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resume/.claude/skills/job-search/SEARCH-STRATEGY.md
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2026-03-18 23:32:45 -04:00

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Job Search Strategy

Systematic approach to finding quality backend engineer positions that match your criteria.

Your Non-Negotiables ✅

Hard Requirements:

  • Remote (100% or work-from-home)
  • No on-call/pager duty
  • $130K+ salary
  • Backend engineer role
  • Technologies: Python, Go, Rust (preferred)

Red Flags = Auto-Skip:

  • On-call rotation mentioned
  • Pager duty / 24x7 support
  • "Startup hustle" culture
  • Heavy mentoring expectations
  • Not truly remote

Three-Tier Search System

TIER 1: Daily (5 min)

Purpose: Stay aware of new postings, catch great opportunities early

Boards:

  1. WeWorkRemotely (https://weworkremotely.com)

    • Filter: Dev Engineering, Remote
    • Look for: Established companies, explicit remote culture
    • Why: Curated, trusted companies post here first

  2. RemoteOK (https://remoteok.com)

    • Filter: Backend, Python/Go/Rust, Remote, $130K+
    • Look for: Salary upfront, time zone info
    • Why: Smart filters, no guessing on salary

  3. Built In (https://builtin.com/jobs/remote/dev-engineering/)

    • Filter: Remote, backend engineer, Python/Go
    • Look for: Startup and scale-up companies
    • Why: Good quality postings from growth companies

Action: 5 minutes, check each board, bookmark promising roles

TIER 2: Weekly (20 min)

Purpose: Broader search, check secondary sources, targeted platforms

Boards: 4. LinkedIn (https://linkedin.com/jobs)

  • Filter: Remote, Backend Engineer, $130K+, Mid-Senior level
  • Setup: Create saved search for notifications
  • Look for: Direct company postings, recruiter outreach
  • Why: World's largest network, catches hidden roles

  1. DailyRemote (https://dailyremote.com)

    • Filter: Dev, Remote
    • Look for: Freshly posted daily listings
    • Why: Curated daily, less saturated than Indeed

  2. Indeed (https://indeed.com)

    • Filter: Remote, Backend Engineer, $130K+, Python/Go
    • Setup: Notification alerts
    • Look for: Less covered roles, niche companies
    • Why: Largest job board, catches everything

  3. Cord.co (https://cord.co)

    • Just browse your matches
    • Look for: Companies interested in YOU
    • Why: Passive matching = less competitive

  4. Language-Specific Boards

Action: 20 minutes, check each board, bookmark 1-3 interesting roles

TIER 3: Monthly (45 min)

Purpose: Deep search, check specialized sources, target specific companies

Secondary Boards: 9. JobServe — https://jobserve.com 10. JustRemote — https://justremote.co 11. Totaljobs — https://totaljobs.com 12. Hiring Cafe — https://hiring.cafe

Target Company Careers Pages:

High Priority (Check Weekly):

Medium Priority (Check Monthly):

Growth Companies:

Action: 45 minutes, check secondary boards and target company pages, find 2-5 promising roles

Filtering Workflow

Step 1: Title & Location Check (10 seconds)

Does it say "Backend Engineer" OR "Platform Engineer" OR "Infrastructure Engineer"?
Is it marked "Remote" or "Work from home"?
→ If NO to either: Skip immediately

Step 2: Salary Check (10 seconds)

Can you see the salary?
  → If shown: Is it $130K+?
  → If not shown: Check company size/location clues
→ If clearly below $130K: Skip

Step 3: On-Call Check (20 seconds)

Search job description for:
  - "on-call"
  - "pager duty"
  - "24/7 support"
  - "production ownership"
  - "incident response"
→ If ANY found: SKIP IMMEDIATELY (hard requirement)

Step 4: Tech Stack Check (20 seconds)

Does job mention:
  - Python? Go? Rust? (preferred)
  - Or Java? C? JavaScript? (acceptable)
→ If only: C++, C#, .NET, Java only: Lower priority but consider
→ If only: Frontend-heavy or full-stack: Consider lower

Step 5: Company & Culture Check (30 seconds)

Company mission: Does it align with your values?
Company size: Startup? Scale-up? Established?
Team size: How many engineers?
Growth: Profitable? Funded? Stable?
→ Red flags: "Hustle culture", "startup energy", "move fast/break things"

Verification Process

Found a position that passes filters? Verify it's real:

1. Find on Job Board ✓

  • Position found on WeWorkRemotely, RemoteOK, etc.
  • Note the posting date
  • Screenshot or bookmark

2. Go to Company Website

  • Search: "[Company Name] careers" in Google
  • Or go directly: company.com/jobs
  • Example: stripe.com/jobs, gitlab.com/careers

3. Find the Exact Role

  • Look for same job title and team
  • Verify posting date (not old)
  • Check if "Apply Now" button is active
  • Read full job description for red flags

4. Get Direct Application URL

  • Copy the direct link from company site
  • This is what you'll use to apply
  • Save in job_search.html dashboard

5. Final On-Call Check

  • Read full job description one more time
  • Search for: "on-call", "pager", "24/7", "incident response"
  • If found: Flag as red, skip application
  • If not found: Proceed to applying

Application Workflow

Once you've found and verified a great position:

1. Get Job Description

  • Copy full job description
  • Save it

2. Build Resume

/build-resume [paste job description]

This creates:

  • Customized resume
  • Customized cover letter
  • Job breakdown with strategy notes
  • PDFs ready to submit

3. Apply on Company Site

  • Use direct URL from company careers page (not job board)
  • Submit resume and cover letter
  • Optional: Write personalized cover letter

4. Log Application

  • Update /home/paul/.claude/projects/-home-paul-Public-resume/memory/applications_tracker.md
  • Record: date applied, company, role, fit score
  • Set reminder for follow-up (1 week)

5. LinkedIn Connect

  • Find hiring manager or team member
  • Send connection request with personal note
  • Mention: "Just applied for [Role] at [Company]"

Batch Application Strategy

Research shows 3-5 focused applications per week is better than:

  • ❌ Applying to 20+ per day (low quality)
  • ❌ Waiting weeks between applications (momentum loss)
  • ✓ 3-5 quality fits with customized materials
  • ✓ Consistent follow-up cadence

Week 1: Find & Apply

  • Mon: Search, find 3-5 positions
  • Tue-Thu: Build resumes, customize cover letters
  • Fri: Submit all applications

Week 2: Follow-Up

  • Connect on LinkedIn with 3-5 hiring managers
  • Check email for responses
  • If no response from initial batch: Pursue interviews from interested companies

Week 3: Build on Interest

  • Interview prep for interested companies
  • Continue search for new positions
  • Repeat cycle

Search Optimizations

Set Email Alerts

  • Indeed: Daily email for "remote backend engineer $130K"
  • LinkedIn: Weekly digest for saved searches
  • WeWorkRemotely: Weekly job alert email

Use Advanced Filters

Indeed search:

(backend engineer OR platform engineer OR infrastructure engineer)
AND remote
AND salary:130000

LinkedIn search:

Title: Backend Engineer, Platform Engineer, or Infrastructure Engineer
Location: On my own terms
Salary: $130K-$300K
Experience: Mid-Senior

RemoteOK search:

Skills: Backend, Python, Golang, Rust
Min Salary: $130,000
Job Type: Full-time, Permanent

Customize Searches by Tech

If you want Python-heavy roles:

  • Add "Django" or "FastAPI" to search
  • Check RemotePython.com weekly

If interested in Go roles:

  • Add "Go" or "Golang" to search
  • Check golang.cafe daily

If interested in Rust roles:

  • Check RustJobs.dev weekly

Tracking & Metrics

Track These

  • Positions found per week
  • Positions verified
  • Applications submitted
  • Response rate
  • Interview conversion

Weekly Metric Goals

  • Find: 5-10 positions from daily searches
  • Verify: 3-5 verified on company sites
  • Apply: 3-5 quality applications
  • Response: Track replies, interviews, offers

Save Search Results

After finding and verifying a position, save to search folder:

/job-search track-found [company] [role] [URL] [fit-score]

This saves search results to /home/paul/Public/resume/search/ and updates /home/paul/Public/resume/job_search.html with your new position.

Red Flags Checklist

Skip Immediately If:

  • On-call/pager duty mentioned
  • 24/7 support required
  • "Startup hustle" or "move fast" culture
  • Non-remote (despite claiming "remote friendly")
  • Heavy management/mentoring emphasized
  • No salary transparency
  • Unclear role responsibilities
  • Negative Glassdoor reviews about work-life balance

Yellow Flags (Research More):

  • Equity-heavy compensation (low base)
  • Very high meeting culture
  • Frequent "emergency" incidents mentioned
  • Rapid team turnover (from research)
  • Vague about on-call expectations

Tools & Resources

Files in your project:

  • /home/paul/Public/resume/JOB-BOARDS-TO-SEARCH.md — Complete board list
  • /home/paul/Public/resume/job_search.html — Dashboard of 35+ positions
  • /home/paul/.claude/projects/-home-paul-Public-resume/memory/applications_tracker.md — Your application log

Related skills:

  • /build-resume — Build customized resumes and cover letters
  • job-search — This skill, for finding and filtering positions

Monthly Check-In

Once per month, evaluate:

  • Quality: Are positions good fits?
  • Quantity: Finding enough positions?
  • Success: Getting interviews? Offers?
  • Strategy: Need to adjust boards or search criteria?

Update JOB-BOARDS-TO-SEARCH.md (in this skill directory) if:

  • A board is consistently low-quality
  • A board is consistently excellent
  • You discover new boards to add

Last Updated: March 18, 2026

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