Being in the sales industry for years now, I decided to take the plunge and enter the startup world to be a part of diverse domains and ideas.
Looking for a job was easy for me because of the Underdog.io community. It is a platform that directly sends its candidate profiles that are fit for a company’s open position.
I just had to apply on the Underdog.io site and wait to be chosen to be part of the batch of candidates that will be sent directly to hiring managers. Learn how to apply on Underdog.io below and check out their offerings.
- Get to Know the Underdog.io
- Know the Candidate Application Process
- Indicate the Ideal Role and Skills
- Land Interviews and Get Hired through Underdog.io
- Learn about the Companies on Underdog.io
- Become a Part of the Underdog.io Companies Community
Get to Know the Underdog.io
Underdog.io wants to support candidates in making informed decisions about where to work. At the same time, it also helps companies in finding qualified people to hire. They make it possible by giving both companies and candidates the necessary tools and information.
One of the aims of Underdog.io is to be a platform that easily connects the two sides of the market (companies and candidates). Moreover, they want to make these connections meaningful through curation, diverse initiative, and not forced matchmaking.
Another goal of Underdog.io is to improve its broader recruiting ecosystem by focusing on encouraging best practices and minimizing recruiter spam. In addition, Underdog.io values its candidates, so they are mindful of their emotional experience.
Underdog.io sends candidates directly to hiring managers of startup and tech companies. If the site recommends a candidate, there is a higher chance of getting hired because Underdog.io sends only the best applicants.
Areas of Expertise on Undedog.io
I discovered Underdog.io because the job vacancies and postings on the site are focused on my line of work. Since the site caters to jobs in tech companies, it categorizes the job postings into three areas of expertise– technical, product, and business.
Technical jobs include engineering and data science. The product category comprises jobs in user interface design, user experience design, and product management.
Lastly, the business category covers sales, marketing, and operations professionals.
Know the Candidate Application Process
Underdog.io provides convenient ways to help candidates find the perfect job opportunities. It starts with the candidate application on the Underdog site.
I joined the Underdog.io hiring network through the candidate application process, wherein hundreds of technology companies hire products, design, engineering, and business professionals.
The application process helped me create a profile on the site, which was beneficial for companies to find me on Underdog.io. I just needed to provide personal information such as my name, email address, and current location.
I was also required to state my job search status. The site has four options for this – casually browsing, just starting my search, actively interviewing, and nearing the end of my search.
More about the Candidate Application
Since the process would create my profile, the site asked me to upload a copy of my resume in PDF format. Moreover, I was advised to add the link to my profile if I have a GitHub or portfolio URL.
For companies to check out my professional background and experience, the site prompted me to provide the link of my LinkedIn account or personal website.
Underdog.io even asked for my visa status, whether I am a U.S. citizen or have a visa to work in the U.S.
Indicate the Ideal Role and Skills
The candidate application process wants me to be specific with the details I want to be part of my profile. Thus, Underdog.io also asked for my ideal roles based on my expertise. Aside from the mentioned roles and expertise earlier, the site lists 26 specific job positions.
Some of these include mobile developer, engineering manager, content writer, product manager, sales, customer success, and business development marketing.
Upon choosing my ideal roles, the site asked the number of years I have worked full-time related to the position. It is possible to choose more than one ideal role on the site, but it must be accompanied by the corresponding number of years of work experience.
Moreover, Underdog.io lets me select my skills from its choices. It reminded me that I need to indicate the skills I want to be hired for. I must also select my preferred job type – full-time, contract, or internship – in order to complete my application.
Candidate Log In Invitation
The site does not allow anyone to log in as it is only done by invitation. After applying for the candidate position, Underdog.io will identify the successful batch of candidates they will refer to companies.
Underdog.io connects the candidates to the companies on the platform. They are a hand-picked set of candidates as they want to ensure the quality, skillset, and expertise the companies are looking for to join their team.
Applicants usually wait for quite some time to be chosen. Applicants with incredible backgrounds can receive notifications as early as 48 hours after applying. In contrast, some applicants have to wait weeks or even months.
Land Interviews and Get Hired though Underdog.io
After receiving the invitation to log in on the Underdog.io site, I receive interview offers from tech companies and startups. It is that easy because the platform directly connects job seekers to hiring managers, executives, and founders.
The offices of these companies are located in Boston, New York, San Francisco, and Washington. The site also has companies anywhere in the U.S. that have remote work setups.
According to the records of Underdog.io, 85% of the candidates they forward to the companies receive interview requests and schedules in just a week. There is also a guarantee that the names of the candidates from the site are on top of the files of other applicants.
Underdog.io also promises a high success rate of getting the candidates hired for the position.
Some of the Frequently Asked Questions
Underdog.io provides a Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) tab on its home page to help its candidates.
Through these questions, the site recommends having an up-to-date resume because it gives them a clear picture of the structured timeline of the candidates’ education and work background.
Another question relates to a company being matched to a profile without coinciding with the candidates’ preferred location. Underdog.io says they always consider the location, but the company may still want to hire the candidate based on their strong background.
Learn about the Companies on Underdog.io
Underdog.io wants to have a big community of tech companies and candidates. The site welcomes startup companies and tech companies, regardless of their size. At present, 95% of the total companies on Underdog.io are privately-held venture-backed startups.
Since the site focuses on startup jobs, large technology organizations and companies with startup job opportunities are also available. The team mentions that these companies must look for startup jobs according to the identified areas of expertise.
The companies must also apply to join Underdog.io to ensure they are only working with the highest-quality organizations.
With a stringent application process, Underdog.io has a record of approving only about 50% of the companies that try to join the community.
Popular Companies on Underdog.io Community
To ensure the highest quality of organizations joining the Underdog.io community, the site has welcomed only some of the best and popular companies globally.
Well-known companies are SeatGeek, BuzzFeed, Medium, Citizen, Warby Parker, and The New York Times.
And it’s not just tech companies. The National Basketball Association (NBA) is also part of the community.
Become a Part of the Underdog.io Companies Community
Companies in the community have two options to avail from the site – Talent or Flex.
Before choosing between these two options, the company must apply first to be part of the community. A representative must apply on the site by providing the company name, website, location, and phone number.
The representative must also indicate the full name, work email, and position. After applying, companies usually have to wait a few business days to get the result. In this time, Underdog.io completes a comprehensive background check before giving its approval.
Once the company gets the thumbs up from Underdog.io, it can immediately take advantage of the Talent service of the site. The company can now source the top candidates for open positions by receiving the candidate batch from Underdog.io.
Underdog.io Flex
With the Flex option, the site can supplement the company’s in-house recruiting team with highly-skilled contract recruiters and talent acquisition professionals.
Flex offers services like writing job descriptions, sourcing candidates, reviewing candidate applications, scheduling and coordinating interviews, conduction initial phone screens, and conducting video interviews.
Moreover, Underdog.io talent acquisition professionals can prepare offer letters, optimize recruitment marketing strategies, and conduct memorable onboarding experiences.
Conclusion
Underdog.io is a strong community of tech and startup companies and candidates. It serves as a platform where its vetted candidate profiles are sent to its approved companies that have open job vacancies.