Software Engineer
Software Engineer
Location: Remote | Entry-level / Recent Grad | Competitive
One application. A network of companies that actually want to see what you can build. Please ensure to take the assessment linked below. it is required.
MeritFirst is a curated talent network for high-growth startups, including 8VC and Slow Ventures portfolio companies and many others. We connect early-career engineers with companies that are hiring right now. You apply once. We get you in front of the teams that fit.
Here's the problem we fix: most grads fire off dozens of applications and get filtered out by a keyword screen before a human ever reads their name. Where you went to school, your GPA, the brand names on your resume, none of that gets you past the bot. We flip it. Take one short work-sample assessment, show us you can actually build, and get put in front of real hiring managers.
No resume pile. No black hole. Just a real shot.
What you'd be doing
Engineers at the companies in our network build the products customers use every day. You'd write code that solves real problems and ships to production fast. Depending on the team, that could look like:
- Building backend systems that power a SaaS platform
- Working on frontend interfaces that real users interact with daily
- Solving infrastructure challenges that help the company scale
- Debugging production issues and shipping the fix
- Owning features from design through deployment
The common thread: you'll write real code, see it in production, and learn from engineers who are good at the craft. You ship from day one.
Who we're looking for
We don't care where you went to school, your GPA, or the logos on your resume. We care what you can build.
- You can code. You know at least one language well enough to actually build things
- You understand the fundamentals: data structures, how code runs, how to debug when it breaks
- You write code that works, not just code that's fast to write
- You're curious about how systems work and why decisions get made
- You take feedback without ego and get better every week
- You can explain your work and ask good questions
No internship at a brand-name company required. We mean that. The ability to actually build and solve problems beats a polished resume every time. If you love building things, we want to see what you've got.
What you'll get
- Competitive comp, real growth as an engineer
- Direct introductions to companies that hire on merit, not credentials
- Standing in a curated network: if one role isn't the right fit, we put your work in front of other companies hiring through our platform. One application, many shots.
- Real craft. You'll learn to design systems, write clean code, and solve hard problems alongside talented engineers.
How to apply
Take our short work-sample assessment. It's required, and it's the whole point: about 20-30 minutes of real work that mirrors what you'd actually do in the role. No trick questions, no LeetCode gauntlet. It's how we surface people who can genuinely build, and it's the fastest way to get in front of a hiring manager.
Take it now: https://www.meritfirst.us/candidate/tests/227a931f-b329-42ae-b656-8447d64f3b7c
Skip the pile. Show them what you can build.