A lot of engineers apply for software developer roles on daily basis. Yet we see many talented software developers who find it difficult to land a Job. They have soft skills as well as the prerequisite technical skills but yet find it very difficult to land a job.

Here are some of the things you should know as a software engineer before you apply for a job so as to maximize every opportunity you get.

1. Understand your worth

I cannot overemphasize this or stress it enough, the first rule is to know thy self, and know what you bring to the table, people will not appreciate you if you don't appreciate yourself, that is the only reason anybody would want to employ you in the first place. When you understand your worth you speak with recruiters from that understanding, you negotiate based on that understanding and you speak from the understanding of one who knows he has an advantage and value to offer.

The difference between two talented developers is their understanding of self-worth. Your earnings as a developer will not just be dependent on your skills alone, it is going to be greatly influenced by your level of self-awareness and personal worth. People will buy you based on the way and manner you sell yourself.

2. Research your target company

Do not make blind applications. Before you apply for a position research the company properly, reach out to the staff members if you can, go to the official website, go through their vision and mission statement, and understand their core values. Researching your target company will also help you understand what to expect in an interview and as a staff if eventually employed.

when you research the company, there are two major things you should look out for:

i. what they have: understand the company's advantage, understand their selling point, and understand their uniqueness and all the other good stuff that makes them different.

ii. Understand what they lack:

Research the company's shortcomings, challenges, and difficulties, especially as it concerns your area of interest (The role you intend to apply for).

First-hand knowledge of this will help you position yourself as a solution to their problem. When you know what they lack, you become what they need. Every time a company has an opening, it's simply a different way of saying they have a problem. Positioning yourself as a solution to their problem will give you a great advantage over other applicants.

3. Know what you want

Don't go into an interview sounding confused about who you are and what you want. Speak about your expectations with confidence and boldness.

We all have our uniqueness, there is definitely something unique about you, always put that on people’s face, you may not be like other people, but other people are not like you either.

Thanks for reading this article hope you got value for your time if you did please share it with your friends family and colleagues. if you also have questions you might want me to answer please feel free to ask in the comments section below.