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Show HN: A Webapp to Auto Apply for Jobs

jobgen.io

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Re: Show HN: A Webapp to Auto Apply for Jobs

#51

Post by tomjen3 »

nathantotten wrote: post #18

I pretty much disregard every application that doesn't have at least a basic note explaining why you want this particular job. Maybe getting a job is a numbers game, but I don't agree that getting a good job is.

That is what I did when I was looking. Turns out that takes less than 10s if you have their website - "I have always been interested in $TECH_THEY_USE and would love to work on a team that works on $WHAT_EVER_PRODUCT_THEY MAKE because it sounds like a challenge". That wasn't exactly the words I used, but close.

Then you include the name of whomever is the recipient, because people love to see their own name and feel important.

Re: Show HN: A Webapp to Auto Apply for Jobs

#52

Post by nathantotten »

tomjen3 wrote: post #48
nathantotten wrote: post #20

Earlier quoted context omitted.

If someone can't be bothered to spend 10 minutes writing a cover letter for a job they want then I would consider them unqualified. I don't want to work with somebody who refuses to put in a bit of effort to get what they want. I spend at least a few hours writing job posts. Why shouldn't I expect the same?

Op did spend a few hours: he wrote a script. By definition he did what a programmer should do: find a solution that is automizable, then make it work. If that annoys some people, well, that is why you apply to more than one job.

Good point. And I would seriously consider an applicant that wrote such an application, but better than putting it in his resume would be to write a quick note. "Hey, I've been looking for a new role. As part of my process I wrote this app. See it here and let me know what you think." That would get somebody noticed.

Re: Show HN: A Webapp to Auto Apply for Jobs

#53

Post by IshKebab »

cpfohl wrote: post #12
IshKebab wrote: post #8

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I agree, but also it is true that the mechanical process of actually filling in an application is very tedious. If that bit can be eliminated then it is definitely worth it. That said, I think you can apply to jobs with a single click on LinkedIn (and I assume StackOverflow?) so that has kind of been solved. Ish.

I've never gotten a job with a resume I didn't taylor for the job in question. Thoughtful tweaking is overwhelmingly the longest part of applying for any job. I've never found the 10 minutes (or so) of filling out the internet forms difficult.

Too many Taylor series, methinks! It's 'tailor'.

Re: Show HN: A Webapp to Auto Apply for Jobs

#54

Post by pdimitar »

accatyyc wrote: post #47
pdimitar wrote: post #41

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I am mostly a senior programmer but I'm still very interested in a fresh perspective about how do I contact business people. How can I reach you?

Regarding job applications: when hiring people the first applications we send to the bin are generic ones. I really despise them because we get so many of them. We spend so much of time reading applications that if an applicant can't have the courtesy of writing a personal email it really leaves a sour taste. So to actually answer your question - when applying, write why you are interested in the job. Make it at leas…

I understand and appreciate that -- plus I always write personalized messages. It's a very worthy time investment!

That being said, many firms don't have enough information on their websites -- and even in their job application info page! -- about what do they do technically and what is their current need.

That makes it hard to make a proper addressing to them while doing a sales pitch of your abilities and profile. And I refuse to engage in vague guess-work, too.

Thank you, I realize some people might not have responded because I didn't have enough info to go on to try and tell them why would I like working with them.

Re: Show HN: A Webapp to Auto Apply for Jobs

#55

Post by lj3 »

accatyyc wrote: post #47
pdimitar wrote: post #41

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I am mostly a senior programmer but I'm still very interested in a fresh perspective about how do I contact business people. How can I reach you?

Regarding job applications: when hiring people the first applications we send to the bin are generic ones. I really despise them because we get so many of them. We spend so much of time reading applications that if an applicant can't have the courtesy of writing a personal email it really leaves a sour taste. So to actually answer your question - when applying, write why you are interested in the job. Make it at leas…

Just out of curiosity: Do you have difficulty hiring people?

Re: Show HN: A Webapp to Auto Apply for Jobs

#56

Post by smt88 »

lj3 wrote: post #55
accatyyc wrote: post #47

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Regarding job applications: when hiring people the first applications we send to the bin are generic ones. I really despise them because we get so many of them. We spend so much of time reading applications that if an applicant can't have the courtesy of writing a personal email it really leaves a sour taste. So to actually answer your question - when applying, write why you are interested in the job. Make it at leas…

Just out of curiosity: Do you have difficulty hiring people?

Everyone has difficulty hiring people. The most popular companies, like Google, may have a glut of applicants, but it's still incredibly difficult to know whom to choose.

For almost everyone else, there are two problems: not enough applicants and no infallible way to screen them.

Hiring is (and should be) the most difficult thing a company does. It's the most important thing a company does for sure.

Re: Show HN: A Webapp to Auto Apply for Jobs

#57

Post by antisthenes »

smt88 wrote: post #33
taietel wrote: post #27

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Thanks for the feedback. I built this as a senior in college, when my classmates and I didn't really have any useful connections to people in the industry. I did try cold-emailing and cold LinkedIn messaging people, but received few to no replies. It's definitely something that can be integrated into this webapp though, adding support for emailing/reaching out directly to hiring managers.

I know you worked hard on this and it solves a perceived need. All I'm saying is that optimizing for quantity won't get the best result. There's no substitute for meeting people and creating genuine relationships, and there's no way to "hack" or speed up that process. That really is a numbers game: you may make 20 friends, and only one of them results in a job. But each friend requires genuine time and effort. As far…

I don't know about you, but making real friends takes years.

> That really is a numbers game: you may make 20 friends, and only one of them results in a job.

Comparing the difficulty and social capital required to maintain 20 friends to having an app send out job applications is...not even in the same ballpark? People seem to have vastly different interpretations for the word friend, but making 20 friends certainly isn't trivial.

Having to wait that long for a better job shouldn't be necessary. Keep in mind, the goal isn't to get the best result, it's to get a better result than where you currently are.

Re: Show HN: A Webapp to Auto Apply for Jobs

#58

Post by user5994461 »

cwt137 wrote: post #16

My department just finished a cycle of hiring developers. We could tell which applicants mass applied to jobs and used a generic cover letter. They are probably was just playing the numbers game. Since they didn't care enough to at minimum change or add one or two sentences to make the cover letter unique to our job posting, they didn't get far in our hiring process.

There is no need to write a formal cover letter to get a job.

Re: Show HN: A Webapp to Auto Apply for Jobs

#59

Post by lj3 »

Does the site have support for remote jobs? From what I can tell, you must choose a single city when searching and there's no way of telling which jobs might allow remote work and which ones are onsite only.

Re: Show HN: A Webapp to Auto Apply for Jobs

#60

Post by mundo »

sp332 wrote: post #46
mundo wrote: post #35

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Hiring managers don't look poorly on generic applications because we're prima donnas who want people to jump through hoops and waste time, we consider generic applications to be an indicator of a weak candidate. If it's not immediately clear why, imagine that you're a fantastic developer who can get any job you want. How many jobs do you apply for per day? Would you use a web app that automates applying to jobs, even…

You're not getting that many fantastic developers applying for your jobs. You're getting mostly average ones. Your process should be able to handle not throwing away qualified average candidates.

Candidates are judged relatively, not absolutely. Doesn't matter whether I'm hiring PhDs to write neural networks for $200K/yr or bootcamp grads to move fields around a form, a generic copy-paste application is a sign of a weak candidate. Doesn't mean I wouldn't hire them, either, but it does mean I won't call them unless I had no luck with the strong candidates.
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