Santiago Fernández de Valderrama Aparicio, a 42-year-old AI professional based in Seville, Spain, recently secured a position as head of applied artificial intelligence through an unconventional approach. After founding and selling a retail phone repair company sixteen years ago, he decided to pivot his career fully toward artificial intelligence. However, he soon discovered that the traditional job search process was as demanding as the work itself. To demonstrate his capabilities and streamline his search, he built a custom tool called Career-Ops. Developed over six weeks using Claude Code from Anthropic, the project leveraged what Valderrama Aparicio describes as vibe coding, supported by his technical expertise to verify complex outputs. The tool successfully evaluated more than 740 job listings, recommending 66 positions that aligned with his specific experience and interests. This targeted approach resulted in 12 job interviews, leading to an offer for the head of AI role in April. Upon securing the position, Valderrama Aparicio made the decision to open-source the tool. He felt uncomfortable monetizing software designed to assist with a fundamental human need like employment. Instead, he released the code publicly, viewing it as a strategy to build his personal brand and serve as a proof of work. The response was immediate and substantial, particularly after he posted about the project on Reddit. Users expressed gratitude and requested guidance on how to use the system, prompting him to establish a Discord community. This community grew to over 1,000 members within a week of its launch in April. The tool is designed to help job seekers filter opportunities using AI rather than manually sifting through listings. Although the initial setup requires some technical knowledge, the platform functions similarly to a chatbot once configured. It learns user preferences, allowing for more accurate recommendations based on specific goals, such as a software engineer's desire to build AI solutions. The ultimate vision is to create a marketplace where job seekers upload their resumes and companies post offerings, allowing AI to match them efficiently. Valderrama Aparicio emphasizes that while the tool narrowed down his options, it was the act of building it that ultimately landed him the job. In the current AI era, he argues that building one's own tools to solve problems serves as the ultimate resume. He suggests that "building in public" has become the new standard for professional portfolios, where side projects demonstrate practical skills more effectively than traditional credentials. As the project evolves, the community continues to work on making the system more accessible to a wider audience of job seekers.