In a recent job post on wellfound, I received an average of 100 applicants per day for a software developer job posting. It is clear that their is high demand for remote software engineering jobs. As a founder of a company with 10+ remote employees, I would like to share some useful tips that will help you get ahead in the queue
Make an elegant profile website
It is important to stand out with a well designed profile website. Showcasing and marketing your work properly on well crafted website is a mini engineering project in itself
Bad Website Examples - Avoid this
2001 called, they want your websiteShowcase your design/work not your egoToo much animation, remember low attention spans, viewer will leave your website in 2 secGood examples - Do This
Clear design /navigation. Minimalistic animation adding to the styleElegant design and clear flow of informationMake Open Source Contributions
To stand out from the crowd, it is really important to make really open source contributions. This means your PR has been merged by a maintainer of a well known open source project
Make real open source contributes, not to project owned by you/your friendsWrite about Tech
If you are really passionate about technology and a good coder, you must done something new/innovative. It is important you share your insights in a public blog. This shows your depth of knowledge and your creativity. Here are few examples:
Spinning Diagrams with CSSThis article discusses using CSS to make spinning 3D diagrams.Memory AllocationA visual introduction to memory allocation.Don't expect direct interviews - Be Prepared to submit work
Lots of candidates think that because they graduated from X reputed university or working in say Y billon dollar company, the recruiters will directly call them for interview. This is not the case anymore. Remote recruiters are dealing with hundred of applicants across various continents. The best way to weed out people is to see some actual work
Answer Questionnaires
Here is a simple questionnaire I sent out to applicants of full stack engineer position. Less than 5% applicants answered back and that really eased my process of hiring
Senior Full Stack Engineer [Contract] QuestionnaireSuper Week
This is trial paid week of working with the company that helps both sides evaluate a better fit. Widely followed by many leading company like sequoia, weebly
Remote jobs offer freedom and good balance between work and family life. Good luck for your next job hunt !
This is a companion discussion topic for the original entry at https://insights.blockonomics.co/practical-on-how-to-get-remote-software-job/