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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?

#521

Earlier quoted context omitted.

What the US and specially the tech industry call "hustling" is bullshit sprinkled with self-delusion. For every successful history of someone hustling there's a thousand more of someone hustling just as much and not getting anywhere, and usually the ones being successful are getting there with generous help from unseen forces (network, relatives, etc). We need to stop idolizing hustling. Getting shit done without pre…

I always thought that creating and maintaining a network was part of the hustle. And to a certain (unhealthy) extent, relationships.

Creating an maintaining a network of people in your field is extremely important for your career, especially your later career.

I like to say. At a job you get compensated three ways. Money, experience, and contacts. There are more ways but those are the top three.

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

#522
post #502
post #431

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I just want to say that this was a kind, detailed, and thoughtful response -- beneficial to the OP, no doubt, but also probably to others. It was nice to be reminded that sometimes the Internet doesn't suck. Thanks for taking the time to write that reply.

It's a good comment with the right instinct but for the wrong reasons. The biggest red flag is struggling with personal finance. You can't get jobs like the ones he wants if you live beyond your means and constantly land in hot water with money because people who are like that are at risk of turning to evil to make ends meet.

What jobs inquire about your financial history? That seems a little dystopian. Can't get a handle on your finances because you don't have a steady job, better not give them a steady job!

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

#523

As a hiring manager, the things that stand out to me in your post: - You said you quit a job at EA, quit a job at IBM, dropped out of college your freshman year. You may have valid reasons for leaving each of these, but you have to see this from the manager's perspective: You had 3 different great opportunities that all came to a dead end at the beginning of your career. You need an alternate narrative. - You talk ab…

That's spot on from the advice. I'll add that OP — Your biggest issue seems to be extremely high intelligence, paired with a lack of empathy and social functioning, which created a self-expectation of massive grandiosity. But you keep failing to deliver on it because you can't get your highly powered brain on the streets, leading in self-pity and depression. Not good, but salvageable. How do I know? My life story rea…

Some solid advice. Especially the part about having a good boss. Only 1 in 4 fits that bill in my experience, and landing a job with one makes all the difference for your career.

Also, being the solution guy/girl is good advice.

Once you have that experience you know what to look for in your career. Keep in touch with the good managers and colleagues, as that network is worth gold.

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

#524

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…

>you kinda seem like you might struggle just doing exactly what you're asked to do. Bringing up how frequently you quit things for various reasons or finding issues and bringing them up with your superiors' superiors Yes, this is what stood out for me. OP sounds malcontented, and habitually dissatisfied with his role, and makes antisocial decisions (like spoofing numbers - which is not just dishonest but shows contem…

it is speculative, but I agree

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

#525

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I think parent was saying that author is violating social norms - either because they are oblivious to them (like it is to some people on the spectrum) or they are aware of the norms, but do not care for them (which would be sociopathic)

> but do not care for them (which would be sociopathic) No, disliking social norms is not sociopathic. The critical piece of being sociopathic is a lack of conscience.

That's not true.

A sociopath knows that he's doing something wrong and chooses not to regret it.

A psychopath otoh has a low neural activity in the area of the brain usually associated with empathy.

The main point being that being a sociopath is learned behavior.

Cf. https://youtu.be/6dv8zJiggBs

(I agree that disliking norms are not sociopathic. The norms might be sociopathic.)

(Also: I'm not an expert, I could well be wrong.)

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

#526
post #502
post #431

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I just want to say that this was a kind, detailed, and thoughtful response -- beneficial to the OP, no doubt, but also probably to others. It was nice to be reminded that sometimes the Internet doesn't suck. Thanks for taking the time to write that reply.

It's a good comment with the right instinct but for the wrong reasons. The biggest red flag is struggling with personal finance. You can't get jobs like the ones he wants if you live beyond your means and constantly land in hot water with money because people who are like that are at risk of turning to evil to make ends meet.

ok, so what does he do? he asked for advice. if you don't have any, no need to say anything that isn't constructive.

obviously he won't be able to solve his financial problems in any way without a job. if your assessment is "well he's screwed for the rest of his life" then a) I think you're wrong b) you can keep that to yourself

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

#527
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 probably would've been promoted by now.

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

> Even though I meet the qualifcations.

Your pattern of reasoning about your professional past seems to involve saying what you think "should have" happened as a result of your presupposition of deservedness, rather than considering how your approach might have effected the outcome negatively.

For example, finding a security bug in the first few weeks of a job is usually not a basis for promotion anywhere. Promotion is usually based on consistent dedication to improving something for the company or team over a long period of time.

This takes not only technical, but also emotional and interpersonal skills and awareness as others have mentioned, and the ability to balance your immediate personal desire for a promotion (which we all share) with the goals of the team or organization.

Basically, to progress in your career, you need both the grit to put your nose to the grindstone to stick through the tough part of any job, while also being open to others both in the technical and social sense, and developing a mindset of gratitude for all experiences, which is essential for learning.

Many of us have taken jobs we don't love, or that aren't at A-list employers, while simultaneously laying the groundwork for our personal growth. I spent a summer when in college literally filing the metal cases of networking equipment at a no-name network switch maker - effectively manual labor.

Sure, it wasn't a Google internship, but it sure taught me a lot about work, and I got to talk to some great network hardware and software engineers about their jobs. I work at Google today and sometimes when I have to do something that tests my need for instant gratification, I remember that experience and I'm grateful that I had it.

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

#528

Earlier quoted context omitted.

It's impossible to tell if OP's on the spectrum. I used to think I could do that until I got close with a Clinical Psychologist. Sometimes it can't be confirmed even after a few in-person sessions with professionals, so it's certainly dangerous to "guess" it from a few internet comments.

I think parent was saying that author is violating social norms - either because they are oblivious to them (like it is to some people on the spectrum) or they are aware of the norms, but do not care for them (which would be sociopathic)

[deleted]

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

#529
post #502
post #431

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I just want to say that this was a kind, detailed, and thoughtful response -- beneficial to the OP, no doubt, but also probably to others. It was nice to be reminded that sometimes the Internet doesn't suck. Thanks for taking the time to write that reply.

It's a good comment with the right instinct but for the wrong reasons. The biggest red flag is struggling with personal finance. You can't get jobs like the ones he wants if you live beyond your means and constantly land in hot water with money because people who are like that are at risk of turning to evil to make ends meet.

So your advice is "just stop being poor"?

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

#530
> I’m scared and I don’t know what to do.

I’m sorry. That really sucks.

It sounds like you could really do with some coaching.

I’m not the right person for that but perhaps if you asked for it, a better person would reach out!

heres some questions I would ask to gauge your interpersonal skills at an interview.

could you tell me about the last argument you had and how you resolved it?

where would you like to be in 5 years?

you had a strong opinion about a strategy for solving a problem and disagreed vehemently with a co-worked. it turns out, their strategy worked out great. what would you do next?

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