ICYMI, it’s now illegal for employers in New York and California to ask how much money you made at your previous job.

While these laws exist primarily to help close gender-based wage gaps, they benefit every one!

Hiring managers and recruiters won’t hesitate to use information asymmetry to their advantage, so you should too:

1. You don’t have to tell hiring managers who else you’re talking to or whether you have open offers during phone screens or interviews. However, if you do have an offer, mentioning it can signal that you’re in demand & put some pressure on the hiring manager to move your application forward.

2. Never lie on your resume, but don’t be shy about highlighting the key words and requirements that relate to the job. Nobody knows your work as well as you do.

3. Sanity-check a company’s claims about its culture by looking at Glassdoor, company reviews, and sites that give you deeper insight into the dev team (like ours!). Focus on trends, not individual claims. If possible, reach out to past employees and get their opinions directly.

4. Keep your options open and don’t get hung up on any one opportunity. There’s a shortage of developers and plenty of other opportunities available to you.