In a world where more than 75% of jobs are landed through networking, the value of community for one’s career growth cannot be overstated. Check out this interview with Jaira Romero, co-founder of RemoteWoman and RemotePOC, two online communities focused on helping women and professionals of color get hired at trusted and inclusive companies. Learn everything you need to know about landing a job in the tech industry.
—
What’s your professional background? How’d you get into the tech industry?
I was born and raised in Los Angeles and I’m a first-generation American. My parents are from El Salvador. I started my career in sports TV; I even won an Emmy for producing a web series for the NFL. In 2012, I moved to New York City and switched industries as the tech industry was exploding at the time.
My professional background is in sports, television, and tech, which are all industries dominated by men. I wanted to make the field more inclusive for people like me. Launching RemoteWoman and RemotePOC was my first experience as an entrepreneur, which was both exciting and scary. In the beginning, it was really difficult to put myself out there; I was afraid of failure. I hope I can inspire women to move past the fear and start their own businesses.
What inspired you to start RemoteWoman and RemotePOC?
I was looking for a remote job in 2018 and ran into three main issues: first, most of the roles that were advertised were skewed towards men; second, most companies weren’t remote-friendly and third, the job boards I found had no vetting process—many of the jobs posted were scams.
I was actually almost scammed myself. I had found a position on one of the most widely-used remote job boards and it was an awful experience. I went through hours and hours of remote interviews for what seemed like my dream remote job only to find out that they were phishing for my personal information to scam me. Luckily, I was able to spot the scam before it was too late. But this isn’t the case for so many others that have been taken advantage of when they’re in a vulnerable position looking for a new job.
I created RemoteWoman and RemotePOC to create trusted communities for women and professionals of color to improve on the giant gender and racial gap in the workforce. Through our vetting process and community, we’re bringing trust to the remote job search.
What tips would you share for someone interested in a starting tech career? What about someone from an underrepresented background?
I’m happy to share tips from our communities. First, I recommend looking into fellowships and paid internships that allow you to gain experience at the beginning of your tech career. You’ll be well-positioned to land a role if you can network and connect with seasoned folks in the tech space. There are a ton of amazing online communities, Meetup is a great place to look, where you can find mentors that can guide you on the skills you may need to learn and which roles would be the best fit. Lastly, you can find classes on Coursera, Udemy, General Assembly, Code Academy, Skillshare, and more that will improve your skills before applying for roles in the tech industry.
For those from an underrepresented background, I definitely recommend joining our RemotePOC community. There’s a strong network of men and women of color from a variety of skills and backgrounds. And they’re willing to help!
For people who are already in tech, but are looking to grow their skills, what would you advise?
If you’re already in tech and looking to grow your skills, the best place to start is at your current company. Find someone you admire and see if they could recommend classes, tools, or resources that are helpful in that role. They may even want to bring you into some of their day-to-day work and give you real-world experience—the best option in my opinion. If you’re struggling to connect internally, it may be a good idea to look for advisors or mentors on LinkedIn and ask if they’re open to providing some guidance. Don’t be afraid of rejection. I’m positive if you message ten people, you’ll get a couple of helpful responses!
How do you think networking has changed since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic?
Networking has moved almost 100% online during the COVID-19 pandemic. This left a lot of people feeling alone & without support. However, a lot of communities, events, talks & more moved online and they are now more accessible than ever. From there, you can send private messages and develop connections.
Remote work has meant spending a lot of time alone at home, meaning more people are open to meeting up in person for a quick coffee or drink. If you’re vaccinated and follow the COVID-19 safety protocols during surges, meetings like this are amazing opportunities to build connections in person.
—
If you’re looking to follow Jaira’s advice and leverage community to advance your career, learn more about RemoteWoman, RemotePOC, and search for career groups and events on Meetup.
Last modified on September 18, 2023
