# job-search Skill

Find, verify, and track backend engineer job opportunities with quality filtering.

## Files in This Directory

- **skill.md** — Skill definition, job boards, red flags, on-call risks
- **SEARCH-STRATEGY.md** — Systematic 3-tier search approach and workflows
- **CRITERIA-CHECKLIST.md** — Evaluation template and fit scoring (1-10)
- **README.md** — This file

## Quick Start

```
/job-search [search type]
```

### Common Commands

**Find positions across boards:**
```
/job-search find-positions
/job-search find-positions golang
/job-search search-board weworkremotely
```

**Check if position meets criteria:**
```
/job-search check-criteria [job description or URL]
```

**Verify position on company site:**
```
/job-search verify-position [company name and role]
```

**Track found position:**
```
/job-search track-found [company] [role] [URL] [fit-score]
```

## Your Search Criteria

**Hard Requirements (Skip if Missing):**
- ✅ 100% Remote (no office required)
- ✅ No on-call/pager duty
- ✅ $130K+ salary
- ✅ Backend engineer role
- ✅ Python, Go, Rust, or similar

**Red Flags (Auto-Skip):**
- ❌ On-call/pager duty mentioned anywhere
- ❌ Non-remote despite "flexible remote" claims
- ❌ Below $130K salary
- ❌ Startup hustle culture

---

## 3-Tier Search System

### Daily Search (5 min)
Focus on new postings on best boards:
1. WeWorkRemotely
2. RemoteOK
3. Built In

### Weekly Search (20 min)
Broader search + targeted platforms:
4. LinkedIn
5. DailyRemote
6. Indeed
7. Cord.co
8. Specialized boards (Golang.cafe, RemotePython.com, etc.)

### Monthly Search (45 min)
Deep dive into secondary sources:
- Secondary boards (JobServe, JustRemote, Totaljobs)
- Target company careers pages (Stripe, GitLab, Automattic, Zapier, etc.)
- Growth company pages (Cloudflare, Vercel, Shopify, Twilio)

See **SEARCH-STRATEGY.md** for full details with links.

---

## Verification Workflow

Every position must be verified before applying:

1. **Find on job board** (RemoteOK, WeWorkRemotely, etc.)
2. **Go to company website** (search "[Company] careers")
3. **Find exact same role** on company careers page
4. **Verify it's real** (posting date, "Apply Now" button works)
5. **Check on-call one more time** (final check for red flags)
6. **Get direct URL** from company site (use for application)
7. **Apply directly** to company (not through job board)

---

## Fit Scoring

Evaluate each position on a 1-10 scale:

| Score | Action | Notes |
|-------|--------|-------|
| 9-10 | Apply immediately | Perfect match, all criteria met |
| 8 | Apply enthusiastically | Excellent fit, maybe one gap |
| 7 | Apply with care | Good fit, one technical gap |
| 6 | Apply if quota allows | Okay fit, some gaps but salvageable |
| 5 | Consider carefully | Neutral, not compelling |
| <5 | Skip | Not worth the effort |

Use **CRITERIA-CHECKLIST.md** to calculate fit scores.

---

## Key Requirements Explained

### Remote (100% or Work-from-Home)
- Not: "Flexible remote" with office base
- Not: "Hybrid" with required days
- Yes: Fully distributed team
- Yes: "Work from anywhere"
- Yes: "Async-first culture"

### No On-Call
These phrases = SKIP IMMEDIATELY:
- "On-call rotation"
- "Pager duty"
- "24/7 support"
- "Production ownership" (in incident context)
- "Weekend on-call"
- "Incident response rotation"

This is non-negotiable. One mention = reject.

### $130K+ Minimum
- Base salary, not total comp
- Equity is bonus, not replacement
- Negotiable if company is great fit
- Non-negotiable if mediocre fit

### Backend Engineer Role
- Not: Full-stack (unless 80%+ backend)
- Not: Frontend with "backend knowledge"
- Not: DevOps (different focus)
- Not: QA or test engineering
- Yes: Platform engineer, Infrastructure engineer, SRE (if not heavy on-call)

### Tech Stack
- **Preferred:** Python, Go, Rust
- **Acceptable:** Java, C, JavaScript (learnable)
- **Lower priority:** C++, C# (different paradigms)
- **Avoid:** Legacy languages only

---

## Integration with Other Skills

### Found a Position?
Once you've found and verified a position, use the other skill:

```
/build-resume [paste job description]
```

This will:
1. Create customized resume
2. Generate cover letter
3. Create job breakdown with strategy
4. Build PDFs ready to submit
5. Log application in tracker

### Application Workflow
```
Find position → Verify on company site → /build-resume → Apply → Log in tracker
```

---

## Tools & Files

**In this skill directory:**
- `skill.md` — Comprehensive skill documentation
- `SEARCH-STRATEGY.md` — Detailed search workflows
- `CRITERIA-CHECKLIST.md` — Evaluation template and scoring
- `JOB-BOARDS-TO-SEARCH.md` — Full board list with all links

**In your project:**
- `/home/paul/Public/resume/search/` — Search results (local, not committed)
- `/home/paul/Public/resume/applications/` — Job applications (local, not committed)
- `/home/paul/Public/resume/job_search.html` — Dashboard of 35+ verified positions
- `/home/paul/.claude/projects/-home-paul-Public-resume/memory/applications_tracker.md` — Your application log

---

## Search Checklist

### Before Every Search Session

- [ ] Have JOB-BOARDS-TO-SEARCH.md open (for board links)
- [ ] Know your criteria (remote, $130K+, no on-call)
- [ ] Have 15-45 min depending on tier (daily/weekly/monthly)
- [ ] Plan to evaluate positions with CRITERIA-CHECKLIST.md

### During Search

- [ ] Check each board for new postings
- [ ] Quick filter: Remote? $130K+? Backend role? Tech stack?
- [ ] Note promising roles in job_search.html
- [ ] Verify positions on company career pages
- [ ] Check for on-call language (final check)

### After Search

- [ ] Log verified positions in dashboard
- [ ] Evaluate fit scores (1-10)
- [ ] Plan which to apply to this week
- [ ] Track completed positions in applications_tracker

---

## Success Metrics

**Weekly Goals:**
- Find: 5-10 positions
- Verify: 3-5 on company sites
- Apply: 3-5 quality applications
- Track: All applications logged

**Monthly Review:**
- Response rate: How many replies?
- Interview conversion: How many interviews?
- Offer rate: Any offers?
- Adjust strategy if needed

---

## Common Pitfalls to Avoid

❌ **Applying to every position** — Quality > quantity
❌ **Ignoring on-call mentions** — This is your red line
❌ **Applying through job boards** — Always apply directly to company site
❌ **Not verifying positions** — Confirm on company careers page first
❌ **Applying to anything under $130K** — Stick to your minimum
❌ **Skipping the verification step** — It takes 2 minutes and saves time
❌ **Not customizing resumes** — Generic materials have low conversion

✅ **Do this instead:**
- ✓ 3-5 quality applications per week
- ✓ Verify every position first
- ✓ Use /build-resume for customization
- ✓ Apply directly to company sites
- ✓ Track everything in applications_tracker
- ✓ Follow up consistently

---

## Next Steps

1. **Read SEARCH-STRATEGY.md** — Understand the 3-tier system
2. **Review CRITERIA-CHECKLIST.md** — Learn how to evaluate positions
3. **Check JOB-BOARDS-TO-SEARCH.md** — See all 12+ boards available
4. **Do daily search** — 5 minutes on 3 primary boards
5. **Track positions** — Use /job-search track-found or update job_search.html
6. **Build resumes** — Use /build-resume for matched positions
7. **Monitor applications_tracker** — Track dates, follow up at 1 week

---

## Tips for Success

**Search smarter, not harder:**
- Daily search takes 5 min (just stay aware)
- Weekly search takes 20 min (find actual positions)
- Monthly search takes 45 min (deep dive)
- Total: ~1 hour per week for systematic search

**Batch your work:**
- Search on Monday
- Build resumes Tue-Thu
- Apply on Friday
- Follow up next Friday

**Use all resources:**
- Tier 1 boards (daily)
- Tier 2 boards (weekly)
- Tier 3 + company pages (monthly)
- Set email alerts for consistency

**Verify everything:**
- Before applying, verify on company site
- Reduces application rejections
- Improves interview conversion
- Saves time (2 min verification vs wasted application)

---

**Last Updated:** March 18, 2026