Updated in 2023
Hi, I’m Olga! I have years of experience in data science, most recently at eBay. Now I work as an industry mentor at Pathrise, where I help data scientists land a great role through technical workshops and 1-on-1s. Check out my article on remote data science jobs.
The amount of remote work opportunities increase year after year. More companies are realizing the benefits that come with flexible schedules and commute-free lifestyles. Remote workers report that they have better work-life balance, increased productivity, and less stress, according to the 2019 State of Remote Work by Owl Labs.
In general, remote work is more common in cities, especially those where tech is prevalent. For data scientists looking to find remote data science jobs where they can make more money, feel more satisfied at work, and be more productive, check out these tips.
1. Highlight your impact with a strong resume, LinkedIn, and portfolio
The first step towards finding a new data science role is strengthening your resume, LinkedIn, and GitHub portfolio. Especially when you are applying for remote roles, you need to show that you will succeed in this role because there is less oversight from managers.
The statements on your resume need to showcase your impact. This means you should write about why you did the tasks and projects, not just that you did them. All of the work you have done had a reason. Tell the complete story of your experiences so you can give the reader a clear picture of your accomplishments.
Your statements should also use numbers to quantify your results and scale. That way, you can show the recruiters and interviewers that your work had meaning. For example, you can talk about the number of permutations/computations you considered/handled, percentage by which you improved processes, the hours you saved the company, the revenue you drove, and similar results.
When you work on optimizing your LinkedIn, you don’t have the same space constraints as your resume. So, you can go further in-depth to provide even more context to your projects. You can also add some personal information, like a professional photo, hobbies, and volunteer work.
Data scientists should also create a portfolio or public GitHub to showcase work beyond your job or classes. These extra projects are important to recruiters and hiring managers. They show you are passionate and it differentiates you from classmates with the same projects. For more guidance on how to optimize your data science portfolio, check out our article.
2. Utilize remote and data science job boards
If your goal is to find remote data science jobs, then you should focus your job search on remote and data science specific job boards.
Vettery is a talent-matching platform where candidates make a profile and companies apply to them based on their interests. Many of the companies are in tech, with a fair amount of remote data science jobs.
- Data Elixir
If you are looking for data science jobs directly in your inbox, Data Elixir started as a newsletter and has grown into a job board, too. You can filter the job board for remote-only positions. If you do this, you can focus your energy on roles that match your goals.
3. Send compelling and concise cold emails
One of the biggest mistakes candidates often make is sending in an application online and then playing the waiting game. If you are applying to large companies and for remote positions, adding a compelling cold email to your application is especially important because you need to show your passion and stand out against the competition.
When you find a position you are interested in, go onto LinkedIn to find a technical recruiter, data scientist, or manager that is connected to you in some way. Look for people who attended the same university or bootcamp, grew up in the same city or part of the country, or have similar hobbies to you. This similarity will help warm up the cold email. It also increases the chances that they will respond to you and pass your information along.
Once you find this person, there are tools you can use to find their email address. Write an email that briefly covers who you are, how you are connected, why you are interested in working at the company, and how you can make an impact for the company’s goals and missions. These emails should be compelling and concise. Do not rehash your resume – just choose one highlight that is the most closely related to the role and company. Make sure you end the email with a polite call-to-action that makes it easy for them to chat with you. Check out our guide to writing compelling cold emails that has an email template you can adapt.
With the above tips, you should be able to find remote data science jobs and move forward in the process with confidence. If you are looking for a mentor to work with you 1-on-1 on each step of your job search, join Pathrise.
Apply today.
