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

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

#471

Post by cercatrova »

WalterBright wrote: post #346
snakedoctor wrote: post #121

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Not to be argumentative. But yes, I did attend college. Send me a email, and I'll send you an email from my college email address (Hasn't been deactivited yet). I can send you my college transcript if that helps.. Well, I did get hired by IBM as a programmer so... I've contributed to a GNU open source project.. So I feel that I am qualifed for a entry level developer/SecEng/Security Analyst role. I went above my boss…

Gentle tip: writing "shouldn't of" instead "shouldn't have" is one of those critical writing misteaks one should never make when communicating with educated people. Some others worth special effort to do correctly: 1. their there they're 2. its it's 3. your you're A couple other writing tips: 1. don't terminate sentences with .. or ... 2. "bosses" is plural, I think you meant "boss's" for the possessive I know it sou…

The irony of correcting others when you yourself have several writing mistakes.

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

#472

Post by WalterBright »

cercatrova wrote: post #471
WalterBright wrote: post #346

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Gentle tip: writing "shouldn't of" instead "shouldn't have" is one of those critical writing misteaks one should never make when communicating with educated people. Some others worth special effort to do correctly: 1. their there they're 2. its it's 3. your you're A couple other writing tips: 1. don't terminate sentences with .. or ... 2. "bosses" is plural, I think you meant "boss's" for the possessive I know it sou…

The irony of correcting others when you yourself have several writing mistakes.

I shall have myself flagellated.

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

#473

Post by [deleted] »

snakedoctor wrote: post #77
BeetleB wrote: post #54

So far none of the replies has mentioned this, and it may be unpopular in HN, but: Seriously consider going back to school and finishing a degree. Although it's "known" that you don't really need a degree for a SW role, there are plenty of well established old school companies that will not consider you at all unless you have a degree. On the flip side, you'll get jobs more easily. A lot of interviewers who choose to…

I've thought about it. Community College, Deep Springs etc. I think autodidacticism is a better way to learn vs academic path. Though I didn't want to finish high school but I did.. So, it might be just one of those things that I'll have to suck up and just do. I disliked that I would have to take 2 years of core curriculum stuff before even being allowed to take major related courses. I had to reach out to instructo…

[deleted]

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

#474

Post by astura »

snakedoctor wrote: post #9
elmerfud wrote: post #2

You leave out a lot about yourself that would make you unhireable. From what you've written it sounds like you could form a decent resume for an entry level position. The biggest red flag I see is that it doesn't sound like you completed anything and you don't have any follow through / sticktuitiveness. Life happens and reasons happen but you didn't complete college, you complain about your entry level position at am…

Yeah, I think hiring managers think that I'm a quitter. I definitely think that I was whining too much about the Amazon role. Beggers can't be choosers. However, the no health insurance thing rubbed me the wrong way. I felt like it was a dead end job. I wish that I would've stayed with it though. I probably would've been promoted by now. I need to stay with a job and rack up some years of experience for sure. Like I…

>I felt like that I should've got promoted after reporting those issues, especially since I found them within my frist two weeks.

Dude, don't take this the wrong way but the workplace (and the world) do not operate the way you think they do. Your expectations are wildly out of line with reality. You need to adjust your expectations and learn some humility.

I am also confused about how you've never worked anywhere for more then two months but were also constantly maxing out your 1GB email quota in those two months? BTW, in the corporate world 1GB email quota is on the high end.

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

#476

Post by txaway595 »

Throwaway so this can’t be linked to my professional persona.

In this specific paragraph I would usually provide my work history to back what I’m saying I can’t however so you need to put a bit of trust that I’m a specialist at hiring people to different tech jobs. If you don’t, well, your call.

Based on those few short paragraphs I can see many flaws with your character and our interview would probably be very short even if you’d be able to _cheat_ your way in - as I don’t believe that your entry information isn’t oversweetened to the point of puke.

So from hi - Paper takes everything, deep background check is usually far after interview. You can write anything there. If it’s plausible we can talk. - Contrary to what some people here say, tech interviews aren’t reward in their own. It’s not random chance to get 1/500. Multi-staged mixed-interviewers are here for a reason. One person can make mistake. 5 people reviewing same person will find almost everything - You’re desperate. Desperate people aren’t good specialists. - When joining organization one of the most important questions is whether you can align. If you can’t, you’re out. - Even in your description you’re pulling out the big guns - you name Google, Facebook, Dell, NSA, CIA and then you’re a dropout who worked for a Amazon customer support role. Lot of smoke but no fire.

There is (obviously) not a lot in your description. Probably resume would be in place and most likely you’re presenting yourself from the best side which still has a lot of glaring issues.

Anyway, on to the road to the solution. You need to get character assessment and possibly even therapy. My guess is you’re exhibiting toxic behavior and if I’m correct it’s very possible you’re not aware about it.

I believe that your road to FAANG is burned down already, it’s not that surprising that you haven’t tried to work for smaller companies as your post screams “I’m the best and deserve the best” which is yet another sign that something is wrong with your character.

Place where I work provides detailed feedback for rejected candidates. I know that at least some of the FAANG provides detailed feedback too. If you haven’t received one it means it was decided that you’re toxic/troublemaker/straight liar and any interaction with you is not only cost but also might start a process no one wants to handle.

Fix yourself and you’ll get a job.

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

#477

Post by suck-it-dang »

TimTheTinker wrote: post #94
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…

Homeschooled doesn't imply social skill deficit. Sure, some homeschooled kids have social skill issues, but some public school kids also have social skill issues. In the end, a healthy, non-insular, loving, connected family (either family of origin or a healthy/happy group into which one is welcomed and spends lots of time) is the only necessary requirement for healthy social skills, and it's often sufficient as well…

It is not necessary.

My wife came from a broken home and extreme poverty, and yet she is infinitely more relatable and empathetic than the average knuckle-dragging troglodyte HN poster.

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

#478

Post by cleandreams »

Companies care a lot about perseverance and track record. You should stay at jobs for at least 2 years. Also, leaving college as a freshman does not look good; that is an inadequate education for tech. You are not going to get a good job with so little education (there are rare exceptions but you don't sound like one). If you need a cheap school, do that. I have a computer science degree from a cheap state school and I have worked at the best and biggest companies. You have to stop making excuses and stop focusing on being rejected. Focus on doing the work of preparation. Get busy. You can do it. IMHO you will never get a good tech job with so little education -- go back to school and get loans. Also I got a good internship from one of my professor's.

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

#479

Post by salvadormon »

rsweeney21 wrote: post #84

I'm a software engineer that runs a technical recruiting company. I worked at Microsoft and Netflix for a decade. Email me at robert at facet dot net. I will interview you and tell you why you're not getting hired.

It's refreshing to see a positive comment in the sea of destructive criticism in this thread.

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

#480

Post by nl »

snakedoctor wrote: post #110
void_mint wrote: post #18

Have you tried asking any of the jobs that rejected you're getting rejected? Honestly, just a guess, you're probably giving off bad interpersonal vibes/people don't really like talking to you. Half of interviewing is just being very personable/being able to talk comfortably with other people. Generally in this space (this space meaning those interested in tech/startups/etc) sometimes people struggle in this area but…

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-…

> Reason that I mentioned that I mentioned Bill Landreth was that I think that I'm kinda like him.

Bill Landreth was homeless in Santa Monica in 2016[1]. Plenty of smart people have ended up the same way.

I think you might be making the mistake of thinking that being smart matters. It doesn't matter very much - if the outcome is "success" (whatever that means) then generally speaking having people like you is a better predictor than being smart.

Do people like you? If not then fix that. Read "How to win friends and influence people" and follow the advice.

[1] https://paleofuture.gizmodo.com/the-untold-story-of-the-teen...

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