Pitch Your Dream Job with a Website

A few months ago I applied for my dream job. A Product Engineer role at a startup named Stir. I researched all I could find about them and applied like everyone else through their job application form. After a few steps in the job application process, the conversation started to die off. I followed up for weeks, but I wouldn’t get any more replies. I started to give up and went looking for other jobs. But I couldn't get that job off my mind. I felt like I hadn't tried everything I could. So I went looking for advice.

I shared my experience with the people at Praxis and Crash, and they persuaded me to keep trying until I hadn't a clear negative answer. They also suggested I record a video.

So I started drafting a script and made sure to follow the tips from Crash to make a great video pitch. After two days of work, the video was ready. But it wasn’t enough for showing that I could do the job they required.

I wanted to prove that I could easily learn their tech stack and follow their coding style. So I started dissecting their website to uncover what technologies they used, how they structured their page, what naming conventions they followed, and how they styled their components. In less than a week, I built a website that mirrored theirs and used it as a pitch for the job. I hosted the video on it, added extra details about me, made the code available on GitHub, and published it at igor4stir.com.

I followed up once more through email but this time with the website. I also shared it on Twitter, Hacker News, and LinkedIn to get more visibility to the website and the company as well.

A pitch like this isn’t only good marketing for me, but also for Stir. It shows to others how great the company must be for someone to take on such an effort to get the opportunity to work with them.

No need to say that this time I got a reply. However, since they only hired in the US, I wasn’t able to get the job. But actions like such never go unnoticed. They help you build your brand and show how driven you are.

Although I didn’t get the job, the website helped me to be accepted into On Deck First 50 Fellowship which I’m sure will help me get my next dream job. I’m super excited to be joining the On Deck community. I’ve seen amazing talents accelerate their careers with their programs. Stir’s founders themselves have met through the On Deck Fellowship!

This whole project shows that with just a week of work you can turn a boring job application into an exciting marketing campaign that could not only get you the job but also help you develop your brand.

If you don't have the skills to build a website yourself, you can easily build one on Crash. On Crash, you can build a pitch for your dream job.