better code in your day job will help you move forward to a better one in the future.

 

2. Learn to Interview Well

It is a fact of life that to get most jobs you need to interview. While you might know you're one of the best developers around, most employers will not simply take your word for it. Interview formats and techniques vary, and it is always advisable to have some sort of portfolio or demo to take with you.

 

General preparation for any interview is also essential. Research the company you are applying to, the job you are applying for, and the people who might interview you. Know the company’s history, and current projects. Make sure you understand the job description, and exactly what it demands. And try to find out a little bit of information on the current employees. The web makes all this kind of research easy, so there is no excuse not to do it.

 

3. Be Ready to Demo Your Work

In addition good interview skills (see below) a developer should have a portfolio of sorts to demo. A top paying employer wants to see proof of how good you are, and a few demos are often the best way of doing this effectively.

 

If you can’t show off your work (it might be unreleased, internal, or app based) then why not take on an interesting side project? This will help keep your skills current (as described above) and is a great way to get involved in the community (see below). Choose something that is easy to explain and demo, and you’ll have the perfect example of your skills to help attract that next role.

 

4. Get Involved in Your Community

You might be a PHP developer, a SharePoint MVP, or a front end specialist. All of these areas, and many more, have their own communities and corners of the web. You should join them.  Some of them, all of them, it doesn’t really matter as long as you are involved, active, and contributing. This tells employers that you care, and that you know what is going on in your world.

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