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Ask HN: How do you get side gigs?

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Re: Ask HN: How do you get side gigs?

#61

Post by edf13 »

Clent wrote: post #45
aaaaaaaaata wrote: post #10

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Jeez. Which networks still exist that do not require this large upfront timesuck (regardless of how well it may filter candidates)?

Agreed. Of all the solutions our industry can provide, why cannot we not solve for if someone is performant in the industry? Trades figures this out centuries ago. However, our industry retains a hint of mystery. A magical sauce that cannot yet be taught. But more importantly, a level of some mystery remains that cannot be detected without forcing the recruit through a rigorous course. Its biggest attrition being a t…

> Trades figures this out centuries ago.

The difference with “us” is that our skills are still evolving - and quickly in many spaces…. The tools change, the methods change and the skill sets are constantly evolving to match.

Re: Ask HN: How do you get side gigs?

#63

Post by nsxwolf »

sph wrote: post #14
domlebo70 wrote: post #7

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Yeah nice. What was so painful about the application process?

Be prepared to have to do off-screen and later screen-shared, timed leetcode challenges. Fail one, it's an automatic disqualification.

Thanks, I think I'll give up on my desire to have side gigs now.

Re: Ask HN: How do you get side gigs?

#64

Post by ghaff »

Enginerrrd wrote: post #29

Pound pavement. Take people out to lunch. Go to conferences. Lots and lots of networking. Leverage any existing connections you have. If you're a senior, you should have some that are no longer relevant to your company, like old coworkers and whatnot. In my experience, there will be about a 3-6 month delay between looking for work and securing a contract. A couple things: I undersold myself at first to get a couple o…

Per another comment of mine, you're now essentially talking about a full time-ish job though. Unless you're lucky and connect with just the right people in your network, it's really tough to land well-paying part-time to very part-time gigs with a minimum of business development and a fair bit of flexibility.

And this is true broadly. It's very hard to find/make a 10-20 hour job that lets you take off a month or two and isn't some $5-10/hour sort of thing. To the degree there is, you probably have to create it yourself.

Re: Ask HN: How do you get side gigs?

#65

Post by taormina »

jack_codes wrote: post #56

I've lucked into some great places being cool with part-time work. That said, just yesterday I spoke with a recruiter for a 40hr gig and they had deep concerns that I've had work overlap (my part-time business + 40hr contract work) on my resume. I've pulled out of consideration for that role because of it but am thinking of adjusting my resume to not show overlap. I would've thought it showed drive but I guess - at l…

You correctly identified the red flag of a place looking for side-gig work that actually hates any sign of side-gig work. So for starters, great job there, you don't want to work for those people. As much as I hate to just recommend "find better recruiters", that does sound like a pretty terrible recruiter. I wouldn't remove the interesting stuff from your resume because a non-technical chump doesn't understand how technology gets tinkered on.

Re: Ask HN: How do you get side gigs?

#67

Post by atemerev »

H8crilA wrote: post #32
atemerev wrote: post #21

Well, if you want money, go with the money. For me it is consulting in crypto and algorithmic trading, but there are other high-paying areas to consider. Like adtech, but I am not sociopathic enough for that. It is harder to find a side gig as a generic (no pun intended) Go developer, you’d want to specialize in something.

Why adtech is more sociopathic than algorithmic trading? Honest question, especially because both are so similar (algorithmic usage of information in fast marketplaces).

Because in adtech, you have to manipulate people much more directly, without going through the equalizer of electronic marketplaces.

Also, at least in crypto, nearly all people are here voluntarily, they know that they are in the adversarial environment, a fighting arena. In adtech, you are up against the innocent.

Re: Ask HN: How do you get side gigs?

#68

Post by jjevanoorschot »

dominotw wrote: post #50
MrPatan wrote: post #17

Earlier quoted context omitted.

FANGs? startups? contracts? It's been a while since I looked, is 200k the norm now? Asking for a friend...

Yea 200-250k is starting base of seniors now. Options, RSUs, bonus on top of it.

This isn't the case in London (which is what the parent comment is referring to). In London you can probably half that base.

Re: Ask HN: How do you get side gigs?

#69

Post by ygjb »

swamp40 wrote: post #43
buzbe_uk wrote: post #31

Earlier quoted context omitted.

This may be unpopular here, but be really clear what you want out of your job. If you're just talking side gigs be really clear this doesn't interfere with your own job performance. The first target you hit because of your "side gig" will be your downward spiral. Now .. running your own business is another option. For me I encourage my staff to have "side gig" of their own business, but will not sign off on them cont…

> For me I encourage my staff to have "side gig" of their own business, but will not sign off on them contracting on the side. I'm not clear on how that works. Could you provide an example?

I will provide a concrete example, even though I am not the parent commenter. I work for a FAANG company in a reasonably senior role. I have carveouts in my employment contract that I negotiated when I started a few months ago, because in addition to my day job, I co-own a coworking space with my wife (and she owns other businesses that I do some light tech work for - site maintenance, office network, etc).

My day job is very demanding, but my leadership team are aware, and the HR folks at my employer have documentation that supports me having a side business, and so if I say things like "I have to go the bank/lawyer stuff for my business", no one bats an eye as long as I am hitting my targets for the day job.

The expectation is that I will largely be available and focused on my day job during the 9-5, and where needed, provide support on escalations/on-call.

If I started taking on consulting contracts or was regularly juggling contracting or side-job related tasks against my day job, then it wouldn't be a good fit for delivering on that 9-5.

Re: Ask HN: How do you get side gigs?

#70

Post by d0100 »

sph wrote: post #14
domlebo70 wrote: post #7

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Yeah nice. What was so painful about the application process?

Be prepared to have to do off-screen and later screen-shared, timed leetcode challenges. Fail one, it's an automatic disqualification.

For me the screen-shared leetcode/React challenge was stupid easy, I failed in the later take home project because I half assed it (no testing/CRUD validation)
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