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Ask HN: I’ve been applying to a million jobs

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Re: Ask HN: I’ve been applying to a million jobs

#201

Post by gregshap »

Does Franco-American mean you are a US Citizen? * If so then say it, or just take the Franco out of your bio

Are you committed to working in NYC? * Move now. Worst case save up a couple thousand dollars so you can make it a month. Live somewhere cheap and you can pull this off more easily than you would think.

Rather than feature the products/apps you built, write about the process you went through. * What challenges did you overcome? What UX assumptions did you start with that evolved through user feedback and testing.

Where is your github profile? * feature it

Re: Ask HN: I’ve been applying to a million jobs

#202

Post by Bartweiss »

kafkaesq wrote: post #199
fecak wrote: post #78

I write resumes and coach job seekers who have difficulty in finding work or navigating career issues (my HN profile has links). My background includes nearly 20 years in recruiting for east coast startups. You have a few things going 'against' you in most cases. I haven't seen a resume yet, but based on your site and post: 1 - You're relatively junior (at 23). 2 - You now live in France and want either remote work o…

Saying things like "I learn fast" and "I'm a good communicator" don't get a recruiter's attention. Right. You don't impress people by saying "I'm a good communicator." You impress them by... communicating well.

It's an excessive theory for an idea this simple, but "honest signaling" is a hell of an insight. If anyone who wants a job can send a given signal, it's a poor signal. If only people with a certain trait can send it, it's a good one - hence personality interviews for communication, hence technical interviews for programming languages.

Re: Ask HN: I’ve been applying to a million jobs

#203

Post by laythea »

I'm sure your technical chops are great, and it is a big plus that you have projects to demonstrate, however I must admit, your post has the potential to comes across as a bit desperate.

I would suggest not listing your dreams such as "Mesmerizing Colors" in a CV (resume). Without wanting to be presumptive, if you were to list your dreams, would they really be limited to containing "business value" attracting attributes such that may be of interest to an employer/client? In addition, the absence of any such dreams may unnecessarily put off potential employers/candidates - in particular those who look for candidates with a more varied interest. I don't state that as an insult - just the way I read it.

In my opinion, in an interview/marketing campaign, a person should aim to come across as professional as possible as this is effectively your store front.

Saying all of that, best of luck in your search!

Re: Ask HN: I’ve been applying to a million jobs

#206

Post by orbifold »

apolymath wrote: post #16

I get hired all day, people bang down my door after im hired, and all I do is explain the tools I used each year. I never graduated high school, never went to college, never really built anything that I can show off. I just talk about the tools I use. thats it. www.markentingh.com

There is a spelling error in the page you linked to, second to last paragraph "implimenting"

Re: Ask HN: I’ve been applying to a million jobs

#207

Post by Rumudiez »

From a critical point of view, it's funny that you seem to have made designerjobs.co entirely by yourself but are struggling to find a job.

From your brief website I have no clue what you did on any of those projects. I actually missed the list the first time I glanced at the page. What did you actually do? Project management? Make the coffee?

Anyone with a little experience can list a dozen projects they've contributed to, so recruiters and interviewers need to know that your contributions are meaningful.

Make it scan-friendly. Don't expect people to actually read your writing or devote time to researching you unless you have your own Wikipedia page (that you didn't make yourself).

Re: Ask HN: I’ve been applying to a million jobs

#208

Post by hkmurakami »

rajathagasthya wrote: post #155
tnones wrote: post #29

Well. You've only graduated 2.5 years ago, so trying to push yourself as a Product Designer is probably out of your reach, and comes across as unrealistic. This is a senior-level role where experience is more important than ticking off skills. In combination with the breadth you listed this doesn't make you seem like a genius, it makes you seem like a generalist who lacks focus and probably has a touch of ADHD. Perso…

> In combination with the breadth you listed this doesn't make you seem like a genius, it makes you seem like a generalist who lacks focus and probably has a touch of ADHD. Slightly off topic, but is being a generalist considered a bad thing?

Generalists don't get hired to traditional "jobs" within orgs. Being a generalist is great if you're starting projects or companies yourself, or have personal connections to people who start such things and are looking for 1-3 generalist types when they first start hiring.

But companies hire specialists, plain and simple.

Re: Ask HN: I’ve been applying to a million jobs

#209

Post by hkmurakami »

fecak wrote: post #78

I write resumes and coach job seekers who have difficulty in finding work or navigating career issues (my HN profile has links). My background includes nearly 20 years in recruiting for east coast startups. You have a few things going 'against' you in most cases. I haven't seen a resume yet, but based on your site and post: 1 - You're relatively junior (at 23). 2 - You now live in France and want either remote work o…

Related to (3) and the messaging, OP's post here reads to me like he's positioning himself as a generalist. Companies simply do not hire generalists other than very narrow corner cases. He should figure out what speciality a company is looking for and showing the side of your experience that best fits what they're looking for.

Re: Ask HN: I’ve been applying to a million jobs

#210

Post by patgenzler »

First, get your portfolio in order. Things you've built, along with clean and professional github repositories. Second, identify small companies that hire remote engineers. Weworkremotely.com, remoteok.io, etc. Note: small company, hires remote. Third, reach out to the founders or hiring managers directly and tell them exactly what you posted here minus the frustration part. Show them what you've built along with code. Finally, follow up with them relentlessly until you hear back from them. Good luck.
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