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Career advice nobody gave me: Never ignore a recruiter

alexchesser.medium.com

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Re: Career advice nobody gave me: Never ignore a recruiter

#531

Post by cercatrova »

vhgyu75e6u wrote: post #441
hn_version_0023 wrote: post #329

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I explicitly state in my LinkedIn profile “do not contact me I’m not seeking new opportunities at this time” and I still get a half dozen a week. Recruiters are the laziest humans on earth.

Do you have it as "Open to positions" or whatever is called? Reading this thread I feel like I'm flying under the radar somehow given my experience. Could it be US specific? I'm a FAANG engineer in Europe with a small LinkedIn network (less than 100) and I rarely get bothered

It is most likely because you're in Europe that you're not getting many requests. The job market for devs in the US is insane, much higher than in other areas of the world.

Re: Career advice nobody gave me: Never ignore a recruiter

#532

Post by tjoff »

dkersten wrote: post #508
tjoff wrote: post #436

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Additionally, if a neighbor is having an emergency they (emergency services) might call you to see if you are home and able to help.

I don’t know anyone that isn’t my parents age that has a landline anymore so this scenario already wouldn’t work with my friends, family or neighbours. My phone isn’t directly tied to my address in any way that might be useful for emergency services.

Depends on where you live. In Sweden your cell phone is typically tied to yourself and yourself to your primary place of stay.

Re: Career advice nobody gave me: Never ignore a recruiter

#533

Post by tjoff »

Johnny555 wrote: post #514
tjoff wrote: post #436

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Additionally, if a neighbor is having an emergency they (emergency services) might call you to see if you are home and able to help.

The one time my neighbors called for help (their car wouldn't start and they needed to go to urgent care), they txt'ed first, then called. Though I would have picked up when they called (and it would have gotten through my do not disturb settings) because their number is in my contacts.

Not saying that your neighbor would call you, but that the emergency services would call you on your neighbours behalf (and it will not be from a number you recognize).

Re: Career advice nobody gave me: Never ignore a recruiter

#534

Post by twblalock »

alkonaut wrote: post #295
jedberg wrote: post #263

Earlier quoted context omitted.

If you're going to start with salary, at least don't tell them what you currently make, because that will instantly be their baseline. Just tell them what you desire and don't tell them that it is 20% or whatever more than what you currently make. But really you shouldn't start with giving a number. They already have a huge advantage because they negotiate salary all day and you do it once every few years. Just ask t…

Does the baseline matter though? If I’m not switching for less than 1.2x does it matter if they know what $current pay is? Either they can offer it or they can’t?

What if they were willing to offer 1.5x and you suggested, and ended up with, 1.2x because you were the first to provide a number?

That's the risk of going first.

Re: Career advice nobody gave me: Never ignore a recruiter

#535

Post by Izkata »

TameAntelope wrote: post #376
thaumasiotes wrote: post #374

Earlier quoted context omitted.

That would seem to indicate that 54% of "software developers" are white.

Yeah, that sounds about right. Over half.

You know that's under-represented for the US's population, right?

Re: Career advice nobody gave me: Never ignore a recruiter

#536

Post by mvkel »

Just on this story alone I would imagine this happened exactly once, given the comp increase expectations. Is it really worth building a system around?

Separately, if you're not reading their canned email, what makes you think they're going to read your canned response?

Re: Career advice nobody gave me: Never ignore a recruiter

#537

Post by twblalock »

DebtDeflation wrote: post #133

Bad career advice I received early in my career: Don't talk compensation until late in the interviewing process after you've already convinced them to hire you. Compensation is the first thing I bring up now. "I currently make X salary, Y annual bonus, and Z equity. This position will need to exceed all 3 by at least 20% before I even consider it. Does that sound doable? If not, let's not waste any more of each other…

If you are currently underpaid (and many people early in their careers are), this is a way to keep being underpaid.

What if they are willing to offer 50% more, but you ask for 20% more and end up with it?

If they go first, and they lowball you, you can always ask for more. If you go first and say "I want $X", and they say "OK!" you probably left money on the table.

You have a lot of experience, so you probably know what you are worth. But a lot of people a few years into their careers would undervalue themselves in this kind of negotiation if they went first, especially if they are transitioning from startups to big tech.

Re: Career advice nobody gave me: Never ignore a recruiter

#538

Post by bitcharmer »

tomp wrote: post #496
bitcharmer wrote: post #417

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I'm hoping your question isn't serious but just in case you don't know the difference between the two: Luck - success or failure apparently brought by chance rather than through one's own actions. Privilege - a special right, advantage, or immunity granted or available only to a particular person or group. Hope this is helpful

Well, “interest in programming” sounds to be like a special advantage in the current world; why do you think it’s not a privilege ? It might even be genetic! (Not to mention that you also need the privilege of being born relatively smart.)

Well if you frame it like that everything and anything can be called privilege.

Doesn't make much sense to me.

Re: Career advice nobody gave me: Never ignore a recruiter

#539

Post by ornornor »

rexf wrote: post #501
ornornor wrote: post #345

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> it is in the recruiter's interest to get you as much money as possible so you might get a better offer via them Up to a point. They get a fraction of the marginal increase in salary, and they’d much sooner “close the sale” than risking having someone else fill the job to try and get an extra 500$ commission. It’s the same story with real estate agents: selling your house for an extra 20k might be a lot to you but t…

Yeah, however real estate agents will close later (and for more) when selling their own home. > Real estate agent-owned homes are on the market longer and sell for more (2005) https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=26840289

My point exactly. The seller’s (or job seeker’s) upside is much higher than the agent’s, and so the agent won’t try and get you a higher price/salary if it means delaying the sale.

Re: Career advice nobody gave me: Never ignore a recruiter

#540

Post by teakettle42 »

mizzao wrote: post #518

Alternate approach: build a relationship with the 99th percentile super-recruiter that basically all the startups that know what they are doing in your area use to hire, and go to him for a job. In NYC, this is that dude: https://www.linkedin.com/in/johnkeenan/ I send all my friends to him when looking for jobs. He also doesn't lie to you and since he has a technical background, will rarely place anyone in a bad fit.…

Reminds me of NYC’s absolutely horrific apartment broker model. No thank you.

Why would I want to give a recruiter a large cut of my potential compensation for no real value? If someone is making seven figures doing that, there’s a problem.

If I want a job at a company, I can apply for it myself.

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