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Tell HN: The ratio of wants-to-be-hired to is-hiring is at a record high 0.94

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Re: Tell HN: The ratio of wants-to-be-hired to is-hiring is at a record high 0.94

#151
post #9

I'd like to see data go all the way back to 2020, which was when some people said had the worst job market, because of the global lockdowns. But thanks for the data anyway. It does amuse me that we're still at more people hiring than looking for jobs. It's a stark contrast to other industries, where the power is normally in the hands of employers. Another thing to consider is that we've had layoffs recently, i.e. peo…

To post in the WWTBH thread, you need to share your contact info, and probably some information about yourself, so it can't be an anon account.

Which means, if you're employed and looking elsewhere, you have to be comfortable with your employer potentially discovering your eye is wandering. Which I for one, definitely wouldn't want to do right now.

So I imagine the WWTBH posts are really just the tip of the iceberg (there may be more than one employed person looking for every unemployed one that feels comfortable posting there)

Compared to the Who is Hiring posts which companies have no reason to be concerned about posting (well, maybe if they're simultaneously laying off and pretending that they need to reduce headcount when it's really about reducing the average wage)

Re: Tell HN: The ratio of wants-to-be-hired to is-hiring is at a record high 0.94

#152
post #131

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I’m approaching 30 years in software development, and I don’t remember having a “technical” interview until this week…. in which I had two. Both were with large, well-known companies. But the nature and outcome of the two were quite different. In one, the interviewer just dumped some code on the screen that had been clumsily obfuscated, and its intent and strategy rendered indecipherable. In the second, I was asked t…

Agreed that the second seems more reasonable! It matters a lot if the interviewer is not quizzing you on trivia or waiting for you to trip and fall. > I feel more confident in judging their validity and my role in their outcomes… and calling out ones that are disrespectful. I wish we could all do that! One overlooked aspect of this humiliating process is that it saps your confidence. I've seen it happen. After a bunc…

Exactly. And then you wonder if you're just making excuses and trying to blame the test.

But in the end you have to consider your past work, things you've built, and the value you've added to things. And, most of all, positive feedback you've received from colleagues or customers. I reflect on the fact that my colleagues have worked in my code, built entire new features of their own on top of it, and then vouched for me in job referrals that have their name on them. That's the most valuable confidence pill in your arsenal.

Re: Tell HN: The ratio of wants-to-be-hired to is-hiring is at a record high 0.94

#153
post #16

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> It does amuse me that we're still at more people hiring than looking for jobs. It's a stark contrast to other industries, where the power is normally in the hands of employers. In my area, many businesses outside of the tech sector is actively hiring and can't find enough people. I think Covid triggered a demographic shift with many Boomers retiring (or dying) and that gap has not been filled.

Given that Boomers are around 80, I suspect most of them were already retired.

Boomer generation is born 1946 - 1964 so most are probably around 70ish, with many younger and older.

Re: Tell HN: The ratio of wants-to-be-hired to is-hiring is at a record high 0.94

#154

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Given that Boomers are around 80, I suspect most of them were already retired.

1946-1964 (the US Census definition of boomers) is "around 80" at the high end. My dad's a boomer, he's still working.

Yeah, I don't really subscribe to this seemingly ever-expanding definition of "Baby Boomers." It was supposed to be babies born in the euphoria right after WWII, but now extends for 20 years.

The ever-expanding "millennials" label is even more absurd. It originally meant people graduating college around 2000: a very specific group. Now, again, it has blown up to include decades of people.

After Boomers, all the labels are just idiotic. Let's all just refer to age groups using [gasp] numbers.

Re: Tell HN: The ratio of wants-to-be-hired to is-hiring is at a record high 0.94

#155

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I'm afraid it's not the only explanation (economy), but it's still a very good reason. Looking at myself, I've been working remotely for the last 7 years and there is just no way back, even if another company would pay me 2x or 3x more. Remote working is a massive perk and thanks (due) to Covid, a lot of people became aware of this.

Yes. Additionally I'm not moving across the country to live in a strange and expensive city to work on your CRUD app. There is no way back, even at 2X or 3x more.

I'm not sure I could go back to in-office work, but also moving cross country isn't even feasible for me at this stage in my life, even if I wanted to.

Re: Tell HN: The ratio of wants-to-be-hired to is-hiring is at a record high 0.94

#156

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> It does amuse me that we're still at more people hiring than looking for jobs I would definitely not read that from the data. I don’t know what percentage of current seekers post in the wants-to-be-hired thread, but as a potentially-outlying anecdote, I didn’t until I had already been looking for three months. I would hypothesize that there’s a psychological barrier to posting in WWTBH, even if you’ve been laid off…

Did you get anything from your "who wants to be hired" post? It's not been clear to me that it's a useful thing to do.

I posted last month and didn't hear anything from it. I'm hoping this month is more fruitful.

Re: Tell HN: The ratio of wants-to-be-hired to is-hiring is at a record high 0.94

#157

Earlier quoted context omitted.

1946-1964 (the US Census definition of boomers) is "around 80" at the high end. My dad's a boomer, he's still working.

Yeah, I don't really subscribe to this seemingly ever-expanding definition of "Baby Boomers." It was supposed to be babies born in the euphoria right after WWII, but now extends for 20 years. The ever-expanding "millennials" label is even more absurd. It originally meant people graduating college around 2000: a very specific group. Now, again, it has blown up to include decades of people. After Boomers, all the label…

> It originally meant people graduating college around 2000:

This is not how generational cohorts work. AFAIK, what counts as a generation can refer to people born over from 10, and up to 33 year period depending on who you ask.

"Millennial" is not precise term, it simply refers to people younger than Gen X and older than Gen Z.

Re: Tell HN: The ratio of wants-to-be-hired to is-hiring is at a record high 0.94

#158

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I’ve always been able to delete my comments on that post without having to email anybody

Can confirm. My WWTBH comment from yesterday shows me a delete link, as well as a non-expiring edit link.

The delete button is time-limited. I think it's about 24~36 hours. After that, you can't delete without emailing the mods.

Re: Tell HN: The ratio of wants-to-be-hired to is-hiring is at a record high 0.94

#159
post #131

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I’m approaching 30 years in software development, and I don’t remember having a “technical” interview until this week…. in which I had two. Both were with large, well-known companies. But the nature and outcome of the two were quite different. In one, the interviewer just dumped some code on the screen that had been clumsily obfuscated, and its intent and strategy rendered indecipherable. In the second, I was asked t…

Agreed that the second seems more reasonable! It matters a lot if the interviewer is not quizzing you on trivia or waiting for you to trip and fall. > I feel more confident in judging their validity and my role in their outcomes… and calling out ones that are disrespectful. I wish we could all do that! One overlooked aspect of this humiliating process is that it saps your confidence. I've seen it happen. After a bunc…

> One overlooked aspect of this humiliating process is that it saps your confidence.

This has been me on occasion during the last couple months of searching. I've been worried that my work history was too disjointed to tell a coherent story. Or that I'm not actually as skilled as I thought. Or that some skills have atrophied. Or they just aren't in demand anymore.

I brought it up to a career coach (part of my severance package) and she seemed to think I was overqualified for a couple of them. I'm not sure that's true, and suspect she doesn't grok tech enough to make that assessment. But even if she's right, hell, something straightforward where I'm "overqualified" sounds kind of nice.

Re: Tell HN: The ratio of wants-to-be-hired to is-hiring is at a record high 0.94

#160
post #10

That seems like a good signal to track. Btw does anyone ever get hired from the who wants to be hired thread?

It would also be interesting to know the reverse question: anyone ever got a job from who's hiring thread?
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