8.0 KiB
8.0 KiB
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:
- WeWorkRemotely
- RemoteOK
- 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:
- Find on job board (RemoteOK, WeWorkRemotely, etc.)
- Go to company website (search "[Company] careers")
- Find exact same role on company careers page
- Verify it's real (posting date, "Apply Now" button works)
- Check on-call one more time (final check for red flags)
- Get direct URL from company site (use for application)
- 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:
- Create customized resume
- Generate cover letter
- Create job breakdown with strategy
- Build PDFs ready to submit
- 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 documentationSEARCH-STRATEGY.md— Detailed search workflowsCRITERIA-CHECKLIST.md— Evaluation template and scoringJOB-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
- Read SEARCH-STRATEGY.md — Understand the 3-tier system
- Review CRITERIA-CHECKLIST.md — Learn how to evaluate positions
- Check JOB-BOARDS-TO-SEARCH.md — See all 12+ boards available
- Do daily search — 5 minutes on 3 primary boards
- Track positions — Use /job-search track-found or update job_search.html
- Build resumes — Use /build-resume for matched positions
- 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