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Ask HN: How do you find work?

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Re: Ask HN: How do you find work?

#21
I find this very difficult as well (although I am just getting started), but I can only really blame myself for not being more social (as mentioned here). It is just much easier to code up more stuff or work on a new project then it is to really market ones self. I also worry that I focus too much on learning different things and should instead focus on a just one or two specialties.

I am glad I came across this thread, very good information and advice to really keep motivated. Thanks again for the great advice HN.

Re: Ask HN: How do you find work?

#22
Write tutorials on your blog. Don't hesitate to share your knowledge. Even if you don't have great writing skills, people are attracted to quality content and tips & tricks. Put a link on your blog that you are available for hire. Publicize your blog through the right medium (reddit, digg, dzone).

There are plenty of wall in the hole restaurants that don't have a good website. Offer to build them one for just $100, it doesn't take more than 3 hours to finish a website for a small restaurant. Some of the mom and pop restaurants don't even know how to host websites, so offer them to do all the hosting and maintaining for them in exchange for free food every week (or an extra fee of say $100). Put a webcounter and keep track of who is visiting and try to publicize it in Yelp, local.Yahoo, local.Google etc. Expand your offer to small businesses (clothing stores or boutiques) and show them your portfolio. Don't just try to impress them with the webdesign showcase. Try to show them how a website for a restaurant had brought more customers to them. Show them some numbers.

Start building something on the side and try to make it popular. It doesn't have to be the next big thing. It can be a small news aggregator or a recipe collection site with some user interaction. Keep your skill set sharp and use it to market yourself. If you truly made a new product that people love you won't even need to find work, you'll be working for yourself.

Re: Ask HN: How do you find work?

#23
post #6
post #4

Did you try Scriptlance.com, HireACoder.com, or any of those type of sites? I know there are some cheap people on there, but those that use that kind of site often know not to hire the least expensive. Do you have any ideas of your own? Take this time to create your own startup. I have a ton of ideas that are self-sustaining if you're interested.

Yes, I have two startups that are on their way to being very successful. Though, it'll take 4-6 months before I'm financially free of working at all. Unfortunately, I don't have that much saved up.

can you succeed with both of them at once?

Re: Ask HN: How do you find work?

#24
For one thing it is not obvious how to contact you. Your blog has one ambiguous link for email but it doesn't even load. Maybe obvious, but you need to make it simple for someone to reach you.

Nevertheless I am actually looking for RoR help. Hit me up: sam dot huleatt @ yahoo dot com

Re: Ask HN: How do you find work?

#25
post #11

I found my first job by going to my highschool job fair and begging a guy from Boeing to let me work as a programmer. He told me I was too young (just turned 17 at the time) but since I was "highly motivated" he would call some friends on my behalf. He referred me to a local business that develops frimware. After I explained that I had been developing game development skills for years using C++, they said I'd probabl…

Interesting story Palish...how is your startup coming along btw?

Re: Ask HN: How do you find work?

#26
You need to find the thing that distinguishes you from your peers. My story is undoubtedly different than yours, but I'll share parts; perhaps it can help you.

I went to college on a military scholarship. After four years of school, I spent 6 years in the military. Three critical things came from those years: contacts, credibility and experience.

After a couple tours, the military's plans for my career and my own ideas didn't sync up. I left and used a contact to land a nice job doing exactly what I wished. I floated my resume around, but serious offers only came from those I knew. I got other offers, but they were in a different class.

I've been with the same organization for several years. It's awesome. I get calls occasionally from those old contacts, asking if I'm ready to move on yet. I'm not, but when I do, I'm unlikely to "hit the market." I'll make a few calls, express some interest and find a home.

I'll say this: your technical skills alone will not land you the _awesome_ work. There are plenty who (claim to) have the same skills; in the world we live in, it's very difficult to distinguish between us and charlatans without experience. For me, the military provided the contacts and touch of reassurance a hiring manager needs to make a decision.

You need to find your distinguisher. If you don't have one, make it. The other comments here provide plenty of ideas how you can do so.

Re: Ask HN: How do you find work?

#28
post #14

Start offering free weekly classes on programming at your local starbucks. Make it something real general like homepages for small business. Or facebook profiles, crap like that. Then if somebody wants more substantial private help or consultation you can charge them for it.

That is a good idea, has anyone done this? What was turn-out like? Did you have to talk with the manager first?

Re: Ask HN: How do you find work?

#29
post #11

I found my first job by going to my highschool job fair and begging a guy from Boeing to let me work as a programmer. He told me I was too young (just turned 17 at the time) but since I was "highly motivated" he would call some friends on my behalf. He referred me to a local business that develops frimware. After I explained that I had been developing game development skills for years using C++, they said I'd probabl…

The value of persistence is similarly prominent in this description of finding a dream job at a toy company: http://www.spectrum.ieee.org/feb09/7471

Re: Ask HN: How do you find work?

#30
post #14

Start offering free weekly classes on programming at your local starbucks. Make it something real general like homepages for small business. Or facebook profiles, crap like that. Then if somebody wants more substantial private help or consultation you can charge them for it.

On a similar note, look into teaching continuing education classes at your local community college, or giving presentations at, e.g., ACM/IEEE meetings.
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