We held at workshop at Birckbeck University on "how to hack your job search" Our workshop focuses on how we approach problem solving and using these technique to build a portfolio of work what demonstrates to the recruiter your skills and capability as a coder and as a problem solver. Towards the end we briefly touched on how to build a resume using user experience design techniques. We ditch the traditional template and opt for a landing sales page style format to quickly and effectively sell yourself as the right person for the job.

1. How to hack your
job search

2. ● Startup Weekend Japan
● 3 Day Startup
● Digital Strategist
● Tea Drinker
Jonny Li
People
Champion
HELLO THERE!
“I help pebble attract
and retain talent”

3. ● Software developer
● Digital tinkerer and future
tech enthusiast
● Coffee Snob
Peter O'Shaughnessy
Tech Lead
HELLO THERE!
“I help solve problems
with technology”

4. A technical innovation consultancy that
delivers exceptional software product
development to blue chip clients through
human-centred design, rapid prototyping,
Agile development and measurement of
everything!
PEBBLE {CODE}

5. We solve interesting problems &
build stuff people love

6. HOW TO HACK YOUR JOB SEARCH

7. Q: What are businesses
looking for in a new hire?

8. A: Businesses have a
checklist*
*Look for the patterns

12. Q: Beyond the technical
skills, what are the main
things we look out for?

13. A: You can hit the road
running without too much
hand holding*
*short answer

14. - Can uncover the real user and
stakeholder needs. - i.e solving the right
problem.
- Able to work as part of a cross functional
team. - using agile methodology for
managing the development of a product
- Managing client expectations - to be
able to communicate with our clients
without making you us look bad or
stupid.
*long answer

15. Q: What is your role as a
Software Developer?

16. P: We like to think of
Software Developers as
problem solvers

17. Proble Solvers who:
Build stuff with other people,
and build stuff people need

18. If you were the business, why
would you recruit you?

19. Where can you get this kind
of experiences?

20. Final year project
Personal project
Hackathons
Internships
On the job

21. Job Search Timeline
Build a portfolio and a body of
experience
Targeted Resume - Make the recruiters
life easy
Interview - What is the recruiter actually
looking for?

22. If you want to build an
awesome portfolio, you’ll
need to make stuff people
need

23. HOW TO DECONSTRUCT,
AND SOLVE PROBLEMS

24. - Who is the user?
- What frustrates them?
- What supports them?
- What is their environment like?
- What are their other tools?
- What are their drivers?

25. WHAT PEOPLE NEED,
NOT WHAT THEY WANT.

26. DRAW THE PROBLEM
- Visualise what you see as the key
concerns for the problem you are
trying to solve.
- Work alone at first to describe problem
through your eyes
- Work in a group to create a single
vision

27. EMPATHY MAPPING
By mapping out the problem hopefully
you should have created a list of people
who were involved or affected by the
problem. Before a solution can be pieced
together, you need to know your target
audience.

28. - Summarise 6 key actions for each
persona:
• Hearing
• Thinking
• Seeing
• Feeling
• Saying
• Doing

29. PUT IT TO THE TEST
Pick out one specific issue to think up
(and sketch down) a solution to.

30. PICK A CARD!
- On this card is a constraint. A constraint
card might say “it ships today”, “keep it
simple” or “take it outside”.
- Redraw the solution according to this
restriction.

31. If you fully understand the
problem you are trying to
solve, the solution should
come easily
- Now you can build it

32. Cool! You have awesome an
awesome portfolio.
Lets look at your resume

33. Ditch the CV template

35. Q: What is the role of a CV

36. A: To land you an interview
*short answer

37. A: To allow the hiring person
to know you are the right
candidate in the shortest
time possible
*long answer

39. Build a resume like a startup
landing page

41. Your Interview

43. Thank you Birkbeck!
Stalk us at:
@pebblecode
Ask us anything:
#askpebblecode

44. Want more?
A NOOBS GUIDE TO SOLVING
THE RIGHT PROBLEM AT 3DS