🔍“The 3 Most Overlooked Places Developers Find Jobs + 1 Bonus (Hint: Not LinkedIn)”

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Even in 2025, LinkedIn and traditional job boards are oversaturated. Most devs are sending out 50+ resumes with no responses. But the best opportunities? They’re hiding where 95% of people aren’t looking.

Here are 3 overlooked places where developers are quietly getting hired:

1. Open Source Communities (GitHub Issues, Not Just Repos)

Most developers treat GitHub as a portfolio, but few use it as a networking tool. Hiring managers and startups often post hiring needs right in repo issues or discussions.

✅ Look for “help wanted” or “contributor → team” discussions
✅ Engage first: fix a bug, leave feedback, then DM the maintainer
✅ Many devs get part-time or full-time roles directly from these interactions

Pro Tip: Contributing to early-stage startups on GitHub can put you on the radar before they even post a role publicly.

2. Niche Discord & Slack Groups

There are thousands of active developer communities that act like informal job boards. Roles get shared internally before they’re public—or sometimes never posted at all.

Check out:

• #jobs channel in communities like Reactiflux, Frontend Cafe, or niche bootcamp alumni servers

• DM people in the group who mention hiring. It’s casual, but effective.

  Why it works: Smaller groups = higher trust. If someone sees you engaging and being helpful, they’re more likely to refer you.

3. Twitter/X Threads & DMs

You don’t need a huge following—just engagement. Many founders and hiring managers still post “We're hiring” in passing on their timeline.

How to use it:

• Search “we’re hiring dev” or “need a developer”

• Comment with something meaningful and DM them with interest. Pro tip: look around at some of their past posts and find something relatable or even hard to find to show you’ve done your research on them. The more you can stick out and be different, the better your chances of landing a role.

• Build a short post or thread showcasing your work (treat it like a micro-portfolio)

These casual posts often get 5–10 applicants, not 500. You’ll stand out easier.

Bonus: Join a Job Board

The earlier you are able to jump on job postings, the better chance you have of landing a role.

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💡 Final Thoughts

Don’t wait for job listings to find you.
The best developers are proactive. They build relationships before they need them.

And remember:
Most high-quality roles are filled before ever hitting a job board. Don’t be afraid to leverage your referrals.
Stay in the loop, stay curious, and be where others aren’t looking.

Speaking of referrals,

Let me know how your progress goes this week and send us an email! We’d love to hear from you 🙂 

Till Next Time!

— The Dev List Team