My First Podcast: DEV.BG Episode 100 — How to Find Your First IT Job
2026-03-04A Special Invitation
When DEV.BG reached out and invited me to join their podcast, I didn't hesitate for a second. I had been a fan of what they do for the Bulgarian tech community for a long time, so being part of it felt like a real honour. What made it even more special was that this wasn't just any episode — it was episode 100. A milestone for the podcast, and a milestone for me personally as my first ever podcast appearance.
Joining me were Ivan Zlatev and Sara Stamova, and together we spent the episode talking about one of the most common and most anxiety-inducing questions in the tech world: how do you land your first IT job?
What We Discussed
The job market for junior developers has changed dramatically over the last few years. Competition is higher, expectations from employers have shifted, and the sheer volume of advice online can be overwhelming and contradictory. We tried to cut through the noise and give practical, honest answers based on our own experiences.
Where to Start Looking
One of the first things we covered is that most people look in the wrong places or too narrowly. Job boards are an obvious starting point, but building a presence in the community — attending meetups, following local tech events, engaging on LinkedIn — often opens doors that job listings never will. Platforms like EventHive.tech are a good way to stay on top of what's happening in the local tech scene.
Building a CV With No Experience
This is where most junior candidates struggle. The honest truth is that you don't need a job to build a portfolio — you need projects. Even small ones count: a personal website, a side project, something you built to solve a problem you had. What matters is that you can talk about the decisions you made, the problems you ran into, and how you solved them.
We also talked about what makes a CV easy to discard. Walls of buzzwords, skills listed without context, and generic objectives that could apply to anyone — these are all red flags. Keep it concise, make it specific, and tailor it to each application.
Standing Out When Everyone Has the Same Skills
When you have no work experience, the technical gap between candidates is often small. What actually differentiates people at that stage is attitude, curiosity, and communication. Employers are not just hiring a skillset — they're hiring someone they'll work with every day. Showing that you can learn, that you ask good questions, and that you take initiative goes a long way.
The Current Market Reality
We didn't sugarcoat it — the market right now is harder than it was two or three years ago. There are fewer entry-level positions, and many companies expect juniors to hit the ground running faster than before. Our advice: be patient, be persistent, and don't measure your progress against others. Everyone's timeline is different.
Why This Conversation Matters to Me
I got into tech through my own winding path, and I've been on both sides of the hiring table. I know how discouraging it can feel when you're sending out applications and hearing nothing back. That's exactly why I was glad to have this conversation publicly — if even a handful of people watching find something useful in it, that's more than worth it.
I genuinely hope this episode helps young people navigate what is, without question, a tough market right now. My thanks to DEV.BG for the invitation and for building a platform that keeps the Bulgarian tech community connected and informed.
You can watch the full episode below:
Thank you for reading, and let's connect!