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I actually already worked for several multi-billion dollar US companies, but I did that through local companies, who would just put me in touch with their clients, then stuff their own pockets and leave me (and their other employees) with breadcrumbs. And they also forbid you from listing client names in your resume, so you basically get all the work, and no appreciation for it.

Nevertheless, I passed multiple technical interviews and screenings at these kinds of companies, I collaborated with their teams, product leads, scrum masters etc, and I delivered results on a regular basis, never having any complaints. But, as you might guess, my contract also prohibits me from seeking employment from any of the clients directly, so I can't use that either.

So I started applying independently, however since I don't live in the US, and I don't even live in the EU, I have to stick to ads for remote jobs that hire 'Worldwide', and as you might imagine, there are not too many of those, and they get literal thousands of applicants, so even getting a chance for an interview is difficult.

I already cleaned up my resume, GitHub, raised a small portfolio website, opened and filled up a LinkedIn profile with 500+ connections etc.

The question is, how can I stand out, since the odds are against me in every way? I'm not even asking for advice for landing the job, I'm confident in my technical & soft skills, I'd just like to know how to get their attention, and find a more efficient road to an interview, instead of applying on 43543 ads and never hearing any feedback from them

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    Is the prohibition clause in your contract time limited? IE you can't apply directly for a set time? Or is that clause only in effect while you are employed by the staffing company? Because the best way to get a job is through someone you know, and knows you.
    – Peter M
    Mar 2 at 19:44
  • Would emigrating to a developed country be viable for you?
    – nick012000
    Mar 4 at 13:40

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Two things:

  1. Check whether the "can't list client" clause in your contract is legal. Just because they put it in a contract doesn't mean they can enforce it. You will need an actual legal professional to be sure, but it may be worth asking.
  2. Describe the client without naming them. You have to steer a middle ground here so as to make it clear the kind of company you worked for without being so explicit as to let a lawyer claim you effectively named them. So Apple (or Google) could be "multi-billion dollar mobile device company based in California". Microsoft (or Apple) could be "large American company developing computer operating systems". Coupled with listing the language or tools used (such as C# or Java) is probably enough to pin that down.

Recruiters are not so fussy that they will hire you only if your worked for Apple, but not for Google, provided your skillset is what they want.

In any case what you did is at least as significant as who you did it for. Listing the kind of work that the big name companies do will get their attention as much as the name.

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The best way to overcome problems like this is networking and then leveraging your network to achieve your goals. I have much more severe disadvantages than you do, yet I got my last job with just one email to the right people saying I'm available for full time employment, followed by a 10 minute interview the next day to negotiate my remuneration.

You should always be looking for ways to expand your professional network. It's much easier to impress people individually who have a stake in your work, than to put sparkles and bells on your CV and hope random people are impressed.

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    This! Relationships are a thousand times more valuable than skills. Organizations acquire talent but managers hire people.
    – AffableAmbler
    Mar 2 at 22:06

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