I wanted to share what worked for me in my last job search. I’ve sent this to 4 people so I figure it would make more sense as a post. These notes are skewed towards remote web/mobile dev work.

Check with your friends

First, see where your friends are working on Facebook/Linkedin. Check out the company and see if you want to work there. If so, use your friend to get introduced and
recommended. If at all possible, let everyone know you are looking in person and on social media.

The usual suspects

Here are some links that proved most useful to me.

Hired is a great place to start as companies bid on you with potential salaries if you get through the hiring process.
http://join.hired.com/x/a3cxC0

Angelist
http://angel.co/jobs

The latest ‘Ask HN: Who is hiring?’ post
https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=17205865

We Work Remotely
https://weworkremotely.co

Tech Jobs on Hawaii
http://www.techhui.com/forum/categories/tech-jobs/listForCategory

Look for jobs, not job listings

Look for the company you want to work for as opposed to the listings available. This is a lot more work but it’s often the case that companies don’t keep their job listings updated internally or on external sites. I looked for work for Bay Area companies as they are more open to remote and it’s only two hours difference. Startups are also more open to remote.

The trick to finding remote work

The trick to finding remote work is to look for work, not remote work.

I’m suggesting that you apply to work that doesn’t explicitly say Remote is OK. Let the company make the decision if they need you enough to let you work remotely. It comes up in the first phone call. “Are you willing to relocate?”

Basically, the advice I got that worked was to offer to work the first 2 months on site before transitioning to remote. This has worked well for the last two jobs. I also find that it helps me to offer to start as a contractor to make the decision easier.

Of course, most times it ends amiably with a ‘We do not hire remote’. That’s fine. Remote work has always been the exception. Many remote workers I know in Hawaii started on-site but were essential enough that they were allowed to transition to remote instead of leaving.

Work the process

Keep a spreadsheet of where you applied, the current status, and the last time you reached out. Consider using this free service that will help organize your search.
https://jobhound.io/

Everyone is busy and hiring is not the first priority. Keep sending reminders. If possible, give yourself a couple months of looking to get the best offers. Don’t get pressured into making an immediate decision.

Don’t overlook great local companies or other islands

There are great companies here that pay competitive rates in your time zone. Make sure you network with local interest groups and meetups.

Staying Strong

Don’t let getting ignored or rejected get your down. It’s not about the number of rejections. Ultimately, you only need one job.

Best of luck and keep your chin up.