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The reverse job applicant

reversejobapplication.com

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Re: The reverse job applicant

#111

Post by run4yourlives »

KeithMajhor wrote: post #96
run4yourlives wrote: post #72

If you really care which programming languages I already know or which applications I have used before, I can only assume that you're overlooking my ability to quickly pick up new technologies and adjust to new ways of thinking. I would encourage you to correct this, as it is a mistake. I know it's tongue in cheek, but my god does the current generation not have any humility at all? This is going to ruin your world v…

A person who "graduated with the best marks in MIT and has been programming since the womb" is special. The other people doing it "every single graduating year"... they're special too.

Not to me they aren't.

If I needed a Rails app, DHH is special, not Mr. MIT womb programmer.

There are very few "special" positions that a nice degree and IQ points alone are the only prerequisites.

Re: The reverse job applicant

#112

Post by lsc »

run4yourlives wrote: post #108
SkyMarshal wrote: post #107

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Be humble and gracious until you actually distinguish yourself. And even moreso afterwards.

Agreed. Although you have a little more room to be an ass if you can back it up.

it's all contextual. If you are really good, your social skills matter a whole lot less. When you are not good, though, in many contexts, arrogance is better than appearing to lack confidence.

Re: The reverse job applicant

#113

Post by run4yourlives »

ajaimk wrote: post #91
run4yourlives wrote: post #72

If you really care which programming languages I already know or which applications I have used before, I can only assume that you're overlooking my ability to quickly pick up new technologies and adjust to new ways of thinking. I would encourage you to correct this, as it is a mistake. I know it's tongue in cheek, but my god does the current generation not have any humility at all? This is going to ruin your world v…

I disagree. This guy is indeed special. If for no other reason than for the fact that he had the fucking guts to write this.

Sometimes, wisdom is preferable to guts.

Re: The reverse job applicant

#114

Post by bfung »

How about taking this one step further and help other people do a reverse job application, almost head hunter-ish style. You've stated that you're unemployed, so why not employ yourself? The Y Combinator application deadline is today =)

Re: The reverse job applicant

#116

Post by ph0rque »

run4yourlives wrote: post #111
KeithMajhor wrote: post #96

Earlier quoted context omitted.

A person who "graduated with the best marks in MIT and has been programming since the womb" is special. The other people doing it "every single graduating year"... they're special too.

Not to me they aren't. If I needed a Rails app, DHH is special, not Mr. MIT womb programmer. There are very few "special" positions that a nice degree and IQ points alone are the only prerequisites.

Good luck getting DHH to code your Rails app...

Re: The reverse job applicant

#117

Post by jbooth »

jemfinch wrote: post #105
ramchip wrote: post #78

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Programming languages can't all be picked up that quickly, since semantics may differ a lot. You can't say "Give me any programming task and I'll pick it up". What if you're a Web guy and the task is a C++ medical application? What if we're a finance company and the language is Haskell or ML? There's no way someone with no experience in a related language could become proficient without a fairly long training period…

> Programming languages can't all be picked up that quickly, since semantics may differ a lot. The second day with my new employer I was tasked with writing an analysis project in a language I'd never even heard of before joining. Within two weeks, I was writing code in that language every bit as good as my coworkers'. Your statement may hold true for people who know one or two languages (like most CS graduates these…

>Within two weeks, I was writing code in that language every bit as good as my coworkers'.

Just cause your coworkers sucked doesn't invalidate the point. I challenge anyone to write good code in a new language after 2 weeks of learning it. You can hack, sure, but I've never seen anyone write anything respectable in a language they've only been in for 2 weeks. In the worst case they think it's good and it's hard to teach them how to do it right because they think they know it all already.

Also, if you claim to know the semantics but not the library of a language, you probably don't actually know the semantics. Corner cases matter.

Re: The reverse job applicant

#118

Post by run4yourlives »

treeface wrote: post #90
run4yourlives wrote: post #72

If you really care which programming languages I already know or which applications I have used before, I can only assume that you're overlooking my ability to quickly pick up new technologies and adjust to new ways of thinking. I would encourage you to correct this, as it is a mistake. I know it's tongue in cheek, but my god does the current generation not have any humility at all? This is going to ruin your world v…

I agree with you almost entirely. One tiny exception: >I know it's tongue in cheek, but my god does the current generation not have any humility at all? Come on...how many times do we have to go through this "young whippersnappers don't have any humility anymore" nonsense before we recognize that young humans, in general, have less humility than they should? Just because you (perhaps) had more humility than this kid…

Disagree. I'm generation X. We all knew that we were the first generation to be worse off than our parents. We entered the economy when nobody was hiring, especially if you were a white male. Most of us were happy just to get a job. I was - get this - happy to get into the army. (Canada)

It's more likely than not that we were the exception to the rule, I'll accept that. But I believe that my generation overall was most certainly more humble than the current one.

Re: The reverse job applicant

#119

Post by run4yourlives »

ph0rque wrote: post #116
run4yourlives wrote: post #111

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Not to me they aren't. If I needed a Rails app, DHH is special, not Mr. MIT womb programmer. There are very few "special" positions that a nice degree and IQ points alone are the only prerequisites.

Good luck getting DHH to code your Rails app...

Sigh... my original point seems to be lost arguing semantics with academics in this sub-thread it seems...

Re: The reverse job applicant

#120

Post by sachitgupta »

sethg wrote: post #48
sachitgupta wrote: post #18

Susan (from Seth Godins six month MBA program) did something similar: http://main.susanhiresaboss.com/

I like this one better than the OP, because the front page gets straight to the point: “Hi. I'm Susan. My superpower is getting things done. It's an exceedingly rare and critical superpower. I battle the agent of chaos. I overdeliver. I delight. I amaze. And I'm looking for a place in need of a superhero like me.” That’s a 30-second elevator speech in 10 seconds. By comparison, I have to scroll halfway through the or…

I agree. And at what point is this ingenious, rather than copying something that's already been done?
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