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

Ask HN: How can a unhireable person get a job?

news.ycombinator.com

Post reply on HN
Print view View original

361–370 of 875 posts

Re: Ask HN: How can a unhireable person get a job?

#361

Post by evolve2k »

One thing that helps is to think of tech change in waves. Once the tide shifts on a technology it’s all downhill.. position where the good surfing waves are and life is easier.

You seem to have a passion for security, that’s a very specific mental framing that makes you suitable for some takes (tech security), and maybe terrible at others (holding open loving spaces for people grieving loss), but I could be wrong.

Consider the newly growing field of Cyber Securtity, with a short course right now you can be very desired by many companies.. even if you start by offering to look over their systems and help them work out a plan around their cybersecuirty.

Case in point; there are so many medium sized companies that even could just use a password manager to be setup across their network as an example.

Re: Ask HN: How can a unhireable person get a job?

#362

Post by qiqitori »

_6pvr wrote: post #148
snakedoctor wrote: post #110

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I've tried asking companies for feedback. Some respond, and some don't. I think that most don't due to legal reasons. I did move to Austin when I received a lump sum of money, and hanged with some people IRL. Some would ratify that I'm awkward lol. But there was a lot of good vibes while I was in Austin. Now that I'm back where I grew up I find that I'm more depressed, and surly. State goverment here is more Laissez-…

I'm not challenging you on whether or not you're smart. I'm commenting on the fact that you're unable to find employment, which means either you're carrying yourself incorrectly or you're unable to perform the tasks required of an entry-level applicant. You're bringing up this resume, these achievements, which can verify that you're intelligent and capable of critical thinking, so the greatest culprit would be that y…

I have a feeling that many jobs don't really require a lot of intelligent work(?), and it's really hard to get used to that.

I definitely quit my first job because of that. My second job was better, but there wasn't all that much to learn, so I quit relatively soon. Now I'm on my third job, and there definitely hasn't been a lot of intellectual stimulation these days. Last time for something (that I was actually assigned and didn't just decide to do) was maybe late last year? The job itself pays well though and has some other perks.

I doubt there are many jobs that are interesting 100% of time. Better try to accept that.

Also most of my recommendations were rejected on my first job (large company), but most or even all were incorporated at my second job (startup).

@OP Did you mostly apply at well-known companies? Maybe go for a startup instead. Maybe you'll even be able to start a new department and not run out of stuff to do to keep yourself interested.

Re: Ask HN: How can a unhireable person get a job?

#363

Post by geoduck14 »

Here's my experience - it sounds similar to yours, but with a couple of key differences that might be useful.

When I was in college, I really REALLY wanted to be am Electrical Engineer. I applied to loads of jobs - found a list of 75 positions I applied to from 2 different career fairs (plus random others). I got 1 job offer and I was SO RESENTFUL.

Naturally, I took the job - but I kept applying. I found emails from 100-200 jobs I applied to (no interviews). I found an email to a startup - I got an interview! - but no offer.

I kept at my job. I built a reputation. I got ranked good. And bad. I networked and made friends. I got recruited by a former boss to move to a different part of the company.

I EXPANDED my network. I went to conferences and told people what I was doing - and I helped them do it, too (for free/fun).

I'm at a point now where I can move teams and people REMEMBER me. I have former co workers who want me on their team. I've worked up - slowly- and I never got the job I dreamed of in college, but I do have a good job that I love and it pays the bills.

Summary: 1) Be good at what you do 2) Make friends with the people around you: peers and boss 3) Make friends with THEIR friends 4) Help them be good at the things you are good at 5) Be good at more things 6) Make more friends 7) Repeat

Also, probably something about patience, hard work, being grateful with the life you have... idk, I'm not the Dali Lama ;)

Re: Ask HN: How can a unhireable person get a job?

#364

Post by nyanpasu64 »

livinginfear wrote: post #317

Your post provides a recruiter any number of reasons not to hire you. In addition to providing a personal history of failure and excuses, you're airing the dirty laundry of the companies you did work for. Your misgivings with these may or may not be legitimate, however what recruiter wants their name attached to you the next time you feel like airing your grievances with the last company to lay you off? > "I tried co…

> Your writing is terrible, and unprofessional. If you can't get through this thread without discussing your mental health problems that's a serious red flag.

Are you saying that in "professional" situations (job applications, or even asking for advice on HN), you need to hide your struggles and present an image of a flawless worker who handles all situations in stride, even though you can't live up to it because of mental/life struggles, depression, and the looming prospect of homelessness?

Re: Ask HN: How can a unhireable person get a job?

#366

Post by [deleted] »

dotBen wrote: post #83

First off, your HN submission history is really weird, dude. ( https://news.ycombinator.com/submitted?id=snakedoctor ) If you get a job in customer support at Amazon there is literally no way to get a 'promotion' to a dev role. It's different parts of the org, and you're tarnished with being a CS person. Why? Because it's signaling - people who can do eng roles at Amazon don't take CS roles so they don't bother minin…

[deleted]

Re: Ask HN: How can a unhireable person get a job?

#367

Post by ryankemper »

DaiPlusPlus wrote: post #336
ALittleLight wrote: post #296

Earlier quoted context omitted.

A teenage boy asked the master "How do I compose a symphony?" The master said "You're too young, you need to start with more modest projects." "But master" said the boy "you first composed a symphony when you were half my age!" "Yes, but I didn't ask anyone how." --- What I mean by this is that "hustling" is something of a unique, rare, or hacking like thing. You can't ask people how to do it, because if they could t…

> You can't ask people how to do it, because if they could tell you then everyone would do it and it wouldn't work Coding-camps?

A coding camp is the opposite of hustling. It's called "bootcamp" for a reason - it's there to impose some structure for those who need it.

Also bootcamp is very overhyped. There's some great people that come out of them, but I think mainly the hype is the fact that college is overrated (this is a cliche opinion I know) so bootcamps are there to try to exploit some of the delta that the myopic focus on college degrees creates. But many boot camps are super myopic in their own ways.

Re: Ask HN: How can a unhireable person get a job?

#369

Post by ixtli »

ALittleLight wrote: post #296
veerabadhra wrote: post #274

Earlier quoted context omitted.

This kind of safe advice isn't very helpful for someone who is hustling IMO. Maybe it is useful for someone who's going to become a principal engineer at a large corporate. The parent commenter would be well suited to work at a startup. Unfortunately, startups have also been infected by the corporate virus. In a country that's stagnating, such risk averse behavior makes sense, because there is no reward for taking on…

A teenage boy asked the master "How do I compose a symphony?" The master said "You're too young, you need to start with more modest projects." "But master" said the boy "you first composed a symphony when you were half my age!" "Yes, but I didn't ask anyone how." --- What I mean by this is that "hustling" is something of a unique, rare, or hacking like thing. You can't ask people how to do it, because if they could t…

Good reply but worth considering this phenomena might actually be due to teaching being an orthogonal skill. The master is a master because of that which they produce: there’s usually no requirement to be able to teach.
Post reply on HN