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Ask HN: How do I write a resume after five years of a startup?

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Re: Ask HN: How do I write a resume after five years of a startup?

#41

Post by segmondy »

lloyd-christmas wrote: post #4

> So, how does one communicate that they are hirable after running a semi-successful startup for years The fact that you've held a job for more than just 6 month stints is enough to push you all the way to the front of the line. Most applicants we see just do 6 months here and there. I refuse to hire anyone that hasn't stayed at a company at least 2 years (excluding new grads). 4 years is pretty much a unicorn nowada…

> 4 years is pretty much a unicorn nowadays.

I've been at my company for >= + years, but I can tell you that 4 years is not necessarily a good thing. Sometimes people that stay for a long time are people who are no good and know it, they have found a safe environment that tolerates their incompetence so they never leave! I say this as someone who has interviewed people with 10+ yrs experience and who have stayed at once location for a long time. Most of them had no idea what is currently going on in the industry, heck, they didn't even have the fundamentals down or claim to have forgotten it all. I rather get a solid programmer for 1 year than an incompetent one for 5.

Re: Ask HN: How do I write a resume after five years of a startup?

#42

Post by bbarn »

lloyd-christmas wrote: post #4

> So, how does one communicate that they are hirable after running a semi-successful startup for years The fact that you've held a job for more than just 6 month stints is enough to push you all the way to the front of the line. Most applicants we see just do 6 months here and there. I refuse to hire anyone that hasn't stayed at a company at least 2 years (excluding new grads). 4 years is pretty much a unicorn nowada…

Yeah, it would be great if people were dedicated to one company for a long time, but that isn't our field anymore.

Companies come and go very fast. Move fast break things means breaking companies some times, and fail fast means fail to be able to keep the good people you went through so much effort to get and afford.

All of these new companies starting up look greener to devs and a lot of the time they are. As a developer, you can hitch your wagon to a fair bet, or take a risk and go to the place that might be awesome. It's a real big ask to assume everyone who's good gets only long term jobs at great places. Good people don't stay long if the job isn't good - they don't need to.

The logical reason to want someone who stays at a job a long time is that you want to feel like your investment in that person is going to pay off. I challenge that and say that you don't really need to invest in a developer (up front I mean) if it's a good development job. You point them at the problem, help them understand the business case, and if they need more than a week to ramp up in the code base with your team, either A. they suck, or B. your code base sucks.

Re: Ask HN: How do I write a resume after five years of a startup?

#43

Post by GFK_of_xmaspast »

quantumhobbit wrote: post #10
lloyd-christmas wrote: post #4

> So, how does one communicate that they are hirable after running a semi-successful startup for years The fact that you've held a job for more than just 6 month stints is enough to push you all the way to the front of the line. Most applicants we see just do 6 months here and there. I refuse to hire anyone that hasn't stayed at a company at least 2 years (excluding new grads). 4 years is pretty much a unicorn nowada…

I've seen two types who fit the six month pattern: 1 Devs who simply can't code and get fired/managed out/not contract renewed 2 Unlucky people who don't put up with crappy work environments The first groups should be easy to weed out with decent interviews. The second are a goldmine as long as your company isn't as dysfunctional as the companies that drove them away previously.

I've found that the type of person who "[doesn't] put up with crappy work environments" is often the type of person who finds all sorts of perfectly fine work environments to be crappy.

Re: Ask HN: How do I write a resume after five years of a startup?

#44

Post by eropple »

lloyd-christmas wrote: post #4

> So, how does one communicate that they are hirable after running a semi-successful startup for years The fact that you've held a job for more than just 6 month stints is enough to push you all the way to the front of the line. Most applicants we see just do 6 months here and there. I refuse to hire anyone that hasn't stayed at a company at least 2 years (excluding new grads). 4 years is pretty much a unicorn nowada…

This feels to me like a rationale for trying to get something for nothing, to be honest. Why would a quality engineer with an understanding of their worth stay at a company for two years when the next company's offering 20% more after twelve months? "Make hay while the sun shines."

Re: Ask HN: How do I write a resume after five years of a startup?

#45

Post by louthy »

segmondy wrote: post #41
lloyd-christmas wrote: post #4

> So, how does one communicate that they are hirable after running a semi-successful startup for years The fact that you've held a job for more than just 6 month stints is enough to push you all the way to the front of the line. Most applicants we see just do 6 months here and there. I refuse to hire anyone that hasn't stayed at a company at least 2 years (excluding new grads). 4 years is pretty much a unicorn nowada…

> 4 years is pretty much a unicorn nowadays. I've been at my company for >= + years, but I can tell you that 4 years is not necessarily a good thing. Sometimes people that stay for a long time are people who are no good and know it, they have found a safe environment that tolerates their incompetence so they never leave! I say this as someone who has interviewed people with 10+ yrs experience and who have stayed at o…

That's unlikely (but not impossible) to be true for founders. Anything that's going 5+ years has some semblance of quality behind it.

Re: Ask HN: How do I write a resume after five years of a startup?

#46

Post by flukus »

GFK_of_xmaspast wrote: post #43
quantumhobbit wrote: post #10

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I've seen two types who fit the six month pattern: 1 Devs who simply can't code and get fired/managed out/not contract renewed 2 Unlucky people who don't put up with crappy work environments The first groups should be easy to weed out with decent interviews. The second are a goldmine as long as your company isn't as dysfunctional as the companies that drove them away previously.

I've found that the type of person who "[doesn't] put up with crappy work environments" is often the type of person who finds all sorts of perfectly fine work environments to be crappy.

I'm that person. For me it's the code quality, attitude and direction that matter the most.

There is an awful lot of terrible code out there and an awful lot of companies that are either oblivious to it or lying about it until post hire.

I can handle terrible code, but if there isn't a solid plan in place to improve it for whatever reason (or if it's getting worse) then I'm out of there.

Re: Ask HN: How do I write a resume after five years of a startup?

#47

Post by SmellTheGlove »

cableshaft wrote: post #28
lloyd-christmas wrote: post #4

> So, how does one communicate that they are hirable after running a semi-successful startup for years The fact that you've held a job for more than just 6 month stints is enough to push you all the way to the front of the line. Most applicants we see just do 6 months here and there. I refuse to hire anyone that hasn't stayed at a company at least 2 years (excluding new grads). 4 years is pretty much a unicorn nowada…

Here's what the last 6 years of my resume look like: * 1.5 years - Startup I joined crashed and burned * 0.5 years - Contract work for web design firm while I went back to university, they couldn't get their clients to pay their invoices * 1.0 years - Worked for the university while I finished my degree * 1.0 years - Startup I joined crashed and burned * 1.5 years - Small company that was doing well, but proceeded to…

Hey now, keep your head up. I worked almost two years for a government agency that went out of business. :)

Re: Ask HN: How do I write a resume after five years of a startup?

#48

Post by fecak »

I'm someone who has recruited mostly for startups for almost 20 years, and two years ago I launched a resume review and writing service (resumeraiders.com). My focus is on tech resumes, and I've done work for at least a few HN readers.

You don't need to show a ton of progression. You just need to know how to market the skills and experience that you have. If you've been profitable and are getting paid well, and have four substantial projects over four years, you're marketable.

Feel free to inquire if you'd like professional help.

Re: Ask HN: How do I write a resume after five years of a startup?

#50

Post by boxcardavin »

imauld wrote: post #17
santiagobasulto wrote: post #9

Are you behind snap2print.me? Looks super cool. A good idea for sure.

That's a super cool product. Do you do long term setups? Like if a bar wanted to always have one, is that something you can accommodate? Also, there is a typo in your FAQ, second question (Can I print without adding the printer as a friend?), account is misspelled in the answer.

Bah, thanks. We're developing a new version of the hardware for permanent installations, it has probably been our biggest challenge as end-users definitely expect consumer grade hardware while the number of units we build is very low so costs are high. Our first permanent installations will all be at corporate headquarters like WeWork NYC.
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