im a product manager
o secure a remote product manager role at a promising startup, follow these steps:
Enhance Online Presence: Update your professional profiles, like LinkedIn, emphasizing your product management expertise and accomplishments. Consider creating a personal website to showcase your work.
Select Suitable Startups: Research startups aligned with your values and preferences. Prioritize those with remote-friendly cultures actively hiring for product management positions.
Job Search Platforms: Utilize platforms like LinkedIn, Indeed, Glassdoor, Remote.co, and We Work Remotely. Use specific keywords such as "remote product manager" for focused results.
Explore Startup Job Boards: Regularly check startup websites and industry-specific job boards for exclusive job postings.
Leverage Networking: Attend virtual industry events, webinars, and conferences to connect with professionals and recruiters in the startup realm.
Initiate Contact: Reach out to startups of interest directly, even without posted openings. Highlight your skills and express enthusiasm for joining their team.
Customize Applications: Tailor your resume and cover letter for each application, showcasing your achievements and alignment with the startup's requirements.
Emphasize Remote Skills: Highlight remote work experience and effective communication in your resume, demonstrating your ability to excel in remote settings.
Highlight Soft Skills: Emphasize key soft skills like communication, problem-solving, and leadership in your application and interviews.
Interview Preparation: Thoroughly research startups and anticipate common product management and remote work-related interview questions.
Demonstrate Remote Readiness: Use examples in interviews to showcase your remote team management, time zone coordination, and problem-solving skills.
Ask Relevant Questions: Inquire about remote work policies, collaboration tools, and team dynamics during interviews to show genuine interest.
Follow-Up: Send post-interview thank-you emails to express appreciation and enthusiasm for the role and the company.
Remember, patience is key in finding the right remote position. Through this process, you'll not only discover job opportunities but also gain insights into startup cultures and remote work dynamics that align with your preferences. Here are some of the top remote job websites where you can search for remote job opportunities:
1. **Remote.co:** This website is dedicated to remote jobs across various industries and roles. It offers a wide range of remote job listings and resources for remote work.
2. **We Work Remotely:** Known for its curated remote job listings, this platform features remote jobs in design, development, marketing, and more.
3. **FlexJobs:** FlexJobs specializes in flexible and remote job listings. They screen their listings to ensure they are legitimate and high-quality opportunities.
4. **Remote OK:** This job board aggregates remote job listings from various sources and presents them in an easy-to-browse format.
5. **LinkedIn:** While not exclusively for remote jobs, LinkedIn offers filters that allow you to search specifically for remote positions. Many companies also post remote job listings on their LinkedIn pages.
6. **Indeed:** Similar to LinkedIn, Indeed has filters that let you search for remote jobs. You can also specify the type of remote work you're looking for (e.g., full-time, part-time, freelance).
7. **Glassdoor:** Glassdoor features remote job listings alongside company reviews and salary information. It's a valuable resource for researching both the job and the company culture.
8. **AngelList:** If you're interested in startup roles, AngelList features remote job listings at startups across various industries.
9. **Working Nomads:** Working Nomads compiles remote job listings from around the web and categorizes them by role and industry.
10. **Virtual Vocations:** This platform focuses on telecommuting jobs and provides a curated list of remote opportunities.
11. **Remote OK:** A remote job board with a simple design and a variety of remote job listings.
12. **Pangian:** Pangian is a community-driven platform that offers remote job listings, as well as networking and community features.
13. **RemoteWoman:** While primarily aimed at connecting women with remote job opportunities, this platform also offers valuable resources for anyone seeking remote work.
When using these platforms, remember to tailor your search based on your skills, experience, and preferences. Be cautious of potential scams, and thoroughly research any company before applying.
Finding a remote job at a good startup involves a combination of research, networking, and strategic job searching. Here's a step-by-step guide to help you in your quest:
1. **Define Your Goals:** Understand what type of role you're looking for, your skills, and your preferences. Determine whether you're looking for a full-time, part-time, or freelance remote position.
2. **Identify Startups:** Research startups that align with your interests, skills, and values. Websites like AngelList, Crunchbase, and Product Hunt are great resources to find information about startups and their job openings.
3. **Update Your Online Presence:**
- **LinkedIn:** Ensure your LinkedIn profile is up-to-date and highlights your skills and experiences relevant to the startup roles you're interested in.
- **Portfolio:** If applicable, create an online portfolio showcasing your work. This can be particularly important for roles like design, development, or content creation.
4. **Network:**
- **LinkedIn:** Connect with professionals in the startup ecosystem, including founders, employees, and other individuals. Engage with their content and join relevant groups.
- **Social Media:** Follow startups on platforms like Twitter, where they often share job openings and insights about their company culture.
- **Networking Events:** Attend virtual conferences, webinars, and networking events related to your industry to connect with startup representatives.
5. **Job Search:**
- **Startup Job Boards:** Websites like AngelList, We Work Remotely, Remote.co, and Stack Overflow Jobs often list remote startup positions.
- **Company Websites:** Visit the careers page of startups you're interested in. They might have remote job listings not found on other job boards.
- **Aggregator Websites:** Use job search engines like Indeed, Glassdoor, and LinkedIn to filter for remote startup positions.
6. **Tailor Your Application:**
- **Resume and Cover Letter:** Customize your resume and cover letter for each application. Highlight relevant skills and experiences that match the startup's needs.
- **Show Your Passion:** Express your enthusiasm for the startup and explain why you want to be a part of their team.
7. **Skills and Tools:**
- **Remote Work Tools:** Familiarize yourself with tools commonly used for remote work, such as communication platforms (Slack, Zoom), project management tools (Trello, Asana), and collaborative documents (Google Workspace, Microsoft Office).
8. **Prepare for Interviews:**
- **Research:** Thoroughly research the startup, its products/services, industry, competitors, and recent news.
- **Behavioral Questions:** Prepare examples of how you've demonstrated skills relevant to the role, such as problem-solving, teamwork, and leadership.
- **Remote Work Experience:** Be ready to discuss your experience working remotely, your communication skills, and how you manage time and stay productive.
9. **Follow Up:** After submitting applications or attending interviews, send a follow-up email expressing your continued interest and gratitude for the opportunity.
10. **Be Patient:** Finding the right remote job at a startup might take time. Stay persistent and keep refining your approach based on your experiences.
Remember that each startup has its own hiring process and preferences, so be adaptable and open to learning along the way. Good luck in your search for a remote job at a great startup!
The first step I'd recommend is to identify your unique strengths and skills – those qualities that set you apart in a competitive job market. Then, consider aligning those strengths with the specific needs of startups.
Startups thrive on individuals who can wear multiple hats, contribute ideas, and adapt swiftly. Think about how your experience in developmental and social services, along with your mentoring and teaching background, can bring a fresh perspective to a startup's challenges.
Connect with professionals in your field through platforms like LinkedIn and attend virtual events to build relationships. Startups often value referrals from their network, so building genuine connections can open doors you might not have considered. . It's a process that benefits from careful planning and strategic moves. If you're interested in diving deeper into this process and exploring actionable steps, I'd love to support you through a more individualized planning process. Feel free to connect!
First: define what 'startup' tier you're most interested in. Post-seeding, Series A, Series B, Series C, etc, etc. They all have unique quirks and have varying headcount needs depending on their recent investments.
Second: determine what product you'd like to focus on. SaaS, BaaS, FinTech, MarTech, etc. This will help determine the kind of customer and issues you'll likely encounter.
Third: review recent startup news via investment firms (Incubators, Accelerators and VC's) or tech articles (techcrunch, builtin, crunchbase). These will list recent funding news or companies on the cusp of rapid growth. Remember: funding = double or tripling headcount, often in Product or Technology.
Forth: determine if your skills or interests can translate to Tech or Data roles. Being a versatile candidate will appeal to any hiring manager. If you have time, taking a few side courses will only emphasize your candidacy further.
Fifth: apply directly to the site, even (especially) without a job posting listed. This works best with Series A or seeding companies as the inboxes are often still being manually reviewed. Even more so, startups often don't know they need a role until it's an immediate start. Get in early to make a lasting impression.
Sixth: reach out to employees at the company. Ideally those in Product teams but any Individual Contributor can work. (Avoid Sr Managers/Founders as they are always being messaged; IC's enjoy offering referrals).
Seventh: If/When in an interview, 8 times out of 10, the format will be more casual. Mirror the interviewers style and be friendly and driven. Give answers based on When/Why/How/What to showcase knowledge. Don't ask about benefits, longevity, remoteness or company success: they're often just getting started and will mostly be remote.
Notes: most true startups won't be on the main job boards (Indeed, Linkedin, WeWorkRemotely) as they haven't yet established the People Ops infrastructure required to filter those pools of candidates. Y Contributor and Pallet are decent options, based on their prior investor links but finding the startup's websites themselves is the best solution.
TL:DR - Look for non-direct avenues (recent articles, team member profiles, investment firm listings) to improve your chances. The startups will appreciate the tenacity (I sure do when I run recruiting for Startups). Good Luck!
Here are two great places to look :)
Wellfound.com
YCombinator.com/jobs
