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Ask HN: I can't find a job. What do I do?

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Re: Ask HN: I can't find a job. What do I do?

#61

Post by hx8 »

hipadev23 wrote: post #56
hx8 wrote: post #52

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I think the primary reasons to not be fraudulent are outside of any legal liabilities. I think the fact that you defended your advice about lying by saying it is not illegal says a lot about your attitude and worldview.

Absolutely it is. I don’t approve of arbitrary gatekeeping (degrees) to prevent people from having opportunities to put dinner on the table. At the end of the day what matters is whether or not you deliver value to the company, and if one is capable of doing that, the employer doesn’t give a fuck about degrees. It’s to hack the bullshit HR/interview process. I think your comments show you’re a weak-willed follower of…

Yes, I am against lying and stealing.

Re: Ask HN: I can't find a job. What do I do?

#62

Post by MattPalmer1086 »

Personally, I'd get a degree, doesn't have to be from a top tier university.

Early in my career I managed to get development work without a technical degree (I had one in music), but found it hard to get interviews. I did a master's degree distance learning while I worked. That seemed to help me.

Re: Ask HN: I can't find a job. What do I do?

#63

Post by ailef »

chaostheory wrote: post #46

> pinging me multiple times a day for updates It tends to be part of the job, though in your case it might be that your manager isn’t technical because git and continuous integration do the same thing without your manager pestering you > expecting me to be on call outside of work hours Part of the job especially when there are either tight deadlines or bad bugs You need a degree. Fortunately, there are now many reput…

> Part of the job especially when there are either tight deadlines or bad bugs

It's fine if this happens occasionally on deadlines or unexpected problems.

But it definitely shouldn't be part of any (good) job unless your contract explicitly provides for this possibility (with extra compensation).

Re: Ask HN: I can't find a job. What do I do?

#64

Post by [deleted] »

monster_group wrote: post #51
strangesmells06 wrote: post #38

I have a decade of experience and a masters degree. Devoted the best parts of my life to 50-60 hour weeks in tech. Im about to go work at an Amazon warehouse. Tech is basically over now.

Can you elaborate? Are you taking this decision willingly or are being forced to because you can't clear interviews?

[deleted]

Re: Ask HN: I can't find a job. What do I do?

#66

Post by victor9000 »

Have a portfolio presence online somewhere, or figure out a way to demo your side projects. Fill out your linkedin profile with as many details as possible. Try to get endorsements from your peers for the various skills you use at work. If your GPA was solid, then list that on your resume and say your degree is still in progress. Apply to smaller companies that may be more willing to overlook these requirements. Compare your resume to that of your peers or others you find online and look for anything you forgot to add. You should still have a plan for finishing your degree because it's still no too late. I didn't finish my degree until I was 26 and I'm currently in my 40s working as a Principal Engineer.

Re: Ask HN: I can't find a job. What do I do?

#67

Post by elmerfud »

pythonb3sss wrote: post #42
elmerfud wrote: post #4

You say you're from India but don't say where you're at now. Since you used term CV instead of resume, maybe still in India or maybe a European country? If the job market where you're at is largely expecting a University degree regardless of experience level then I would say at 27 go back and get your University degree. It is not a step backwards to get the University degree it will teach you valuable things that you…

Still in India. And I will not learn a single new thing if I go back to university, unless it's a good one, and I'll have to compete with more than 1 million students to get into one of those and there are maybe 15-30k vacancies per year. In the rest of them, the lecturers just dictate what you need to cram into your brain and vomit it out on the answer sheet and that's it. Lecture done.

All that being true, your own post says that's the thing blocking you from getting another job, a better job. So even if you learn nothing (which I doubt) it's still what's holding you back. Check out this HN post, I think it's relevant.

https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=38317087

You have to look at things from a practical perspective and leave ego aside. Getting a job is selling yourself. Look at all the things sales people do to sell a product. Your the product, the buyers want to see a degree, even if it's from a mediocre university. So, you can remain where you're at and keep looking for the 1 in a million job while those people who did the University thing get there CV's moved higher up the stack.

Otherwise you're looking to move to a place where they don't care, but again you're looking at an entry level non programing job. You will have to prove yourself for at least 7-10 years with no degree, or become well known in the industry for your area. Doing that requires a lot of networking. Attend every users group and conference. Become a presenter, etc...

Re: Ask HN: I can't find a job. What do I do?

#68

Post by ilaksh »

ayewo wrote: post #25
ilaksh wrote: post #2

I'm from the US and I also don't have a degree. I think it's true that does make it harder. I have avoided applying for traditional jobs for the last 10-15 years and instead focused on "freelance" (mainly Upwork). For several reasons: because it was easier to get remote work that way, because I wanted to make sure I had time to work on my own startups, to try to avoid office politics, and because it was actually easi…

Mind sharing the Discord server? I recently learned that there are websites out there that serve as aggregators for the plethora of Discord communities out there. E.g: https://discadia.com/ and https://disboard.org/

It was a group of Discord servers for specific subcommunities. But mainly direct referrals.

Re: Ask HN: I can't find a job. What do I do?

#69

Post by lcall »

Based on experience, I suggesting finding your local missionaries of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/comeuntochrist) and ask them to put you in contact with your current local ward bishop, wherever you are now, who has access to resources (including an employment agency, depending on whether it is set up in your area), and good, practical advice for your specific situation. (Thoughtful comments appreciated with the downvotes; thank you.)

Re: Ask HN: I can't find a job. What do I do?

#70

Post by meiraleal »

> How do I make my skills visible?

What skills do you have? Being in a company for 3 years makes you proficient at their systems, which makes you less hire-able.

> What can I do that would make you look past my lack of educational qualifications?

have lots of successful apps running and profitable, yours or developed for clients. You gotta be good to be hired now that the free money is over.

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