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

Show HN: A Webapp to Auto Apply for Jobs

jobgen.io

Post reply on HN
Print view View original

61–70 of 97 posts

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

#61

Post by StavrosK »

pkaye wrote: post #37
StavrosK wrote: post #17

Earlier quoted context omitted.

When evaluating a developer, do you care more about whether they're a good fit for the job, or whether they spent more time than necessary applying for your job? I mean, how much time did you spend approaching each developer individually? Since you used an ad, I'm guessing zero. I'm not saying you should have tailored your ad to each person, but why do you care if they burn time for you, rather than evaluate them on…

It is a little bit of both really but along a spectrum. If a person is really really good you don't care much about their resume. If they don't have relevant experience but spent some time on their resume it helps show interest. If you are fresh out of college, the second approach is probably all you have.

I understand that, but I don't see why interest should count for much. Out of two equal candidates, the interested one is probably better, but I don't know if interest is a good predictor of job performance... Maybe it is, though.

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

#63

Post by agentgt »

@taietal great job. My company (SnapHop) researched that path for a little but decided to stick with recruitment marketing tools. We couldn't figure out a quick way to monetize and since we are self funded for 5 or so years it just wasn't worth it yet.

Anyway I might be able to provide some insight and some connections in the industry if you like (email is in profile).

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

#64

Post by mundo »

mundo wrote: post #60
sp332 wrote: post #46

Earlier quoted context omitted.

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.

I will take your reply-less downvotes as meaning, "I wish that what you said weren't true."

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

#66

Post by d3ad1ysp0rk »

ianai wrote: post #28
kcorbitt wrote: post #14

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> For others, who have no useful connections, it's possible to make these connections by cold-messaging people on LinkedIn, especially alumni from your school. This. If the job you're applying to pays >= 50k/year, you owe it to yourself to take 30 minutes or so before you apply and find a way to differentiate yourself and make a connection. Ideally you reach out to someone on the inside that you have a shared experie…

Unless those jobs don't pay >50k/yr. straight out of college most are going for low run entry jobs.

CS grads in good markets make significantly more than 50k/yr.

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

#67

Post by [deleted] »

smt88 wrote: post #6

I actually really disagree that it's a numbers game. Yes, it is a numbers game if all you do is send a generic application. But it's not at all a numbers game if you only apply to companies where you have some human connection. For privileged people, that means a relative, family friend, or friend. For others, who have no useful connections, it's possible to make these connections by cold-messaging people on LinkedIn…

[deleted]

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

#68

Post by ryandrake »

kcorbitt wrote: post #14
smt88 wrote: post #6

I actually really disagree that it's a numbers game. Yes, it is a numbers game if all you do is send a generic application. But it's not at all a numbers game if you only apply to companies where you have some human connection. For privileged people, that means a relative, family friend, or friend. For others, who have no useful connections, it's possible to make these connections by cold-messaging people on LinkedIn…

> For others, who have no useful connections, it's possible to make these connections by cold-messaging people on LinkedIn, especially alumni from your school. This. If the job you're applying to pays >= 50k/year, you owe it to yourself to take 30 minutes or so before you apply and find a way to differentiate yourself and make a connection. Ideally you reach out to someone on the inside that you have a shared experie…

I've gone down that dead end. 1. Spend weeks researching the company, 2. Craft the perfect (after a few drafts) resume and cover letter tailored directly to that company, 3. Meticulously make sure all the online form fields filled in. Subsequently receive an auto-reply 10 minutes after you submit it with a generic "We considered your application and decided NO." E-mail. All it takes is a few of these, and I would be an idiot to continue to believe it's about taking the time and tailoring your application.

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

#69

Post by smt88 »

ryandrake wrote: post #68
kcorbitt wrote: post #14

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> For others, who have no useful connections, it's possible to make these connections by cold-messaging people on LinkedIn, especially alumni from your school. This. If the job you're applying to pays >= 50k/year, you owe it to yourself to take 30 minutes or so before you apply and find a way to differentiate yourself and make a connection. Ideally you reach out to someone on the inside that you have a shared experie…

I've gone down that dead end. 1. Spend weeks researching the company, 2. Craft the perfect (after a few drafts) resume and cover letter tailored directly to that company, 3. Meticulously make sure all the online form fields filled in. Subsequently receive an auto-reply 10 minutes after you submit it with a generic "We considered your application and decided NO." E-mail. All it takes is a few of these, and I would be…

> only an idiot would continue to believe it's about taking the time and tailoring your application

Personal attacks aren't allowed on HN and cheapen your response.

Many other commenters, including myself, are responsible for hiring and immediately discard applications that aren't tailored.

When someone spends time customizing their application, it means my company is near the top of their list. That indicates a higher potential for a good fit.

If someone is mindlessly applying, there's a good chance they're wasting time for both of us. Only a big, badly-run organization would hire people from pools of robo-applications. I've never heard of any organization that has been happy hiring someone who did no research on the company ahead of time or didn't really care if they got the job or not.

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

#70

Post by lj3 »

ryandrake wrote: post #68
kcorbitt wrote: post #14

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> For others, who have no useful connections, it's possible to make these connections by cold-messaging people on LinkedIn, especially alumni from your school. This. If the job you're applying to pays >= 50k/year, you owe it to yourself to take 30 minutes or so before you apply and find a way to differentiate yourself and make a connection. Ideally you reach out to someone on the inside that you have a shared experie…

I've gone down that dead end. 1. Spend weeks researching the company, 2. Craft the perfect (after a few drafts) resume and cover letter tailored directly to that company, 3. Meticulously make sure all the online form fields filled in. Subsequently receive an auto-reply 10 minutes after you submit it with a generic "We considered your application and decided NO." E-mail. All it takes is a few of these, and I would be…

Yup. Been there. Done that. The numbers game gets a better result because very few companies can accurately describe what they're looking for in a position or a candidate. Unless you can directly talk to somebody with hiring authority, you're playing the same numbers game everybody else is.
Post reply on HN