Improving the Jordanian dev scene individually and collectively

Jordan offers a regionally distinct talent pool which has attracted many of the global and regional players to open offices in Amman. However, in recent discussions with CEOs, recruiters and country managers, there seems to be a common set of complaints and areas of improvements that require the attention of universities, training centres, lawmakers and the local eco-system. 

I will offer a candid — perhaps too candid — summary of these discussions. The objective here is not to be harsh on the candidates but to offer an opportunity for improvement and growth for the Jordanian dev scene individually and collectively:

Proper due diligence

Young developers are eager to get and sign offers without doing the proper due diligence of prospective employers. A workplace is more than just an offer. Environment/experience/compensation continues to be the triangle of choice. Early on in someone’s career, experience should be the pillar of emphasis after which a transition should happen “slowly and gradually” to the other two pillars. Failure to acknowledge this results in depriving one from valuable learning opportunities for which one is ripe. “What do they offer me in terms of learning opportunities? Is there a learning budget? Can I attend/travel to conferences? Is there a career development plan?” are some of the questions that one should ask.

Continuous movement between companies

I frequently get resumes with employment transitions every three to six months!  As an eco-system we need to start becoming less interested in such candidates to signal to them that the relationship is mutual. An employee is offered an opportunity to learn but they need to pay their dues by giving back. I am not talking about the odd bad choice where one decides to quit after three months but am talking about a career pattern where one transitions 10 times in five years. A rule of thumb (for whatever its worth): Tenure of three years per employer should be a target.

Acknowledge it is a small world

People know each other and people talk. Developers need to try their best to leave on good terms with their employers. New employers need to get into the habit of asking for references and current/previous employers need to get into the habit of agreeing to give them and to give them honestly.

Have patience

Developers at all levels lack the patience required to transition between levels. In Jordan, it is very common to see someone who graduated two years ago with a title of a senior developer or a senior researcher. I once offered a junior digital marketing associate position to someone who had graduated three months earlier. The candidate responded that he was “too, too, too senior for this position”!  Many of the global players overtly state that “senior in Jordan is not really senior”. These seniors do not pass exams and do not interview with the required level of seniority simply because they do not have the experience to back it up. Attitude does not fill in the gap for knowing how to review code, manage teams, evaluate performance, nor how to profile performance on a microservice. These are earned by 100s if not 1000s of hours of good, old, hard work.

Entitlement

In more than 300 interviews I conducted, less than 2 per cent of candidates walked in with their printed resumes, less than 20 per cent were dressed in business casual and 10 per cent simply did not show up. I understand that “dress for success” is a relative term but showing that you care matters. If you decide that you are no longer interested in the “opportunity” send an e-mail or make an apology phone call. Thank the employer for thinking that you are worthy of their time. Perhaps that same manager or HR officer will be the interviewing you six months down the road at a company you are really interested in.

I understand that smaller companies may not be offering the same benefits as larger, global companies, yet a candidate should still carry themselves with the utmost care. It is important for their image and important for the Jordanian dev image!

The writer is CEO of PenguinIN, an indoor positioning provider