Landing Remote Jobs Through The Art of Storytelling | DevFest Uyo 2023

Job hunting is a gruelling ordeal but remote job hunting has its own unique challenges. There are additional restrictions to consider when applying from Africa so understanding how to navigate job hunting is vital to having success.

I’ve been working remotely since 2018 and in that time I’ve worked with both local and foreign startups and companies. In this talk, I’ll dive into the art of storytelling and how to use it to stand out during the job application process. Throughout the talk, I'll go over my personal experiences with remote job hunting and highlight some tips to help improve your chances of landing a remote job.

Transcript

1. Landing Remote Jobs Through The Art Of Storytelling Kelvin Gobo | DevFest Uyo 2023
2. About me • Kelvin Gobo • Frontend Developer • Writer • Gamer • X (formerly Twitter): @slightlynerd
3. Brief background on the current job market in tech Kelvin Gobo @slightlynerd
4. 240,000 More than jobs have been lost in 2023 Source: Techcrunch
5. You have to tell your story to stand out from the crowd
6. Storytelling is not a substitute for skills or experience, it highlights what you have already.
7. The Elements Of A Job Application Kelvin Gobo @slightlynerd
8. Cover Letter • First impression • Keep it simple
9. First impression… • There's a saying that “first impression matters” • Your cover letter is the first thing about you recruiters will see • Make the most of your first point of contact
10. Keep it simple “Good day Sir/Ma, I see you’re looking to add a motivated problem solver with superior skills to your Marketing team. I believe that my proven communication skills, upbeat attitude and ability to deliver under tight deadlines will make me an effective team member. …” Good 󰗰 “Good day Sir/Ma, I’m writing to express my interest to join your Marketing team. In a previous role, I worked as a Customer Service Rep which required me to develop good communications skills. I served as a line of contact between customer and company and this helped me to understand customer needs and wants. …” Human ✅
11. Resume/CV • Point out key metrics • List your projects
12. Point out key metrics Noogle Technologies - Frontend Developer • Develop the UI of company’s client web app that’s serving 1000 users • Users have spent on average 20 hours per month, up from 15 hours per month previously, since redesign 6 months ago • Migrated codebase from knockout.js to Vue.js which reduced the website load time by 50%
13. Have a list of projects Have a section of recent/best projects. Example: Projects Investify - A fintech app that allows users to buy/sell airtime. Stack - Figma, Photoshop
14. Interview • Tell your story • Highlight your skills
15. During an interview, put together everything from your Cover Letter and CV to tell YOUR story
17. How do you answer the question “Can you tell us a little about yourself?” • A brief background of career • Explain how you got started • Talk about your motivations • Highlight challenges you’ve faced • Pinpoint skills you picked up
18. Source: Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Duis non erat sem To have a story to tell, you have to: • Work on personal projects • Put yourself out there (share what you are doing online) • Join and be an active member of communities • Take up volunteer opportunities • When the opportunity comes, tell your story
19. Source: Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Duis non erat sem Resources • A comprehensive list of 2023 tech layoffs - https://tcrn.ch/3RE54LX • Image on cover letter title slide - Photo by Markus Winkler on Unsplash • Image on Resume/CV title slide - Photo by Markus Winkler on Unsplash • Image on interview title slide - Photo by LinkedIn Sales Solutions on Unsplash
20. Thank you for listening! 😇 Kelvin Gobo @slightlynerd