Ask HN: Why can't I find a remote job? | Hacker News Reader

Ask HN: Why can't I find a remote job?

I have 17 years development work experience, continuously, across 5 companies with a full set of references. Currently I'm at faang as an underpaid contractor.

I apply every day. 80% will send generic "unfortunately" @no-reply email. other 20% won't reply. that 20% tends to be companies that have been advertising the same role for > 6months or even some > 1year.

The only interviews I had in last few years was from recruiters cold contacting me. I have not had an interview from an application in probably 4 or 5 years or more.

I'm worried, is it possibly ageism (i'm near 40). I keep hearing that companies are struggling to find good people, but i'm struggling to even get acknowledged. Not saying i'm good, but it doesn't correlate.

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Sending in resumes via online applications is a somewhat pointless exercise. Any number of IT systems or HR personal will filter out good candidates. You need to find a way to contact recruiters directly.

I've got a story that illustrates this well. I'm older than you and a few years ago I submitted an online application for a job (at a large company) that was a great fit. I didn't hear anything for a month so I found a recruiter on LinkedIn. They referred me to the recruiter responsible for that position. They said they had never seen my resume in their system but she'd forward it to the hiring manager (my future manager). I got the job and became the hiring manager for other positions. Very few good resumes were sent to me from our HR system so I started checking. Turns out the HR IT system was filtering out good candidates and the HR person was filtering out a bunch of good candidates that made it past the HR applicant tracking system. There are so many applications for every position that good people just get caught in the programmatic and human filters to screen out people who aren't a fit for the job.

Use LinkedIn to find the recruiter or find your connections who work that that company. Get your resume into the hiring manager's hands.

It does sound like there's something wrong with your CV and/or cover letter(s).

As others have said, "near 40" should not be putting you anywhere near age-discrimination issues, particularly at the CV-filtering stage.

Questions that occur to me: Are you applying to companies that are actively seeking? Are you applying to specific roles? If you are applying to specific roles is it obvious that your experience is applicable to those roles? Is your CV too long (over 4 sides, or less but a very small font) ? Is your CV too short (under a side) ?

Feel free to email me if you'd like me to give it a (confidential) once-over and provide any hot-takes on what the issue might be (am an ex-UK contractor with a few remote stints under my belt).

Edit: You could also ask a recruiter for feedback on your CV. They're experts (hopefully)) on selling candidates so it's worth asking.

You say you "build websites for one of the top 5 most trafficked website" at a FAANG. Would you mind sharing more about what you've done?

I've worked at two FAANG companies, and I can't think of a single software engineer I've met who would describe their job as 'build websites' because:

1. They would usually use words like 'system', 'application' or 'service' instead of 'website'.

2. Almost no IC at a FAANG builds a significant site alone. They're often responsible for certain parts or features.

3. Few folks work on websites (plural). e.g. the folks at FB working on the advertiser dashboard/UI probably never work on FB marketplace etc.

Perhaps you have scope to improve the way you describe your work, and this might help you get more responses and opportunities.

You can't just send your resume blindly with that much experience.

First, you need to contact your connections in the companies you want to work for. And they will introduce you. With 17 years of experience, you know hundreds of people working in the industry.

If you don't know anybody in the company, then you need to find a recruiter that works there and contact them directly. Find them on LinkedIn and send them a message.

You can do the same with a hiring manager for that particular role. But that's harder to figure out who it is.

You just need to speak with people in the company directly. Sending your resume to some automated black hole system will not work.

Hmm... A little over a year ago I enrolled in an interview prep program that was open to all levels of experience. I don't have as many as 17 years, but around 8 years which is still past junior/entry at this point.

Part of the program's requirement was that you apply to 25 jobs per week. In order to maintain that number, I had to send some of my resumes cold, usually via LinkedIn job listings.

I didn't get a good response rate but I just did it to meet that 25 per week quota. And if anyone's curious, no, I do not have a job yet after enrolling in that program.

> If you don't know anybody in the company, then you need to find a recruiter that works there and contact them directly. Find them on LinkedIn and send them a message.

thanks, i haven't tried this before.

Developers here tend to look down on LinkedIn, but it really is a good start when job hunting. Create a profile there if you haven't already. That alone will usually get recruiters contacting you. I also second the advice to contact a recruiter (ask someone for a referral if you can) and have them review your resume.

Matching people to openings is what recruiters do all day long; they're better at it than you are and their incentive is to make more money. Let them do as much of the work for you as you can.

Where are you based?

Jobs advertised as remote are often not globally remote - as in, there's an expectation that the person they hire will be in the same country. If you're applying for US jobs from a developing country you'll probably get a different response than a developer based in the US (or no response at all).

If that's not the case, and you're a US based dev applying for remote jobs in the US, then there's probably some red flags on your resumé - impossible to know without seeing it.

17 years experience / late 30s doesn't put you in the ageism bracket.

in the UK. I only apply for Uk based remote.

what kind of red flags? i have 5 jobs, averaging about 3 years each, working since 2005 continuously.

my resume is just my work experience with a short summary of what i do now, which is build websites for one of the top 5 most trafficked website. i don't like to write about myself, i don't have any blog, but i do have a lot of projects i could share, but no one ever asks...

i thought the issue is that maybe the perception is people in my age bracket are less tolerant for any kind of nonsense. maybe companies prefer fresh faced people, willing to tolerate things that someone like me won't.

You haven't shared your resume, but your tone seems to suggest you might think it isn't the greatest. Have you tried different formats of resumes that maybe highlight some of the skills you have that are relevant to the positions or show off some of the projects you have done?

I'm not sure about how much experience you have since you only give your age, but if you are applying for senior remote positions, do they spotlight the skills that a senior engineer has?

Independentness, mentoring junior members, etc?

I don't think most jobs really are globally remote. As I understand it, the UK economy is having a hard time relative to how things are here in the USA. So I think you'd need someone else in the UK to lend you their perspective.

Maybe your resume is fucked up? If you have a pulse and work at FAANG you should be buried in people trying to hire you.

Stop sending your CV to random job listings. Instead, get it touch with a few decent recruitment companies specialising in the field you want to work in and then talk to them.

It sounds almost unbelievable.

I'd try a couple of small tweaks

Like include your requirements on salary, if you are open to contract, etc.

Will be interested to know what happens after you change some things up.

How do we get in touch? :)

You need to work for it

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