299 lines
8.0 KiB
Markdown
299 lines
8.0 KiB
Markdown
# job-search Skill
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Find, verify, and track backend engineer job opportunities with quality filtering.
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## Files in This Directory
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- **skill.md** — Skill definition, job boards, red flags, on-call risks
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- **SEARCH-STRATEGY.md** — Systematic 3-tier search approach and workflows
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- **CRITERIA-CHECKLIST.md** — Evaluation template and fit scoring (1-10)
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- **README.md** — This file
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## Quick Start
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```
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/job-search [search type]
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```
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### Common Commands
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**Find positions across boards:**
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```
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/job-search find-positions
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/job-search find-positions golang
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/job-search search-board weworkremotely
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```
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**Check if position meets criteria:**
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```
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/job-search check-criteria [job description or URL]
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```
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**Verify position on company site:**
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```
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/job-search verify-position [company name and role]
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```
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**Track found position:**
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```
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/job-search track-found [company] [role] [URL] [fit-score]
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```
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## Your Search Criteria
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**Hard Requirements (Skip if Missing):**
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- ✅ 100% Remote (no office required)
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- ✅ No on-call/pager duty
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- ✅ $130K+ salary
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- ✅ Backend engineer role
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- ✅ Python, Go, Rust, or similar
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**Red Flags (Auto-Skip):**
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- ❌ On-call/pager duty mentioned anywhere
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- ❌ Non-remote despite "flexible remote" claims
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- ❌ Below $130K salary
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- ❌ Startup hustle culture
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---
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## 3-Tier Search System
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### Daily Search (5 min)
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Focus on new postings on best boards:
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1. WeWorkRemotely
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2. RemoteOK
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3. Built In
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### Weekly Search (20 min)
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Broader search + targeted platforms:
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4. LinkedIn
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5. DailyRemote
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6. Indeed
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7. Cord.co
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8. Specialized boards (Golang.cafe, RemotePython.com, etc.)
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### Monthly Search (45 min)
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Deep dive into secondary sources:
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- Secondary boards (JobServe, JustRemote, Totaljobs)
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- Target company careers pages (Stripe, GitLab, Automattic, Zapier, etc.)
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- Growth company pages (Cloudflare, Vercel, Shopify, Twilio)
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See **SEARCH-STRATEGY.md** for full details with links.
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---
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## Verification Workflow
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Every position must be verified before applying:
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1. **Find on job board** (RemoteOK, WeWorkRemotely, etc.)
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2. **Go to company website** (search "[Company] careers")
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3. **Find exact same role** on company careers page
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4. **Verify it's real** (posting date, "Apply Now" button works)
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5. **Check on-call one more time** (final check for red flags)
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6. **Get direct URL** from company site (use for application)
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7. **Apply directly** to company (not through job board)
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---
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## Fit Scoring
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Evaluate each position on a 1-10 scale:
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| Score | Action | Notes |
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|-------|--------|-------|
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| 9-10 | Apply immediately | Perfect match, all criteria met |
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| 8 | Apply enthusiastically | Excellent fit, maybe one gap |
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| 7 | Apply with care | Good fit, one technical gap |
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| 6 | Apply if quota allows | Okay fit, some gaps but salvageable |
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| 5 | Consider carefully | Neutral, not compelling |
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| <5 | Skip | Not worth the effort |
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Use **CRITERIA-CHECKLIST.md** to calculate fit scores.
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---
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## Key Requirements Explained
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### Remote (100% or Work-from-Home)
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- Not: "Flexible remote" with office base
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- Not: "Hybrid" with required days
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- Yes: Fully distributed team
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- Yes: "Work from anywhere"
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- Yes: "Async-first culture"
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### No On-Call
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These phrases = SKIP IMMEDIATELY:
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- "On-call rotation"
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- "Pager duty"
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- "24/7 support"
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- "Production ownership" (in incident context)
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- "Weekend on-call"
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- "Incident response rotation"
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This is non-negotiable. One mention = reject.
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### $130K+ Minimum
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- Base salary, not total comp
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- Equity is bonus, not replacement
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- Negotiable if company is great fit
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- Non-negotiable if mediocre fit
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### Backend Engineer Role
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- Not: Full-stack (unless 80%+ backend)
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- Not: Frontend with "backend knowledge"
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- Not: DevOps (different focus)
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- Not: QA or test engineering
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- Yes: Platform engineer, Infrastructure engineer, SRE (if not heavy on-call)
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### Tech Stack
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- **Preferred:** Python, Go, Rust
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- **Acceptable:** Java, C, JavaScript (learnable)
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- **Lower priority:** C++, C# (different paradigms)
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- **Avoid:** Legacy languages only
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---
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## Integration with Other Skills
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### Found a Position?
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Once you've found and verified a position, use the other skill:
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```
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/build-resume [paste job description]
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```
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This will:
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1. Create customized resume
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2. Generate cover letter
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3. Create job breakdown with strategy
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4. Build PDFs ready to submit
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5. Log application in tracker
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### Application Workflow
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```
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Find position → Verify on company site → /build-resume → Apply → Log in tracker
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```
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---
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## Tools & Files
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**In this skill directory:**
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- `skill.md` — Comprehensive skill documentation
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- `SEARCH-STRATEGY.md` — Detailed search workflows
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- `CRITERIA-CHECKLIST.md` — Evaluation template and scoring
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- `JOB-BOARDS-TO-SEARCH.md` — Full board list with all links
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**In your project:**
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- `/home/paul/Public/resume/search/` — Search results (local, not committed)
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- `/home/paul/Public/resume/applications/` — Job applications (local, not committed)
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- `/home/paul/Public/resume/job_search.html` — Dashboard of 35+ verified positions
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- `/home/paul/.claude/projects/-home-paul-Public-resume/memory/applications_tracker.md` — Your application log
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---
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## Search Checklist
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### Before Every Search Session
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- [ ] Have JOB-BOARDS-TO-SEARCH.md open (for board links)
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- [ ] Know your criteria (remote, $130K+, no on-call)
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- [ ] Have 15-45 min depending on tier (daily/weekly/monthly)
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- [ ] Plan to evaluate positions with CRITERIA-CHECKLIST.md
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### During Search
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- [ ] Check each board for new postings
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- [ ] Quick filter: Remote? $130K+? Backend role? Tech stack?
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- [ ] Note promising roles in job_search.html
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- [ ] Verify positions on company career pages
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- [ ] Check for on-call language (final check)
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### After Search
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- [ ] Log verified positions in dashboard
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- [ ] Evaluate fit scores (1-10)
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- [ ] Plan which to apply to this week
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- [ ] Track completed positions in applications_tracker
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---
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## Success Metrics
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**Weekly Goals:**
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- Find: 5-10 positions
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- Verify: 3-5 on company sites
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- Apply: 3-5 quality applications
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- Track: All applications logged
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**Monthly Review:**
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- Response rate: How many replies?
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- Interview conversion: How many interviews?
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- Offer rate: Any offers?
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- Adjust strategy if needed
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---
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## Common Pitfalls to Avoid
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❌ **Applying to every position** — Quality > quantity
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❌ **Ignoring on-call mentions** — This is your red line
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❌ **Applying through job boards** — Always apply directly to company site
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❌ **Not verifying positions** — Confirm on company careers page first
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❌ **Applying to anything under $130K** — Stick to your minimum
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❌ **Skipping the verification step** — It takes 2 minutes and saves time
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❌ **Not customizing resumes** — Generic materials have low conversion
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✅ **Do this instead:**
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- ✓ 3-5 quality applications per week
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- ✓ Verify every position first
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- ✓ Use /build-resume for customization
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- ✓ Apply directly to company sites
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- ✓ Track everything in applications_tracker
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- ✓ Follow up consistently
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---
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## Next Steps
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1. **Read SEARCH-STRATEGY.md** — Understand the 3-tier system
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2. **Review CRITERIA-CHECKLIST.md** — Learn how to evaluate positions
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3. **Check JOB-BOARDS-TO-SEARCH.md** — See all 12+ boards available
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4. **Do daily search** — 5 minutes on 3 primary boards
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5. **Track positions** — Use /job-search track-found or update job_search.html
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6. **Build resumes** — Use /build-resume for matched positions
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7. **Monitor applications_tracker** — Track dates, follow up at 1 week
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---
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## Tips for Success
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**Search smarter, not harder:**
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- Daily search takes 5 min (just stay aware)
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- Weekly search takes 20 min (find actual positions)
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- Monthly search takes 45 min (deep dive)
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- Total: ~1 hour per week for systematic search
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**Batch your work:**
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- Search on Monday
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- Build resumes Tue-Thu
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- Apply on Friday
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- Follow up next Friday
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**Use all resources:**
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- Tier 1 boards (daily)
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- Tier 2 boards (weekly)
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- Tier 3 + company pages (monthly)
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- Set email alerts for consistency
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**Verify everything:**
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- Before applying, verify on company site
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- Reduces application rejections
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- Improves interview conversion
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- Saves time (2 min verification vs wasted application)
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---
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**Last Updated:** March 18, 2026
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