Thank HN: From Google form to $1k in revenue in one month • Hacker News Board

Re: Thank HN: From Google form to $1k in revenue in one month

#221

Post by drdoom » Thu, Oct 20, 2016, 6:00 PM UTC

Congratulations on seeing the opportunity and quickly moving to do something about it. It is unique enough at first sight that you got early coverage in the press, which is very helpful.

Quick question: I did not see anything unique to "old geek" in the website, other than the URL of course. I guess it is an implicit assumption by both job seekers as well as job posters.

On that note, where would this concept be headed if other job sites added a simple attribute called age (or something similar but more palatable) where job posters could specify their preferred age range, and job seekers could search on it?

Re: Thank HN: From Google form to $1k in revenue in one month

#222

Post by bosie » Thu, Oct 20, 2016, 6:34 PM UTC

jedrek wrote: post #168

b212 wrote: post #135

Can you do another good deed and require your posters to include salary range in their job ads? It's the norm in the UK and we successfully forced this in Poland (though posters almost NEVER post salaries here). How? The companies need IT staff so much that almost all IT job boards (at least the most popular ones - like FB groups or https://nofluffjobs.com ) started requiring the salary range. I think your idea is pr…

All the Polish IT jobs groups I'm on (iOS dev + JS mostly) require a salary range. If nothing else, it's useful to see where we need to be while hiring. Also, it's a legal requirement in Austria to post the salary.

@Austria: which is normally just the "Kollektivvertrag" which (hopefully) nobody works for. And that renders it useless unfortunately too.

Re: Thank HN: From Google form to $1k in revenue in one month

#223

Post by inanutshellus » Thu, Oct 20, 2016, 7:00 PM UTC

ptero wrote: post #195

inanutshellus wrote: post #190

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> Someone with a BS just out of college? > An engineer with 10 years of matching experience? > Tech lead wo [sic] just built X elsewhere? Sounds like you have three job postings crammed into one listing. Y'all on that tight of a budget?

Some of the reasons below are somewhat artificial constraints, but that's just our environment. I suspect they are not that infrequent either. We cannot post three postings with intent to hire one person: Our group works on X. There is a group working on Y across the hall (and a bunch of others) and if we advertise three postings they will go to top management and HR and argue that one of our postings should be their…

Your internal open positions need not match your external open positions.

We all get that you really are saying "salary is dependent upon experience". The argument made above is simply that each of those ranges ought to be called out explicitly.

Re: Thank HN: From Google form to $1k in revenue in one month

#224

Post by marktangotango » Thu, Oct 20, 2016, 7:04 PM UTC

Chris2048 wrote: post #162

CodeWriter23 wrote: post #85

@johnwheeler: Their loss for not hiring you. I thought I was hot shit when I had 5 years under my belt, too, just like those whipper snappers. Took another 10 to recognize how full of shit that idea was. I think there's a certain niche that wants to hire experienced, disciplined and reliable "old" geeks like you (or actual old guys like me...still grinding code at 50). Looks like you're going to own it. Well played.

Can I ask what the difference is? What didn't you know?

Less is more, focus on results, not code. Two things off the top of my head.

I just hired onto a subsidiary of a big corp, a cadre of 5 of started on the same day: 39, 41, 42, 45, and 55. Companies are paying top dollar for experience now, from what I'm seeing.

Re: Thank HN: From Google form to $1k in revenue in one month

#225

Post by fecak » Thu, Oct 20, 2016, 7:11 PM UTC

johnwheeler wrote: post #219

b212 wrote: post #135

Can you do another good deed and require your posters to include salary range in their job ads? It's the norm in the UK and we successfully forced this in Poland (though posters almost NEVER post salaries here). How? The companies need IT staff so much that almost all IT job boards (at least the most popular ones - like FB groups or https://nofluffjobs.com ) started requiring the salary range. I think your idea is pr…

No. A salary range requirement isn't customary in the U.S., and I'm in no position to enforce one at such an early stage. I'll make it an option though, and I'll include the salary data that StackOverflow ads make available when they do. I definitely prefer seeing a salary range when I look for jobs. >> I'd never ever create a website like this with hidden salaries. ...what if they do so, because they're offering 10,…

>Unfortunately, a lot of younger workers are paid lower than less skilled, but older workers simply because of lack of seniority and/or negotiating skills.

I'd say that younger workers were exploited a bit historically because they were largely unaware of their own market rates and didn't have a viable way to find out. That is changing remarkably fast through sites like Glassdoor and self-reported salary data on various other sites.

Re: Thank HN: From Google form to $1k in revenue in one month

#226

Post by nul_byte » Thu, Oct 20, 2016, 7:34 PM UTC

RikNieu wrote: post #94

I started a new career as a front-end developer at the age of 33(last year), so I have my age and lack of experience counting against me. I must say, I do worry about my future prospects a lot. Hopefully sites like this can throw a bone to us old dogs out there.

Honestly, as long as you stay hungry to learn, there is a high chance you will be fine. This has always worked for me.

Re: Thank HN: From Google form to $1k in revenue in one month

#227

Post by ryandrake » Thu, Oct 20, 2016, 7:50 PM UTC

johnwheeler wrote: post #219

b212 wrote: post #135

Can you do another good deed and require your posters to include salary range in their job ads? It's the norm in the UK and we successfully forced this in Poland (though posters almost NEVER post salaries here). How? The companies need IT staff so much that almost all IT job boards (at least the most popular ones - like FB groups or https://nofluffjobs.com ) started requiring the salary range. I think your idea is pr…

No. A salary range requirement isn't customary in the U.S., and I'm in no position to enforce one at such an early stage. I'll make it an option though, and I'll include the salary data that StackOverflow ads make available when they do. I definitely prefer seeing a salary range when I look for jobs. >> I'd never ever create a website like this with hidden salaries. ...what if they do so, because they're offering 10,…

You could add "salary range provided" as a filter, or place those with salaries filled in higher in the list.

Re: Thank HN: From Google form to $1k in revenue in one month

#228

Post by screaminghawk » Thu, Oct 20, 2016, 7:54 PM UTC

emodendroket wrote: post #185

RodericDay wrote: post #182

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> posting ridiculously wide salary range why is this wrong? if your actual, real wide salary range is not acceptable, people won't apply. if it is, and they agree with your philosophy, they will.

I tend to agree, but I think the argument against is basically that when you put a range, candidates' eyes go toward the high end and employers' eyes go toward the low end and then nobody ends up happy.

Then don't put a high range and put what you are actually expecting to spend on your new hire?

It sounds to me like the argument for not putting a salary is because the business doesn't actually know what they are looking for.

Re: Thank HN: From Google form to $1k in revenue in one month

#229

Post by ryandrake » Thu, Oct 20, 2016, 7:57 PM UTC

ptero wrote: post #164

b212 wrote: post #135

Can you do another good deed and require your posters to include salary range in their job ads? It's the norm in the UK and we successfully forced this in Poland (though posters almost NEVER post salaries here). How? The companies need IT staff so much that almost all IT job boards (at least the most popular ones - like FB groups or https://nofluffjobs.com ) started requiring the salary range. I think your idea is pr…

Just my 2c -- I'm in the US and I disagree. For example, many of the jobs allow for a very broad experience. For example, in my current job, we are often looking for a smart, energetic people to work on X. Someone with a BS just out of college? An engineer with 10 years of matching experience? Tech lead wo just built X elsewhere? We will take either (if we like them) and adjust responsibilities instead. This approach…

It sound weird to me that a company that has a role to fill will take anyone from "just graduated and can type" to "experienced tech lead". Doesn't sound like a role that is clearly thought out.

If you have stuff for a junior hire to do and stuff for a senior hire to do, and you end up hiring the junior hire, what happens to the "senior" work? Same question if you end up hiring the senior guy.

Re: Thank HN: From Google form to $1k in revenue in one month

#230

Post by Clubber » Thu, Oct 20, 2016, 8:15 PM UTC

ErrantX wrote: post #210

b212 wrote: post #135

Can you do another good deed and require your posters to include salary range in their job ads? It's the norm in the UK and we successfully forced this in Poland (though posters almost NEVER post salaries here). How? The companies need IT staff so much that almost all IT job boards (at least the most popular ones - like FB groups or https://nofluffjobs.com ) started requiring the salary range. I think your idea is pr…

Salary ranges on job listings benefit employers not employees. Effectively; Salary is what the company values your contribution at. That's why when you hand your notice in you might be offered a pay rise. By setting a public range you agree informally to be constrained by that range; asking for more once you've interviewed is harder. Without salary range it is the opportunity that interests you. It lets you set expec…

>Salary ranges on job listings benefit employers not employees.

I guess that's why most companies in the US don't list salaries, out of the goodness of their hearts.

Ranges on jobs benefit employees. It's simple negotiation. You want the other person to put out the first number. If the employer is thinking $100K for a position, but a qualified candidate starts with $80K, they just saved $20K a year. If they put $100K, they started first, so an employee who would have taken $80K now gets $100K.

As a side note, all IT people should watch Pawn Stars, American Pickers or any reality show that is part negotiation. It will give you a feel of small things to help negotiate. If all IT people learned to negotiate better, everyone's salaries would go up.