Jopwell Select Community Spotlight: Ryan Owusu

This past Spring, we launched Jopwell Select, an initiative to better connect candidates on the Jopwell platform to opportunities with our partners. Jopwell Select candidates are professionals with two or more years of experience who are actively looking for new opportunities in New York City or the San Francisco Bay area. We are proud of all of the applicants who have found success working with us – many are eager to share lessons learned during their job search with the community.

This article is the first in a series that will highlight wins from Jopwell Select candidates and practical tips for professionals seeking job opportunities. Today’s Jopwell Select spotlight is on Ryan Owusu, a Software Developer at Prudential. We asked Ryan a few questions about his new role and advice to take your job search to the next level.

What are you focusing on now at work that you're excited about?

Right now, I’m learning the Salesforce platform, the Lightning Framework, and Apex which comes along with it.

How did Jopwell help you with your job search?

I was applying for months for roles, without hearing back at all. I applied to over 500 jobs and only heard back from one place, the start up I was working with before this role. I was confident that if someone just gave me a chance, I would be able to show my worth, but the chance never came. Jopwell offered me a chance to display my skills with an onsite interview, and I feel I did a good job showing what I know! Ryan at the Salesforce Customer Success Expo in New York City

What advice do you have for professionals looking for a new job?

If you are just starting out, build up your resume with projects in whatever tech stacks you know, and don’t be afraid to start a project in a new stack. If you have coding challenges, and you don’t get the job, post it on your GitHub portfolio if they don’t explicitly ask you not to. Try to take a part-time or contract software development role, to help you start earning experience while looking for full-time work – experience in this industry is extremely valuable. It tremendously boosts your resume’s credibility.

What's a quote that inspires you?

This is a quote from my friend:

“You are blessed. It may not feel that way, outside influences may make you feel inadequate, but you are blessed and you belong. Keep working towards your goal!”

Interested in learning more about Jopwell Select or want to refer a friend? Email [email protected].