"I couldn't find a job for the first six months after completing my master's degree" — Askar Aytouov on his first career in the IT industry

Askar Aytuaev shared his experience of searching for his first IT job and offered advice to young professionals.

About Me

My first profession is a telecommunications engineer; I studied at AUES. I completed my master's degree at the University of Warwick in Information Systems and Management. Currently, I work as an Ecosystem Coordinator in Developer Relations at Google DevRel.

My First Job in IT

The master's program I attended was designed to train IT consultants.

I tried to find a job in England in 2009, but the situation worsened due to the bankruptcy of a major bank and rising unemployment. As a result, I returned to Almaty. However, unemployment was also high in the city at that time. A few months later, I started working in equipment monitoring. At the same time, I continuously applied for IT consultant positions at other companies, but was not hired anywhere.

Then, a well-known company in Kazakhstan began assembling a team. I passed the technical screening. The process consisted of four stages: the first was tests, and the second was an interview. After the interview, they forgot about me. Fortunately, an acquaintance who worked at another company spoke with them and invited me to interview again. This time, they did not consider me active enough. Finally, they invited me to interview once more and sent me another set of tests. It was only after the fifth stage that I found my first IT job.

The master's degree did not bring me much benefit. Its main advantage was prestige: companies paid more attention to graduates of well-known universities. However, the course content did not align with my work. Practically, I acquired skills in 1C and IT standards, which helped me become a qualified programmer. In truth, forums and preparation for typical interview questions played a significant role in helping me find a job.

On Difficulties

For the first six months after completing my master's degree, I could not find a job. I searched for work every day. At that time, there was a crisis in Kazakhstan, and the IT sector was underdeveloped, with few employers.

When I finally found a job, I faced adaptation difficulties. Since many companies did not have strict working hours, I had to work 10 hours or more, including weekends. Perhaps I lacked experience in communicating with colleagues, flexibility in problem-solving, or physical endurance for long working hours.

I struggled poorly with difficulties and experienced severe stress.

3 Tips for Finding a Job in IT

1. First, use professional networking. It doesn't matter where you are. Even if I lived in a village, I would go online, join communities, and understand what is currently important and needed. This is the most important thing.
2. Second, choose one direction. If you chase various job offers or directions, your attention will be divided.
3. Third, submit job applications. There is a rule of 50 applications: if you apply to 50 jobs every day, you will find a job within two to three months. This means you will receive approximately 1,000 applications and 100 interview invitations. The key is not just to send applications but to analyze them. If you do not receive any responses after 200 applications, you need to update your resume, skills, and so on. Then I guarantee you will succeed.