By Sarah Kuta
After you complete a coding bootcamp to move forward as a software engineer, it’s time to start thinking about the next step in your career trajectory. But instead of just scouring job ads in your local area, why not take a wider view and consider companies around the world that hire remote workers?
Working from home may be an unfamiliar idea to many, but it’s very much a reality these days (even when we aren’t in a pandemic), especially for talented software engineers.
With a remote gig, you’ll get more flexibility, fewer distractions, no dress code, and no commute. Plus, you’ll likely be able to work at a time and in a manner that best suits you — as long as you get your work done, many companies don’t necessarily care when you’re online (barring any virtual meetings).
After all, if you were able to participate and excel in a demanding and immersive coding bootcamp online, why should work be any different?
We analyzed an array of companies hiring software engineers for remote work, choosing as our favorites those that truly embrace remote work culture, offer incredible or unique benefits, and have strong, established corporate values (including prioritizing a great work-life balance!).
1. GitHub
You’re probably already familiar with GitHub. So why not work there? The software development platform company offers tons of remote jobs in 18 countries, so the sky’s the limit if you want to be a digital nomad. About half of the company’s employees work out of the San Francisco office (the Github headquarters), while the other half work remotely around the world.
Perks and benefits: Free gym membership, funds for learning and development, free health insurance, five months of paid family leave for new parents, competitive 401(k) with 4 percent match, and unlimited PTO. Need we say more?
Apply here: github.com/about/careers
2. MailerLite
MailerLite has a remote-first culture, which means that half of its team works in Vilnius, Lithuania, and the other half works completely remote, all over the world. The company makes advanced email marketing tools used by 837,095 businesses, freelancers, and startups to send more than 1 billion emails a month. MailerLite has been intentional about creating a positive workplace culture, so you can rest assured you’ll be applying to a company with strong values.
Perks and benefits: Working at MailerLite, you’ll get a competitive salary, a generous vacation policy, paid “creative days,” a MacBook, and twice-yearly company retreats that are more like “workcations” than anything.
Apply here: mailerlite.com/jobs
3. Mozilla
Around half of Mozilla’s 1,100 employees work remotely, so if you’re seeking flexibility, you’ve come to the right place. The company, which makes the Firefox web browser, offers tons of support for remote workers, including a week of cultural onboarding at its Mountain View headquarters and a more experienced “remote buddy” who can act as a mentor.
Perks and benefits: Employees are treated to up to $3,000 per year for professional development opportunities, up to $1,700 per year for expenses like child care and mental wellness and the latest hardware and software. Mozilla also offers up to 26 weeks of fully paid leave for parents.
Apply here: careers.mozilla.org/listings
4. Toggl
Toggl makes time-tracking software, so you might guess that the company would be all about micro-managing its employees — but the opposite is actually true. Toggl is a fully remote company with a pretty unique hiring process. You’ll start by taking a skills test, then you’ll be assigned a live coding assignment or homework. If they like what they see, you’ll spend three to five days doing (paid) test work, followed by an interview with the CEO. The company has more than 75 people working in 30 countries.
Perks and benefits: At Toggl, you’ll get 24 vacation days and your local holidays off, two company retreats and two team meetups each year, a laptop and a $2,000 budget for setting up your home office, reimbursement for home internet or a coworking membership and reimbursement for your gym membership, massages, and other wellness activities.
Apply here: toggl.com/jobs/
5. Trello
Project management tool-maker Trello is part of Atlassian and is headquartered in New York City. But the team’s employees are distributed all over the world, thanks to a corporate culture that values the flexibility of remote work.
Perks and benefits: Some of the benefits offered at Trello include company equity, vacation time, five days of paid volunteer leave, tuition reimbursement, company-paid trips, an allowance for professional development, and more.
Apply here: atlassian.com/company/careers/trello#job-list
6. Toptal
No headquarters, no problem. Toptal is the largest fully remote company in the world with more than 500 core team members working in more than 60 countries. You literally just need a WiFi connection and you’re good to go. Toptal helps companies hire the top 3 percent of freelance talent in the world with its exclusive network.
Perks and benefits: Flexible time off, paid sabbatical leave after five years, and tons of conferences, networking events, workshops and coworking days all over the world.
Apply here: toptal.com/careers
7. Stack Overflow
Stack Overflow, a large online community of developers, has a remote-first culture, so you can work anywhere your heart desires. The company works with businesses like Microsoft, Primer, Runtastic, IMC, and others to help developers solve coding problems and share knowledge.
Perks and benefits: When you work at Stack Overflow, you’ll get benefits like an ergonomic desk and chair, paid maternity and paternity leave (plus flexibility for up to one year after that), tuition reimbursement, a conference allowance, fully covered health insurance premiums and $150 per month for fitness reimbursement.
Apply here: stackoverflow.com/company/work-here
8. DuckDuckGo
Internet privacy company DuckDuckGo is fully distributed, with remote workers located all over the globe. The company has a non-traditional hiring process that involves a phone call, paid test projects, and further interviews. Since they understand that making the leap to fully remote can be intimidating, you can even work on a part-time internal project to get the full remote work experience at DuckDuckGo before you commit to a full-time job.
Perks and benefits: Coworking reimbursement, a flexible work schedule, company-wide hack days, team meetups, wellness and learning benefits, and charitable contribution matching are just a few of the perks of working at DuckDuckGo.
Apply here: duckduckgo.com/hiring
9. Buffer
Buffer is a fully remote company with employees in 15 countries, so people here really understand how to stay connected at work. The only traveling you’ll have to do is for the twice-yearly company retreats, which are often in exciting destinations around the world. Buffer makes social media tools and works with more than 75,000 companies.
Perks and benefits: Work anywhere in the world. Plus, health insurance, a laptop, $500 to set up your home office, funds for learning and development, three weeks of vacation per year, a 401(k) with 3 percent company match, profit sharing, family leave, company retreats in exotic locations (their next one is in Greece), cash for coworking, and sabbaticals.
Apply here: journey.buffer.com/
If you’re looking for the skills to work for one of the above companies (or any other remote software engineering position), check out our coding bootcamps.