Researched the top companies all over the US and then researched how the top people in the industry present themselves and what their portfolios look like. Ther

Researched the top companies all over the US and then researched how the top people in the industry present themselves and what their portfolios look like. There's a lot of random browsing involved in that, but also just knowing who's good by having followed the industry over time. Job boards are also a good starting point. Then I built the best portfolio site possible based on the research. It was slightly customized per company, for examples with a simple "Welcome Company X" which (I think) made a good impression. Then, sent out the links via email to around 20 companies and tried to follow up as much as possible without seeming pushy. Some people responded after two weeks, some didn't. My current company responded within a day. Within 3 days, they had sent me a test, I finished it and sent it back, we had negotiations and I had accepted their offer. Two weeks later I moved from San Diego to NYC. Their responsiveness and professionalism was a big plus. I've been reviewing portfolios for years, but have had terrible experiences with recruiters. They do a great job at hyping people up, only to let you down when you look at the actual work done. So we're posting a lot on industry forums, Twitter, etc and also asking for recommendations through employees and friends to find new people.