[Working Abroad] #7 Thinking about the background of job openings at overseas tech companies from an engineer's perspective

In the previous article, I wrote about "how to think about applications for non-repayable scholarships in the local country".

In this article, I would like to think a little about "hiring," which is the gateway to working abroad.

When job hunting abroad, I think many people are curious about when job openings increase and what kind of companies they should apply to.

Sometimes job openings that were available until a little while ago suddenly disappear, or a company that had nothing posted for a while suddenly releases multiple positions. From the applicant's perspective, it is difficult to tell if "the timing is bad right now," "if I should wait a little longer for more openings," or "if this company is no longer hiring."

However, when you actually work as a software engineer at an overseas tech company, you feel that there is a certain structure behind why job openings appear.

Of course, this is not about the specific hiring plans of the company I work for. It varies by company and changes depending on the time of year.

Even so, things that I couldn't see when I was just looking at job postings from the outside have gradually become visible as I work inside an overseas tech company and talk to other engineers.

This time, I will organize the reasons why job openings at overseas tech companies appear, based on my own observations.

Job openings don't just appear out of nowhere

From the outside, it can sometimes look like companies are posting job openings on a whim.

However, when you actually work as a software engineer at an overseas tech company, you start to feel that the background behind job openings is related to changes in the business or product.

Here, I will categorize the reasons why job openings appear at overseas tech companies into several main groups.

The first is when launching new features or new areas.

As a company grows, things that need to be built next appear one after another. The work increases, such as features for new user segments, improvements to existing features, and development to support new markets. Also, even in mature companies, personnel may be needed when starting new projects.

In this case, it becomes necessary to create new teams or add people to existing teams.

The second is when the scale of existing features grows.

Even if something was a small feature at first, once it is used by many users, the responsibility becomes greater. The impact when a failure occurs becomes larger, and the priority for improvement also increases.

Then, it becomes difficult to look after that area on the side.

There are times when it becomes necessary to carve out an area that was previously handled by one person or a small group as a more clearly defined scope of responsibility. As a result, a reason to hire a new engineer is born.

The third is when the scope of responsibility is divided.

In growing companies, a single team may initially cover a wide range of areas. However, as the company and product grow, this approach eventually becomes unsustainable.

Sometimes, areas previously covered by one team are split up, or more specialized teams are created.

The fourth reason is replacing employees who have left.

No matter how good the working environment is, people will always leave. When someone resigns, a job opening may be posted if there is a need for someone to take over the areas they were responsible for.

Here, I have introduced the points that I believe are essential to keep in mind.

Hiring quotas are also influenced by planning cycles

As mentioned above, launching new features, scaling existing ones, and splitting areas of responsibility are major reasons why hiring quotas are created.

However, just because such a need becomes apparent does not mean it will immediately appear as a public job opening. Whether it actually moves forward as a hiring quota is decided based on business plans, budgets, team priorities, and the urgency of the position.

Where will the company invest next? Which teams will be expanded? Which areas need more personnel? Should we hire now, or can it wait a little longer?

Job openings appear as a result of these decisions stacking up.

From an applicant's perspective, it may seem like job openings suddenly increase one day. However, there must be business plan and budget reviews, team-by-team priority setting, and adjustments to hiring quotas happening beforehand.

Conversely, even if a company is growing, not all teams are always hiring.

Even if the company as a whole is growing, there may be no hiring quotas in a particular team. Conversely, even if the company's overall hiring doesn't seem that large, there may be a need for people in specific areas.

I think this is the part that is difficult to understand when looking at job openings from the outside.

A job opening does not always mean that hiring is actively moving forward

When job hunting abroad, even if a job opening is posted, it does not necessarily mean that the hiring process is actively moving forward.

There may already be a strong candidate, or budgets and priorities may change along the way. Also, depending on the country and regulations, there may be cases where a job opening must be posted for a certain period due to visa or work permit procedures.

Of course, you cannot perfectly distinguish this from the outside.

That is why I don't think it is a good strategy to pin too much hope on a single job opening and wait indefinitely for a reply. After applying, don't just wait; look for the next opening as well. In overseas job hunting, it is important not to get too hung up on one company and to maintain an attitude of continuously applying to companies and positions you find interesting.

Signals from companies seen through job openings

When looking at job postings, you can imagine a bit about the company's state not just from the job title and requirements, but also from the number and types of openings.

For example, if a company is hiring many software engineers across multiple teams, it might be in a phase where its business or products are growing and it needs to increase headcount. There is a certain atmosphere that can only be experienced at a growing company.

Also, if positions in Compliance, Security, Infrastructure, or Platform are increasing, it is possible that the company has already grown to a certain extent and has entered a phase of not just creating new features, but also protecting, stabilizing, and scaling the product. Alternatively, it might be a company operating in an industry where regulation and reliability are inherently important.

Of course, you cannot accurately judge a company's state based solely on a job posting.

However, just by thinking about 'why is this company hiring for this role' and 'why are they increasing headcount at this time,' the way you view job postings will change significantly.

In overseas job hunting, I think it is important not just to look at job postings, but to consider the company's phase and your compatibility with it based on the number of openings, the types of roles, and the experience required.

What applicants can do

Applicants cannot completely discern the timing of when job openings appear or how seriously those openings are being pursued.

That is precisely why it is important to be in a state where you can act immediately when a job appears, rather than preparing only after it has been posted.

Keep your CV and LinkedIn updated. Be able to explain your experience. Organize what kind of companies and phases you want to work in. And, continuously apply to companies and positions you think are good. It is desirable to be thorough in these preparations.

Next time, I would like to write about what I look for when I actually read job postings from overseas tech companies.