Maybe you need to lower expectations. If you aren’t passing the tech screens for the $150k jobs, lower the bar to get your foot in the door, then work on getting promoted over time.
Ask HN: Can't get hired – what's next?
61–70 of 164 posts
Re: Ask HN: Can't get hired – what's next?
#62I'd say 150K is shooting for the stars depending on your skill set. It can happen in good times but sometime you gotta revalue your times worth. As far as leaping out, yeah there's a ton of opportunity while keeping a "tech" base: CCTV Installer (Commercial IP Security Cams), VoIP (Business Phone Systems), POS (Point of Sale Restaurant and Retail).
I appreciate this, but I'm just not willing to fall for boomer cope. The notion that $150k will even let you raise a family where you don't care about looking poor (I don't care) is frankly insulting. I'm legitimately going to just move to another country if one more boomer tells me I just have to "wait for the stars to align" one more time.
wait for the stars to align
Re: Ask HN: Can't get hired – what's next?
#63Back up a second. You've missed an important question. What do you WANT out of your time in this life? Where do you actually want to be in ten years, or twenty? $150k p/a is not an answer, or at least not a very good one. You clearly have means enough to start businesses, so a lot of non-conventional doors are open to you. Why do any of it?
I've had plenty of time to relax. Going forward I want options, and the best path to that is to pay off the small amount of debt I currently have and start making forward financial progress.
I need a way to begin making income in the next few months, I can't afford to roll my own business and wait years to break even. I don't want anything non-conventional - I want a normal job, heck even if it's $90k per year.
Re: Ask HN: Can't get hired – what's next?
#64I don't really know what it's like in America but 150k here is insane. If you really can't land a job, it's either time for an attitude adjustment or perhaps a third bite at the apple.
Looking for opinions from engineers in america.
Re: Ask HN: Can't get hired – what's next?
#65Sorry to hear you are in this situation. I've been there as well, but sticking in the middle of this is more than nerve wracking and a serious health issue... First, I agree that AI will be shaking up several jobs. But I think that lawyers will also have there aces up the sleeves to keep their business running. Nonetheless, working as one isn't very healthy as well as you always are under pressure to gather enough bi…
Thanks!
I really enjoyed the process engineering and problem solving of running my own companies. It's how I ended up managing a small team of engineers. I even lived in China for a few months getting our production setup.
Unfortunately, most companies don't seem to care about this experience or think because it was my own org (with references) it doesn't stand up to actual "PM" / "management" experience.
Re: Ask HN: Can't get hired – what's next?
#66You have set a high goal of $150k salary without a clear way to achieve it, or a clear passion, if I'm reading correctly. What is your depth of knowledge in? You say software? Law would be an risk idea if you don't love it with all your heart, even people who love law hate it by the end of law school.
$150k is not a crazy number. That’s not even inside the senior engineer salary band.
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Re: Ask HN: Can't get hired – what's next?
#67If you want to be employed in a tech space then you'll need to work on passing those tech screens. Silly as they may be employers makes the rules in interviews. Or found another company then you can make your own rules. > law school Given how rapidly the current administration is tearing up the legislative rule book and AI excelling at big chunks of it, law is not a space I'd want to be in
I can't tell if I'm just too stupid to pass them or if the market has suddenly raised the bar substantially.
Or you're just rusty and need a bit of non-AI practice.
Re: Ask HN: Can't get hired – what's next?
#68FWIW it's a very challenging job market right now. It took me 7 months to land a job, and I know other people are struggling even longer than that. Networking seems to be the only way to get past the HR filters.
Seconding this. Was out of work for a year. The magic solution was a nepo referral. I love this world!
We'll see - have a few leads but hoping to close one of them before November since all hiring grinds to a halt until the new year after November.
Re: Ask HN: Can't get hired – what's next?
#69Earlier quoted context omitted.
I appreciate this, but I'm just not willing to fall for boomer cope. The notion that $150k will even let you raise a family where you don't care about looking poor (I don't care) is frankly insulting. I'm legitimately going to just move to another country if one more boomer tells me I just have to "wait for the stars to align" one more time.
wait for the stars to align
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Re: Ask HN: Can't get hired – what's next?
#70Earlier quoted context omitted.
Some have been leetcode, others just asking esoteric react facts. The in-person rounds I've done have seemingly gone well, I've produced code that fits requirements each time. Not exactly sure.
Have you asked any of the interviewers for feedback / why they passed? Can’t fix what you don’t know.
They've given some - all I've really received is "your solutions were interesting and passed the bar, but we proceeded with another candidate"