Some Words on Finding Work

This is an addendum to my article How To Win Influence and Friend People with a few specific actions you can take in building our your network and CV with the goal of getting a job.

Finding Job Openings

• Find personal contacts in small companies you want to approach.
• Big Companies: Google, Facebook, etc. all actively seek out great candidates all over the world, even in tough times. If you’re not able to get a position in the Valley with these companies, try local opportunities with them and you can more easily transfer after being there awhile and proving yourself. These companies weigh internal recommendations highly, so create connections with insiders.
• Reach out to companies in ecosystems to which you’ve contributed. For example, contribute to open source projects based on a particular technology, then reach out to companies using or developing that technology.
• Vet your references: If you intend to give someone as a reference, talk with them first. Ask them if they would be comfortable giving you an enthusiastic recommendation; you don’t want to be surprised afterwards. Few people will mislead you about what they’ll say if you ask directly. In the spirit of “Do your homework” above, remind them of your accomplishments while you worked together, and suggest specifically what you’d want them to say.

Contracting (part-time/remote work)
Your goal may be a few steps beyond your grasp, and you need to establish intermediate credibility and credentials. Working for others can help. Full-time employment may be hard to come by or take too long.

Try contracting (even doing projects for free) to build a track record, reputation, and connections.

• You can contract from anywhere these days (even from overseas).
• Contracting hires happen much faster than full-time hires, especially in uncertain times.
• Use platforms like Hired and Toptal to market and handle logistics and legal for you.
• Research employment needs at companies in the location you’re targeting, and reach out offering to contract for them.
• Network with other contractors for introductions. Good contractors have limited bandwidth and more incoming requests than they can handle.
• Contracting can teach you how to deal with “clients” and be responsible for the relationships, skills which are useful but often siloed in larger organizations. This will help you in your career later on, when there will be fewer middlemen between you and the management to whom you’re providing value.