Things I have no choice but to write

Category: jobs

Who’s Hiring Silicon Valley: December 2024 version

Welcome to another edition of my “Who’s Hiring” series. I have written about this in the last in September 2023 and May.

As I have said before, looking for a job is a numbers game. It’s usually around 25 resume submissions to get 1 call back, and 3 callbacks to get a job. Your numbers may vary depending on the economic cycle, your industry and your age. (Ageism is real in Silicon Valley).1

When it comes to looking for a job, my algorithm is this:

  1. Use your contacts for jobs they know about. This is your best source.
  2. Look for companies who have just received funding from VCs. The first thing A and B round startups do once they have funding is hire people.
  3. Search the Web. This is the lowest yield approach. I have been trying to get a job at Adobe for 20 years with no luck.

Follow the Money

Here’s how it works. VCs go out and solicit commitments for money for funds from their investors. The VCs then invest in companies, who then hire people. Simple right?

So, as of December 2024, here is are some additional funds that I could find who have raised money and have job sites. My full list is here.

  1. Insight Partners
    • Fund Size: $20 billion (Insight Partners XII).
    • Focus: Growth-stage and late-stage technology companies.
    • Date Announced: 2021
    • Source: VentureBeat.
    • Jobs
  2. Lightspeed Venture Partners
    • Fund Size: $7.1 billion (across four funds).
    • Focus: Growth equity, early-stage investments.
    • Date Announced: July 2024.
    • Source: Crunchbase
    • Jobs
  1. I had a recruiter tell me in the last 2 weeks (of writing this) that I would have trouble getting a job at my age and that I should leave experiences off my resume, and remove years from my education. ↩︎

Places to look for Silicon Valley Jobs: May ’24 update

This is a list of sites with folks that are hiring these days. If you have questions, DM me on twitter/X at @wgroth2.

New: General Catalyst: They just raised a $6B fund: https://jobs.generalcatalyst.com/companies

New: AndreessenHorowitz: New $7.2B fund: https://jobs.a16z.com/jobs

http://sequoiacap.com/jobs (Great job portfolio site)

https://jobs.forgepointcap.com/jobs (VC portfolio, cyber and natsec related)

List of big deals(Companies hire after getting funded): https://news.crunchbase.com/biggest-us-vc-startup-funding-deals-2023

In-Q-Tel: https://careers-iqt.icims.com/jobs/search (CIA funded.)

http://stillhiring.today/ A google related list (May be a zombie site)

This is an updated version of this post.

(Update: My full list of collected job sites is here.)

VC/Investor Job sites And Others as of September 2023

This is a list of sites with folks that are hiring these days. If you have questions, DM me on twitter/X at @wgroth2.

http://stillhiring.today/ A google related list

http://sequoiacap.com/jobs (Great job portfolio site)

https://jobs.forgepointcap.com/jobs (VC portfolio, cyber and natsec related)

https://news.crunchbase.com/biggest-us-vc-startup-funding-deals-2023/

In-Q-Tel: https://careers-iqt.icims.com/jobs/search (CIA funded.)

(Update: My full list of collected job sites is here.)

How to get a job at VMware

How to get a job at VMware

Want to know how to get a job at VMware? I am writing this down because I end up sending a version of this email to a lot of people, like folks in my community, or students at Marquette University.

First off, VMware is a great company, with a good culture. But, if you are looking for a startup, this is not it. That said, they/we have good products, good people, and a good culture. I plan on staying for a long time.

How to get a Job at VMware: The numbers (or 25 to get 1)

How to get a job at VMware? Getting hired at VMware requires persistence. I targeted VMware when I was looking. I sent in upwards of 75 resumes online, and I got 3 sets of interviews, which resulted in 1 job. This is where I come up with the metrics. Assume you’ll have to submit 25 resumes to 25 different jobs in order to get one call back. 25 to get one. Yes, The numbers stink, but that’s life. Get used to it.

How to Get a Job At VMware

It’s who you know….

Mostly. Look, it helps if you know someone, but I am living proof you don’t need to. But, if we do know each other, please let me know you are submitting, and I’ll submit internally for you as a referral. VMware has a robust referral program. But I’ll only do this if I actually know you.

How to get a job at VMware: The process

The process is as follows:

  1. Go to https://rolp.co/3lGQa and search for jobs.
    1. Or  http://careers.vmware.com/ if that’s not working
  2. Find the job you are looking for.
  3. Write down the Job ID. It will be R followed by some numbers, e.g. R123456
  4. Submit your job. Optionally include a cover letter. (more on this in a minute).
  5. If we know each other, send me the job ID, and I’ll submit internally, and tell you what I know about the group.

How to get a job at VMware: Internships

Internships start appearing in December, so if you are in college or grad school make sure to start applying then. Most of them are decided by March, in my experience.

A note about LinkedIn

This is just me: I don’t use PDF or DOCX resumes, I only use LinkedIn. Make sure your profile is up to date. Moreover, be aware of what your Google search results are, because I am going to check.

A note about Passion

The job interviews that worked best for me were the ones I had passion and a firm opinion on. At BEA, I sensed the rise of Eclipse as a platform, and made that known during the interviews, even though it was a competitor to BEA’s then current offering. (Turns out, they were aware of the rise of Eclipse as well). During the interview, I was passionate about what the product strategy is. It helped me get the job.

In a similar sense, at VMware, when I was interviewing, I made it clear that their projections for this new product were wildly optimistic. I gave them my view of the market, which I had been in for 5+ years,  and I gave then an idea of how I would market it, in spite of the disconnect. I got the job. And I’m still here, as of this revision, nearly 7 years later.

So that’s it. Good luck, and let me know how I can help.

(Originally published 12/27/2017, updated 4/1/2020).

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