💼 How I Landed a Remote Job in Tech With No Degree, No Uncle in the Industry

If you’re South Asian and didn’t follow the “engineer-doctor-safe-option” route, you’re probably used to being side-eyed.

Now add:

• No tech degree ✅
• No cousin at Meta ✅
• No bootcamp debt ✅

And still landed a remote role?

Yeah. That’s what this is about.

---

🔑 What Actually Helped

• Volunteering for open-source or startup work to build proof
• Creating a portfolio on Notion (no coding required)
• DMing 3 people a week on LinkedIn for 6 months
• Sending 100+ applications (only one offer matters)
• Learning to write a cover letter that doesn’t sound like a school essay

---

🗂 Remote Job Tracker & Portfolio Checklist

Section	What You Need
✅ Portfolio Projects	2–3 real or mock projects (case studies, designs, content samples, etc.)
💻 Where to Host	Notion, GitHub, personal blog, Webflow, Carrd
📬 Cold Outreach	Short pitch, link to portfolio, 2-sentence value add
📈 Skills to Highlight	Communication, async work ethic, initiative, any freelance/startup experience
📊 Job Tracker Fields	Company, Position, Date Applied, Follow-Up Date, Contact Name, Status
🧠 Interview Prep	Company values, common questions, behavioral examples, portfolio walkthrough

---

Cover Letter Guide: Do’s & Don’ts

A solid cover letter isn’t a life story. It’s a conversation starter. Here’s what works:

✅ Do:

• Personalize the intro (“I’m excited by the work you’ve done in…”)
• Show, don’t tell (“In my last role, I increased engagement by 23%…”)
• Keep it under 300 words
• Link your portfolio
• Use confident, clear tone

❌ Don’t:

• Start with “To Whom It May Concern”
• Copy-paste your resume into paragraph form
• Use passive or apologetic language (“I hope this isn’t too forward…”)
• Include irrelevant experience from 5 years ago
• End without a CTA (“Looking forward to discussing how I can contribute…”)

📌 Pro Tip: Think of your cover letter as a trailer—not the whole movie.

🎯 Cold Email Script (Customizable)

Subject: Quick Question from a South Asian Creative in Tech

Body:
Hi [First Name],

I hope this message finds you well! I’m [Your Name], a self-taught [Your Role – e.g., designer/developer/content strategist] breaking into tech. I recently came across your work at [Company or Project], and I really admired [a specific project, initiative, or post].

I’m currently building my portfolio and looking to connect with people I can learn from or contribute value to. If you’re open, I’d love to ask a few questions about your journey—or hear your advice on growing in this space.

Here’s a quick link to my portfolio: [Insert Link]
Even a two-line response would mean a lot.
Wishing you a restful week ahead!

Warmly,
[Your Full Name]
[LinkedIn] | [Portfolio]

---

🎧 Career Coaching Drop: “How to Talk About Your Experience (Even When You Think You Don’t Have Any)”

So many South Asian women downplay their actual experience because it wasn’t paid, titled, or done in an office.

Let’s rewrite that.

---

🔁 Reframe It Like This:

What You Did	How to Frame It in a Career Story
Ran a student org or club	“Led cross-functional projects and team collaboration”
Edited your cousin’s business site	“Designed and optimized content for a local e-commerce site”
Managed family schedules, bills, etc.	“Handled operations and budgeting for a small household unit”
Built a niche Instagram page	“Created, scaled, and managed social content with engagement KPIs”
Freelanced on Fiverr or Upwork	“Delivered services in fast-paced, deadline-driven environments”

🎤 Takeaway: You’ve done the work. Now learn to name it.

---

🧾 Weekly Job Board Highlights

📍 These listings are updated weekly with roles that are beginner-friendly, remote, and open to self-taught or nontraditional backgrounds—especially creative/marketing/tech hybrid roles:

Role	Company	Location	Notes
Jr. Content Designer	Pitch	Remote	Great for portfolio builders
Marketing Assistant (Social/Email)	Boring Marketing Jobs	Remote (US)	Non-corporate vibe + async work
Product Design Apprentice	SuperHi	Remote (Global)	Women-led creative tech bootcamp
SEO Intern (Paid)	Animalz	Remote	Must love writing + growth mindset
Customer Support + Ops (Gen Z Tool)	Juni Learning	Remote	Ideal for organized, empathetic people

📬 Subscribe for Real Career Growth

You don’t need a cousin at Google.
You need access, clarity, and a little audacity.
And that’s what this newsletter brings.

📥 Subscribe to unlock:

• Weekly job drops
• Cold email templates
• Career reframing tools
• Resume copy banks
• Portfolio builder sessions
• 1:1 and group coaching invites

---

---

💬 Join the Community

South Asian women are rewriting what it means to succeed in tech—without a degree, uncle hookup, or burnout.