Ask HN: How can a unhireable person get a job?

Re:Ask HN: How can a unhireable person get a job? by deanak on Thursday April 15, 2021 @10:36PM (#26828745)

I would not listen to any advice on HN. I have a pretty solid hiring strategy, but it got downvoted to hell because HN skews to people without much real world experience. They can only think of tech products to sell to other tech companies. (I'm a CTO, and I've raised seed money for two different products. Our market is small -- under 200MM ARR -- but our nearest competitor starts at $30k per year and their product is terrible).

Focus on smaller companies that need help solving actual business problems with automation. Offer to do a project for $20 an hour. Get a job doing straight up IT stuff until you earn their trust, and then show them what you can do software wise. There is a lot of room for competent IT people, but you need to be way more realistic about who is going to hire you.

Honestly, I don't know why anyone wants to work for Google anyways. I took a developer course from one of their former employees, and it was a fucking joke. His ego trip was so ridiculous he said the words "no good Javascript developer uses four space indentions. Have you ever seen one??" And I was thinking, yes, in the library you had us review last week.

Lots of imposters and jackasses out there. Do honest work for smaller companies. It can lead to a lot more opportunity.

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Re:Ask HN: How can a unhireable person get a job? by void_mint on Thursday April 15, 2021 @11:01PM (#26828917)

> I would not listen to any advice on HN. I have a pretty solid hiring strategy, but it got downvoted to hell because HN skews to people without much real world experience. They can only think of tech products to sell to other tech companies.

< Proceeds to give advice on HN >

This part doesn't really seem worthwhile to post.

> Focus on smaller companies that need help solving actual business problems with automation. Offer to do a project for $20 an hour. Get a job doing straight up IT stuff until you earn their trust, and then show them what you can do software wise. There is a lot of room for competent IT people, but you need to be way more realistic about who is going to hire you.

Excellent advice.

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Re:Ask HN: How can a unhireable person get a job? by deanak on Friday April 16, 2021 @08:51AM (#26833239)

> This part doesn't really seem worthwhile to post.

I restrict my social media time to a couple of hours a week. If you want to be successful, hustle on LinkedIn. HackerNews is a procrastination hole for people who want to talk about developing software instead of actually doing it.

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Re:Ask HN: How can a unhireable person get a job? by void_mint on Friday April 16, 2021 @04:59PM (#26839024)

This post also doesn't really seem worthwhile, but you're entitled to your opinion.

LinkedIn is basically facebook. I would argue that anything Facebook-esque is a fundamental waste of time. Misinformation spewing influencer spam.

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Re:Ask HN: How can a unhireable person get a job? by deanak on Saturday April 17, 2021 @12:28PM (#26845467)

When is the last time a recruiter checked out your profile on Facebook?

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Re:Ask HN: How can a unhireable person get a job? by void_mint on Saturday April 17, 2021 @03:47PM (#26846911)

When is the last time someone shared obvious misinformation about covid on LinkedIn? Or women and POC being harassed via DMs? Or people vomiting influencer spam?

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Re:Ask HN: How can a unhireable person get a job? by deanak on Saturday April 17, 2021 @04:09PM (#26847057)

LinkedIn is the only social media site with the possibility of return on time investment, which all suffer from the problems you mention. So why pick the one that can't possibly get you paid?

Also, I'm still curious on how many recruiters have contacted you through Facebook and viewed your resume, as compared to LinkedIn.

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Re:Ask HN: How can a unhireable person get a job? by void_mint on Saturday April 17, 2021 @05:01PM (#26847420)

> LinkedIn is the only social media site with the possibility of return on time investment, which all suffer from the problems you mention. So why pick the one that can't possibly get you paid?

Do you think influencers go on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram because they aren't getting paid? They just like it?

> Also, I'm still curious on how many recruiters have contacted you through Facebook and viewed your resume, as compared to LinkedIn.

To compare, the answer is 0 to both. I haven't been on Facebook since probably 2013, and I only had a LI at all because we were required to make one in college, which I logged into for the second time ever to deactivate also probably around 2013.

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Re:Ask HN: How can a unhireable person get a job? by deanak on Sunday April 18, 2021 @06:37AM (#26851341)

I assumed we were talking about software development, not influencing. Why are you so interested in chiming in on products you haven't used in 8 years?

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Re:Ask HN: How can a unhireable person get a job? by void_mint on Sunday April 18, 2021 @04:11PM (#26855879)

> I assumed we were talking about software development, not influencing.

I am, which is why I totally ignore LinkedIn :)

> Why are you so interested in chiming in on products you haven't used in 8 years?

I didn't realize I wasn't allowed to post verifiable information about products unless I also participated.

Your comments seem to be increasingly condescending and short. You're welcome to take that behavior to LI, but I will not continue participating in this discussion. Have a great day.

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Re:Ask HN: How can a unhireable person get a job? by sanitycheck on Friday April 16, 2021 @07:35AM (#26832605)

> Focus on smaller companies that need help solving actual business problems with automation.

Thirding this. Smaller companies are easier to get into and actually more satisfying to work for (YMMV). Another responder also said basically "keep your head down and learn for the first year" which is great advice too.

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Re:Ask HN: How can a unhireable person get a job? by deanak on Thursday April 15, 2021 @10:41PM (#26828772)

PS: Never sound desperate. If you have the skills, confidently and honestly explain them to anyone who will listen. Tell them you'll work for cheap to prove yourself. You should have a job in no time.

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Re:Ask HN: How can a unhireable person get a job? by kyawzazaw on Thursday April 15, 2021 @10:52PM (#26828854)

> Honestly, I don't know why anyone wants to work for Google anyways.

I can tell you why - www.levels.fyi

Google is quite literally one of the most well-known and powerful tech companies in the world - I assume it's not that hard to think people who work in tech would want to associate with an organization int hat position.

---

I don't understand your basis of judging the skills of their engineers either. You had one data point of taking a course from a former engineer - not working together with, not a current Googler. Google employs thousands of Software Engineers and represent a large part of the Internet.

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Re:Ask HN: How can a unhireable person get a job? by deanak on Sunday April 18, 2021 @06:45AM (#26851379)

The former Googler used to be a Product Manager and I thought I would get some valuable insights. For as high up as he made it, I have no interest in learning how Google operates after seeing his interactions with others.

Through hard work and some dumb luck, I've also interacted with other Fortune 10/50 corporations at the VP level. I wasn't impressed with them either. So it's not just an anti-Google thing.

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Re:Ask HN: How can a unhireable person get a job? by deanak on Monday April 19, 2021 @03:07PM (#26866736)

Another good reason I don't have any respect for Google:

https://www.irishtimes.com/business/technology/google-used-d...

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