My 16-year-old son, Nathan, got a job this week at a local fast-food restaurant. His experience reminded me of the stories I hear every week from “open-to-work” technology professionals looking for their next opportunity. While there are differences, there are more similarities than you might think. I’ll tell you his story, and then we will see what lessons apply to the rest of us.

Originally, Nathan had no interest in working in fast food. He wanted to work at our local sporting goods store because that’s where his passions lie. He often spends his free time there checking out all of the latest outdoor hunting and fishing gear. It’s easy to see how he pictured himself wearing one of those employee uniforms, helping guests with his sporting knowledge.

However, they weren’t hiring, and they never returned his calls, and they even gave him the run-around when he inquired in the store.

Then, one of his buddies landed a job at a local fast-food restaurant. He thought his friend might be able to get him an interview as an internal referral. He got the interview.

Afterward, I asked him how the interview went, and he said he thought it went well, but he wasn’t sure if his referral from his friend would be enough to get the job, as he didn’t have any prior restaurant experience.

This is when my wife, Wendy, spoke up. She said, “Write a hand-written thank you note, drive over there, and hand-deliver it to the person who interviewed you.”

Nathan didn’t like that idea at all. Not even a little. He felt silly. He felt like that wasn’t necessary for a teenage fast-food job. He resisted hard. I probably would have too.

Wendy said, “Go ask your dad. He knows how this sort of thing works. See what he says.”

Nathan begrudgingly asked me for my opinion, desperately hoping for an out, but I said, “That sounds like a brilliant idea. Do it.”

To Nathan’s credit, he did it right away without further complaint. I’m quite certain this was very uncomfortable for him.

The next day, his buddy called him, and said, “You’re going to get the job. The thank you note was a huge influence in their final decision.” Later on, he shared this with Wendy and me, and we did our best to restrain ourselves but felt pretty darn smart. “Breaking news: Parents of teenagers actually know what they are talking about. Film at 11.”

A few days later, he got the official offer. He starts in a few weeks. I’m super proud of him.

Finding a job in tech in 2024

It’s no secret that the job market is tough right now for job seekers. When we post open positions, we literally get hundreds of applicants in just a few days. While there’s no silver bullet, fool-proof way to land your next job, some of you can learn a few lessons from Nathan.

Job hunting is extremely emotional. For each opportunity, you try it out in your mind and imagine what it might be like to work there. Like Nathan and the sporting goods store, know when it’s time to turn the page. Some opportunities aren’t going to work out, and you need to be able to move past it as soon as you figure that out.

Use your network to get an interview. There’s an enormous chasm between a job application and an interview. I often get asked for advice on resumes and cover letters. I’m sure there are some killer resumes out there. I’m also aware of professional resume writing services, that I’m sure yield results, but in my experience, a resume is just a resume. As long as it’s not awful, it’ll probably do the trick. The problem is your resume is stuck in a pile of 300 resumes. What are you going to do about that?

Every job I’ve ever gotten has been through referral. Every single one. Can you get a job with just a killer resume and no networking? I suppose, but it’s never worked for me. Nathan figured this one out all on his own. He leveraged his network and landed an interview. Do likewise.

Last, but not least, find some way to stand out. Nathan did this with a hand-written, hand-delivered thank you note. This gesture was unusual for a fast-food job (and really good practice for his next job). Sending a thank you note after an interview for a corporate tech job is nice, but that’s not my point. My point is that you need to make yourself memorable. You need to make an impression. There are so many people out there looking for jobs who have just as much experience and education as you do. What are you going to do about it? I’m not going to give you the answer, but you should know what that answer is for you, then make it loud and clear.

Those are my tips for landing a job in 2024. Best of luck to all of the job seekers out there. Stay on it. You’ll get there soon.

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