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Ask HN: What happens to people who graduate and can't find an entry job?

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Re: Ask HN: What happens to people who graduate and can't find an entry job?

#11

Post by Mimu »

I'm not the best developer but I never had any issues during interview except when I didn't want the job. Damn I'm even stammering but still looks like it goes well most of the time. Big note, I'm from the EU, interviewed in France and UK (London), none of them had big technical steps like in the US (from what I read here), nor a billion steps.

Why? I think (I didn't analyze anything) that is because I'm just being myself. I talk to the interviewer like it's a friend. If I think of a joke I just say it. Thoughts like "will be it ok if", "should I say this or that", etc NEVER cross my mind. I'm having a conversation, not a test. Same for technical stuff, if I don't know something I just say I don't know. Hopefully I still have an idea, so I would say something like "I don't know this / never used that, but my first guess would be X", then usually it ends up being a discussion that at the very last would teach me something, even if I don't get the job.

That being said, I understand it's hard to do stuff like that if this is not your default mindset and you are being close to desperate.

Re: Ask HN: What happens to people who graduate and can't find an entry job?

#14

Post by ruler88 »

I have 2 thoughts about this

A) $10-$15/hr is not too bad for an entry level position. I started around the same level and 5 years later I'm doing six-figures. Everyone needs to start somewhere, and the first step is sometimes the hardest.

B) If you are having trouble with the interviews, you need to practice your interviews. (Assuming you are actually a good coder). The technical interview process is not all that different. There are certain types of questions that everyone will ask, figure out what they are (there are many books), and practice practice practice. You have 14 waking hours in a day, practice the questions every day you will be pro at interviews in 2-4 weeks.

Re: Ask HN: What happens to people who graduate and can't find an entry job?

#15

Post by greyostrich »

ruler88 wrote: post #14

I have 2 thoughts about this A) $10-$15/hr is not too bad for an entry level position. I started around the same level and 5 years later I'm doing six-figures. Everyone needs to start somewhere, and the first step is sometimes the hardest. B) If you are having trouble with the interviews, you need to practice your interviews. (Assuming you are actually a good coder). The technical interview process is not all that di…

A) Ok. That's my situation, so I will not disagree with it.

B) I've only had one whiteboard technical interview ever, and I passed it. I've read and practiced Programming Interviews Exposed; and I've practiced up to and including trees in CtCI. Studying coding problems barely helps for the type of companies I get interviews at. My whiteboard consisted of nothing like CtCI; it was simple string parsing with the help of library functions.

Re: Ask HN: What happens to people who graduate and can't find an entry job?

#16

Post by greyostrich »

Mimu wrote: post #11

I'm not the best developer but I never had any issues during interview except when I didn't want the job. Damn I'm even stammering but still looks like it goes well most of the time. Big note, I'm from the EU, interviewed in France and UK (London), none of them had big technical steps like in the US (from what I read here), nor a billion steps. Why? I think (I didn't analyze anything) that is because I'm just being m…

I understand what you're suggesting. I do act very confident and unafraid to ask any questions. I don't act "desperate." When I voice my concerns through a forum, I do sound desperate because it's a way for me to voice my emotions; but I never act this way in person.

Re: Ask HN: What happens to people who graduate and can't find an entry job?

#17

Post by greyostrich »

patio11 wrote: post #3

I am not as smart as most HN people here. n.b. A thing I would not suggest overly dwelling on. If it makes you feel any better, my first job (2004) in a similarly situated city was $12.50 an hour. I was so despondent about the chance of getting a real engineering job that I emigrated, where I landed the princely sum of $30k per year. That is no longer a major economic anchor for me 12 years later. I don't think you s…

Yes, being more saleslike would help. I have never tried it that way.

Re: Ask HN: What happens to people who graduate and can't find an entry job?

#18

Post by greyostrich »

skylark wrote: post #7

Where are you having troubles with the interview process? Getting past the initial resume screen? Passing the technical phone screen? Passing the onsite? Where are you located? Where do you want to work?

"Where are you having troubles with the interview process?"

It's random. I pass resume screens, and I fail them. I'm just going to talk about phone screens for now. On-sites are an entirely different story, where a lot of them have been tech trivia or just entirely behavorial.

============== PHONE SCREENS ============== Random unknown, non-tech company -- easily pass.

Jet -- I passed. Easily. Because of my connections. I failed the 2nd phone screen when they saw I lacked professional experience.

Walmart Technology -- failed within 10 minutes. I was referred to it by an HN user, who said they were looking for entry people with no tech requirements. The recruiter randomly called me. She saw I had no experience with Java frameworks (I use mainly C# for projects). She couldn't read the between the lines, so I was rejected.

Wayfair Labs -- failed within 10 minutes. No explanation given. The recruiter didn't even allow me to ask any questions.

Quick Loans -- passed phone screen, but the tech team wasn't interested in me.

I rarely get tech phone screens. I did get one last week, but I have no idea how it went. It involved general questions about how HTML, CSS, JavaScript, frameworks and my projects worked.

"Where are you located? Where do you want to work?"

Like I said, I'm located right by NYC. I want to work anywhere with some sort of public transportation (even if I can only rely on a bicycle), because I have permanent blindness in my left eye (no 3D vision, and get nauseous in cars).

Re: Ask HN: What happens to people who graduate and can't find an entry job?

#19

Post by greyostrich »

kyled wrote: post #5

My first real job was with a small non tech company. They wanted to move to a digital system for processing orders. Did you teach yourself most of what you know before going to college? If so, up play that factor. Being able to teach yourself and answer your own questions goes loooong way. What have you been working on in the past 14 months? Companies want to know how you can provide value to them. Be proud of the wo…

"Did you teach yourself most of what you know before going to college?"

No. It was during college. I transferred from community college, then graduated in 1.5 years. Outside of classes, I spent time on improving.

"Go to a company hosted meetup event, mingle with the employees and if your interested let them know."

This has worked twice for me already. The hardest part is usually everyone has 10+ years of experience, so it's tough to connect myself to them.

"Look for events that require participation from those attending and help others when they are stuck."

Good idea.

Re: Ask HN: What happens to people who graduate and can't find an entry job?

#20

Post by greyostrich »

hogu wrote: post #4

Hi, have you ever done any practice interviews? You should get since honesty feedback on your interview/job search. It's possible that there is something you are doing that is sabotaging your chances which had nothing to do with your technical ability

"have you ever done any practice interviews?"

Honestly no (I had one a very, very long time ago though), and it would be stupid not to. Maybe it was stupid of me to think that practice from meetups, volunteering, and other interviews would be enough.

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