Hacker News Board Hacker News, browsed like a classic message board
Live data from Hacker News

Ask HN: 50 job applications, 15 interviews, 7 onsites, and no offer – what next?

news.ycombinator.com

Post reply on HN
Print view View original

71–80 of 249 posts

Re: Ask HN: 50 job applications, 15 interviews, 7 onsites, and no offer – what next?

#71

Post by wenbert »

jowiar wrote: post #24

Regardless of whether you continue the job search or not, pick up that hobby. I love my job, but non-work hobbies keep me sane. Relying on career to be the sole provider of personal fulfillment is a recipe for an abusive relationship with your job.

Spot on!

I'm lucky enough that my day job isn't that stressful that I do not get "burned out" when I get home to work on my personal projects.

I love my job and I love working with the people in the company. The culture is very good and not toxic. However, trying something new or building something fun, it is not possible always within the job. It's fixing bugs; figuring out processes, etc. But as long as I am not burned out at work, I still find a few hours every night to do something I really want.

Without my personal projects I would be bored to death.

Re: Ask HN: 50 job applications, 15 interviews, 7 onsites, and no offer – what next?

#72

Post by johnmc408 »

In this market, switching industries can be difficult. If the goal is to switch industries, get in at a (slightly) lower position and work up.

Otherwise, try to stay in the same industry and go for a company that isn't as well known and where your experience would be especially helpful.

What are those "other roles"? How much of product marketing vs product management vs project management vs people management do you currently do? For the "other role" what is the same vs different to what you currently do (not what your job title is, but what you do)?

I feel you will get the best insight if you take a look at the differences between your current day to day tasks and the tasks for the "other roles".

I also think that interviewing for a leadership PM position is much more difficult...

Re: Ask HN: 50 job applications, 15 interviews, 7 onsites, and no offer – what next?

#73

Post by vacri »

santoshalper wrote: post #64
monster2control wrote: post #12

Not to be mean spirited, but it sounds like you either need to learn how to close or you are going for positions you really aren't a good fit for. I've gotten every job I've ever interviewed for that I really wanted. In the end, it's about perception and desire. If you don't go in acting like you deserve the job and can be an asset to the company, you are not likely to get an offer. You also have to be able to sell y…

> Not to be mean spirited In the history of human interaction, has anyone said that and not then followed it up with something arrogant and dickish? > I've gotten every job I've ever interviewed for that I really wanted Of course you have. And the jobs you didn't get you later decided you must not have really wanted enough. I wonder how you would have felt about those jobs if you had gotten them. We get it, you're a…

> and not then followed it up with something arrogant and dickish

I remember a comedian saying that he likes to say "I don't want to sound racist, but" and then follow it up with something that actually wasn't racist. As in "I don't want to sound racist, but do you have the time?" or "I don't want to sound racist, but can you tell me the way to High St?"

Re: Ask HN: 50 job applications, 15 interviews, 7 onsites, and no offer – what next?

#76

Post by reifnir »

alex- wrote: post #58
monster2control wrote: post #12

Not to be mean spirited, but it sounds like you either need to learn how to close or you are going for positions you really aren't a good fit for. I've gotten every job I've ever interviewed for that I really wanted. In the end, it's about perception and desire. If you don't go in acting like you deserve the job and can be an asset to the company, you are not likely to get an offer. You also have to be able to sell y…

> I've gotten every job I've ever interviewed for I once said this to a friend. He then suggested maybe I wasn't being as ambitious as I could be in the roles I was seeking. Gave me some food for thought.

Never thought of that... I have to go to the mountain about this!

Re: Ask HN: 50 job applications, 15 interviews, 7 onsites, and no offer – what next?

#77

Post by dbcurtis »

A lot of people are suggesting talking to a friend, which is good. But at your level you might consider a short engagement with an executive coach. 3 or 4 hour long sessions might give you a new attack on the problem and some ideas on how to present yourself differently.

Re: Ask HN: 50 job applications, 15 interviews, 7 onsites, and no offer – what next?

#78

Post by TheSpiceIsLife »

vacri wrote: post #73
santoshalper wrote: post #64

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> Not to be mean spirited In the history of human interaction, has anyone said that and not then followed it up with something arrogant and dickish? > I've gotten every job I've ever interviewed for that I really wanted Of course you have. And the jobs you didn't get you later decided you must not have really wanted enough. I wonder how you would have felt about those jobs if you had gotten them. We get it, you're a…

> and not then followed it up with something arrogant and dickish I remember a comedian saying that he likes to say "I don't want to sound racist, but" and then follow it up with something that actually wasn't racist. As in "I don't want to sound racist, but do you have the time?" or "I don't want to sound racist, but can you tell me the way to High St?"

I wish I could remember which comedian this was, I distinctly recall the line as "I don't mean to sound racist, but could you pass the salt" in reference to reclaiming phrases that are usually negated by what follows.

Re: Ask HN: 50 job applications, 15 interviews, 7 onsites, and no offer – what next?

#79

Post by bigmanwalter »

a_t48 wrote: post #69
santoshalper wrote: post #64

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> Not to be mean spirited In the history of human interaction, has anyone said that and not then followed it up with something arrogant and dickish? > I've gotten every job I've ever interviewed for that I really wanted Of course you have. And the jobs you didn't get you later decided you must not have really wanted enough. I wonder how you would have felt about those jobs if you had gotten them. We get it, you're a…

He may also be in an industry or an area where given a certain bar of quality and a friend at whatever company you are applying to, you get in. From my viewpoint, it's super common in engineering.

He's also probably also a well off, straight, white male.

Re: Ask HN: 50 job applications, 15 interviews, 7 onsites, and no offer – what next?

#80

Post by mjevans »

beachy wrote: post #57
cookiecaper wrote: post #50

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Yeah, this has been my experience. The one time I got a company to provide feedback, it was that I "didn't seem assertive enough", which really couldn't be further from the truth (I'm usually getting in hot water for being too assertive), so I assume that it was a randomly chosen from a grab bag of meaningless-but-legally-sanitized "useful feedback" phrases. Even if someone does provide feedback, it usually can't be…

We do recruitment software, and one of the features that just never seems to take life is asking managers why they have rejected a candidate - even though that would be extremely useful for fine tuning the process. It seems people just don't like to be pinned down.

It probably boils down to feelings, which seems unfair to introverts and those who tend to undersell themselves (but is probably how 'society' works).
Post reply on HN