You’re the master of LinkedIn. You have systems for monitoring tech job boards. You network regularly, even in a pandemic. In sum, you’re doing all the things. But are you?
If you feel like you’re knocking yourself out in your job search, yet the right role hasn’t shown up, it could be time to check out some non-standard sources. Here are four unexpected places where job connections, especially in tech, happen.
Lenny’s Job Board
Lenny is the author of Lenny’s Newsletter, a weekly advice column which he says is, “about product, growth, working with humans, and anything else that stresses you out at the office.” Now Lenny is also publicizing open tech roles with his job board. New roles are posted every Tuesday. I particularly like that in the job’s description, he includes factors that can help you gauge match, like company size and funding to date. You can filter on location, experience, and type of role.
Awesome People Newsletter
Each week Julia Lipton sends a newsletter that showcases one awesome person in tech. The fact that it’s just one person is both cool and useful. The person featured has chops in a particular domain but is not a tech celebrity. Julia writes a micro-profile; then the person shares some tips and insights specific to their field. Each of these people is also available for part-time work, making this, I’m guessing, a peculiar marketing vehicle for contractors. At the bottom of the newsletter, there’s a roundup of recently featured awesome people, as well as some other hiring and employment tidbits. It’s a great read, feels uplifting, and could lead to some interesting connections.
Elpha
This vibrant (35,000 members strong!) forum for women in tech recently added a job board. You can browse the Elpha list of jobs (with some cool filters like “women in leadership” and “benefits”). Alternatively, you can tell them about yourself via a simple form. I love the way Elpha describes this: We’re here to help whether you’re casually exploring future options or actively looking for your next job. If you don’t have a resume ready to go, that’s no problem. To get started, tell us a little bit about you and what you’re looking for. Seems like a no-risk opportunity to take advantage of—no matter your gender . And of course, Elpha is a fantastic place to get on-the-ground advice from other women working in tech about job matters.
Tweets aren’t just for hot takes on politics or threads on productivity. The tech community is very active on Twitter, and increasingly tech jobs are being filled via Twitter relationships. If you’re interested in tapping into this movement, you’re going to need to be active. Post regularly about your area of expertise, and interact with people at companies you’d love to work for. Then, when they’re hiring, you may be someone that comes to mind as a fit. This article is an excellent manual on how to do this. Also, see whether companies you’re interested in have dedicated Twitter handles for hiring, such as the @TechCompanyCareers.
No single approach to job search is a sure bet. So it’s important to try a number of things. This not only increases your chances of success, but keeps you motivated. Meanwhile, we’re cheering you on!
Photo by Pille Kirsi from Pexels