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Ask HN: I’ve been applying to a million jobs

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Re: Ask HN: I’ve been applying to a million jobs

#161

Post by djrogers »

rajathagasthya wrote: post #155
tnones wrote: post #29

Well. You've only graduated 2.5 years ago, so trying to push yourself as a Product Designer is probably out of your reach, and comes across as unrealistic. This is a senior-level role where experience is more important than ticking off skills. In combination with the breadth you listed this doesn't make you seem like a genius, it makes you seem like a generalist who lacks focus and probably has a touch of ADHD. Perso…

> In combination with the breadth you listed this doesn't make you seem like a genius, it makes you seem like a generalist who lacks focus and probably has a touch of ADHD. Slightly off topic, but is being a generalist considered a bad thing?

No, but you do need to focus your resume to the job you're trying to get. If you're a Product Designer then your resume should focus on that, and if you want a junior developer position, your resume should reflect that.

And it should go without saying, but if you're applying for both jobs, for heaven's sake - have 2 different versions of your resume...

Re: Ask HN: I’ve been applying to a million jobs

#162

Post by manarth »

rajathagasthya wrote: post #155
tnones wrote: post #29

Well. You've only graduated 2.5 years ago, so trying to push yourself as a Product Designer is probably out of your reach, and comes across as unrealistic. This is a senior-level role where experience is more important than ticking off skills. In combination with the breadth you listed this doesn't make you seem like a genius, it makes you seem like a generalist who lacks focus and probably has a touch of ADHD. Perso…

> In combination with the breadth you listed this doesn't make you seem like a genius, it makes you seem like a generalist who lacks focus and probably has a touch of ADHD. Slightly off topic, but is being a generalist considered a bad thing?

  is being a generalist considered a bad thing?
I would argue that having a general knowledge of the related fields is a very positive thing. That said, if the knowledge is at a fairly basic level, it'd be hard to find much more than a junior role. Senior roles generally require more advanced knowledge/understanding, and that's a lot easier to achieve by focusing on one specific skill/niche.

Most senior people I've worked with are the archetype T-shape: a good general knowledge of a number of related fields, and a deep speciality in one area.

Wikipedia has an interesting (although uncited) comparison of Versatilist (T-shape) vs Generalist [1]:

  Think of a person having some level of knowledge/experience in 15 knowledge areas.

  That person may have a very high competency (score 5) in 3 areas,
  a medium level of competency (score 3) in 5 areas,
  an introductory level of competency (score 1) in 4 areas,
  and no competency (score 0) in 3 areas.
 
  This creates an area under the curve of 34.
  This is different from a generalist who may score a 1 or 3 in every area.
[1] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Versatilist

Re: Ask HN: I’ve been applying to a million jobs

#163

Post by fusiongyro »

wehere1 wrote: post #121
vmasto wrote: post #76

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I believe you guys are being overly harsh and strict, you probably don't realize it but to me you sound like you're criticizing for the next Jony Ive position. I find OP's work impressive and his design skills are great, he handles minimalism with grace, and that's not something a programmer could achieve without previous design principles. His website's concept is exactly what it should be (being a T shaped professi…

yea i read these comments and was ready for a terrible site, but it's totally fine. whenever HN has a 'show your personal website thread' the designs are all awful '65 year old combinatorics professor' designs. these old fucks would probably have a hernia if they looked at brutalistwebsites.com

We "old fucks" are usually in charge of hiring. If I have two applicants and one gives me a hernia, which one am I going to hire?

Re: Ask HN: I’ve been applying to a million jobs

#165

Post by jensvdh »

azurelogic wrote: post #74

Tossing CVs down an HR portal (to nowhere) isn't a way to find jobs. You find jobs by knowing people . I'm sure there are some developer/designer meetups in Paris. Find one (or many) and start going. That doesn't mean sit in the back silently. You need to network. This doesn't have to be cheesy. Make small talk. Get to know them and their interests. Maybe you'll have the same favorite CSS framework. Talk about that t…

I've gotten on-sites and offers with the biggest Silicon Valley companies by applying on their online portals..

Re: Ask HN: I’ve been applying to a million jobs

#167

Post by smilesnd »

"Currently looking for remote/NYC-based work at your cool startup."

This is the first red flag for me. What you should be looking for is a good team to join, a place you can grow, and etc. It is okay to state you can only work either remote or in NYC. I wouldn't say anything about a startup, unless you only want to work at a startup. Even then I wouldn't state wanting to work at a startup. It is like flirting with someone. You don't just tell them you like them. Describe yourself and your work ethics to make yourself sound like a great candidate for a startup.

///////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////

"I'm a 23 year old Franco-American"

I would drop the age. It is unneeded information, and their is such a thing as age-discrimination. If you told me someone had 3 years of work experience I would be like "great". Then if you told me he was 23 I would be like "hmmm". It sucks but it is how it is.

/////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////

"I'm passionate about all things visual and get a kick out of crafting thoughtful digital experiences that delight their users."

Why are you passionate about visual things? Why do you enjoy making digital experience for people? How do you accomplish this? This sentence that is suppose to describe you actually doesn't accomplish that.

/////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////

"I favor clean, minimal design and like to design right from the browser: HTML and CSS are my best friends."

Does designing directly from the browser make you hardcore? Why do you favor clean, minimal design? Same as above this sentence doesn't accomplish anything.

////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////

Latest work section.

I would add some info to this section. Why you made it? Challenges you over came while doing it. What you learn, or what you experience while creating it. Right now it just looks like random projects someone throw together in a week.

////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////

Experience section.

This sections feels like you trying to hide your lack of experience. Either state how many months you worked at each place, or state why you weren't there for longer then a year. My rule of thumb is if you weren't there longer then 2 years then you drop in months. Either I was there for 19 months or I was there from Jan 2016 - May 2016. Also the job title doesn't tell me anything you actually did. Give at least a short description of your duties, or why you accepted the job. What tools or languages you used while there.

////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////

I dream of section

I would change the name of this section. I would assume you would dream of joining a team or working on this or that or something. I am not a frontend designer so I really don't know what requirements someone in this field actually needs. "Mesmerizing Colors and Beautiful Typography" seems like something you should show on your website, so it doesn't need to be listed. Ditto for "Witty Copy" which I had to google and still don't fully understand what it is.

////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////

These are just my thoughts from looking at your site. When I start looking for work I get a group of friends together and we hammer out my resume. They read it and any time they ask me a question I know that is a red flag. A resume is to inform someone of your ability and strength. Every word should have a purpose and leave the person reading it not questioning anything. Everything on the resume should be truthful, serve a purpose, and be prosaic.

Best of luck to you.

Re: Ask HN: I’ve been applying to a million jobs

#169

Post by BigChiefSmokem »

apolymath wrote: post #16

I get hired all day, people bang down my door after im hired, and all I do is explain the tools I used each year. I never graduated high school, never went to college, never really built anything that I can show off. I just talk about the tools I use. thats it. www.markentingh.com

I have a similar experience and I attribute it to the fact that when you are really an expert at something, others can pick up on it quick, maybe even before you yourself realize it.

For many years I thought I was a dummy for dropping out of college and just having a bad time with school and never getting good grades. Turns out I'm actually very good at math and I just had chronic depression from a bad upbringing. I taught myself calculus and then later, quantum mechanics, out of sheer interest and boredom after I was able to stabilize myself financially.

Re: Ask HN: I’ve been applying to a million jobs

#170

Post by mwpmaybe »

Check out the "Who's hiring?" [0] thread and consider posting in the "Who wants to be hired?" [1] and "Freelancing" [2] threads (there's one every month).

I remember feeling like you do when I was young and thought I knew everything. As others have mentioned in this thread, starting your own company or building a freelance practice might be the best strategy. Quite frankly, if you're so great, you should work for yourself. If you're not, you probably (and unfortunately) need to "pay your dues" and put in two or three years as a junior developer (this is key) at an established company. I'm looking at your web site and can't easily figure out whether or not you've already done that, so that's not a good sign. You'll build skills, a network, salary and job title history, and most importantly, credibility.

Also, have you considered going to university? A lot of companies in the US won't hire you if you don't have an undergraduate degree (or 10+ years of corporate experience). I see "Foundation in Applied Arts" on your web site but it's not clear what if anything that translates to.

FWIW, I did the CS degree and dues-paying thing and most days wish I'd started a company instead.

0. https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=13541679

1. https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=13541681

2. https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=13541680

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