Ask HN: How to find “senior” jack of all trades jobs? • Hacker News Board

Re: Ask HN: How to find “senior” jack of all trades jobs?

#101

Post by biolurker1 » Thu, Oct 01, 2020, 7:45 AM UTC

caymanjim wrote: post #28

Consider consulting. I like the variety of roles, and changing clients periodically keeps things fresh and exposes me to a lot of technology. I prefer working for a company so I don't have to find my own clients, and get benefits and a steady paycheck. If you can manage your own network, you can potentially earn more, but it's a lot of work finding a steady stream of clients on your own.

how do you brand and market yourself as a consultant? that is probably a different skillset and a project on its own

Re: Ask HN: How to find “senior” jack of all trades jobs?

#102

Post by msh » Thu, Oct 01, 2020, 8:43 AM UTC

moksly wrote: post #100

msh wrote: post #78

Earlier quoted context omitted.

37 hours a week is a danish standard week, also used by private companies.

He’s not completely off though. I have friends in the private sector who work more than the 37 hours because the culture is like that, because they enjoy it, because it speeds their career or a combination. It’s gotten less and less as we age, but still, some of them have pushed some really long weeks in their younger years.

Sure, I see that happening both in public and private sector among the people I know.

On the other hand my fulltime contract pr the union agreement in the private sector is 36 hours (and 5 child sick days).

Re: Ask HN: How to find “senior” jack of all trades jobs?

#103

Post by ck425 » Thu, Oct 01, 2020, 12:08 PM UTC

badlucklottery wrote: post #26

chadcmulligan wrote: post #19

Most jack of all trades jobs are at small companies in my experience, I've found most small places advertise themselves, not through agencies, so you can get a jack of all trades job there. They don't pay as well though, it's the trade off imho, interesting work that keeps you busy, or specialise and become a corporate consultant - lots of money but boring af. Other alternatives: - move into management - found your o…

>Most jack of all trades jobs are at small companies in my experience Yup. I'd add public sector work to that list (mostly because it's chronically understaffed and heavily siloed so you have to fill in a lot of roles). BigCos tend to like specialization because of consistency/efficiency. They might have a skunkworks where you can be a jack of all trades but it's hard to get hired into those roles.

I work in public sector (NHS Tech) and I'm not so sure.

There can be a lot of bureaucracy around hiring leading to quite well defined roles. You're right about understaffing and if you end up in a good sub organisation there'll be a lot of work to do and room to branch out. But you're unlikely to get hired as a jack of all trades. Startups are far more likely to hire useful people who can do a lot of different things. Public sector you'll be hired to do a specific thing but then might be able to pick up lots of random things if you have the right rep or people around you.