Your first tech job

Stage 1 of 8 · 7 lessons · ~2 weeks

Before day one

The weeks between accepting an offer and starting: check the paperwork, avoid scams, learn about the company, secure your accounts and arrive rested. Skip it if you have already started.

Start: Reading your contract before you sign

Lessons· one lesson for each topic, in this order

  1. 1Reading your contract before you sign
  2. 2IP, non-compete, side work and bond clauses
  3. 3Spotting fake offers and joining fees
  4. 4Learning about the company
  5. 5Paperwork, accounts and security basics
  6. 6Light preparation, not cramming
  7. 7Managing nerves and impostor feelings

Do this

  • Read your contract and write down pay, start date, hours, leave, probation and notice period on one page.
  • Check for IP, non-compete, side work and bond clauses, and ask HR in writing about any you do not understand.
  • Verify the offer through the company's own website and a contact you found yourself; never pay a joining fee.
  • Use the product as a customer for an hour and write a short note on who pays for it and why.
  • Set up a password manager and turn on two-factor authentication for every account you receive.
  • Refresh at most three basics from the job description, such as the main language, Git and the terminal.
  • Write five questions for your first meeting with your manager.

Start with· follow one of these

Practise

Keep handy

  • Glassdoor

    Employee reviews give a feel for culture and onboarding; read them as opinions, not facts

Also worth your time

  • The Pragmatic EngineerGo deeper

    How tech companies work from the inside, when you want the wider picture of your new industry

Before moving on: A signed contract you have read with its key terms noted on one page, two-factor authentication on every account, a one-page note on the company's product and customers, and a list of questions for your first meeting with your manager.

Tauseef's advice
Read the whole contract, even the boring clauses. Most problems I see later, a bond nobody mentioned, a three-month notice period, a side work ban, were on paper from the start. And if anyone asks you to pay to start a job, stop there. That is not a job.

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