Hacker News Board Hacker News, browsed like a classic message board
Live data from Hacker News

How (not) to apply for a software job

benhoyt.com

Post reply on HN
Print view View original

111–120 of 174 posts

Re: How (not) to apply for a software job

#111

Post by toyg »

RHSeeger wrote: post #101
r4indeer wrote: post #74

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I'm sorry, a 10-stage application with at least 5 different interviews? How many weeks is this going to take? This feels like FAANG-level recruitment. Am I so out of touch to expect an application, one interview and maybe a technical assessment for most IT/CompSci jobs? Wouldn't the probationary period be way more effective to see if you fit into the team/company/culture/etc.?

If you're going to be leaving another job to work at a company, you want to find out if it's a cultural fit _before_ that happens, not during a probationary fit.

But that doesn't happen here - it's the hiring company evaluating that, you don't get a choice. Unless you mean that subjecting you to this horrendous process signals which kind of company they are, so that you can bail in time.

Re: How (not) to apply for a software job

#112

Post by brabel »

vineyardmike wrote: post #52
rawbert wrote: post #42

Am I the only one who is not maintaining some kind of private Github repo? I am doing this job for the money and not the "coding fun". If I had the urge to code more, I would just do more hours in my regular job and get paid for that.

Plenty of people code for fun. Or choose to spend free time learning new things. My job sometimes gets really boring and uninteresting. I can then scratch the itch by working on something for my own benefit and interest.

Yeah, I can't imagine only writing boring code at work and never getting to learn new, interesting things that could get me a role using those things that I actually enjoy using (now I am past that already, but I've done this all my career and would recommend unless you don't care at all about enjoying your job).

Re: How (not) to apply for a software job

#113

Post by emerongi »

cmcaleer wrote: post #105
emerongi wrote: post #66

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I think none of my coworkers in different jobs have had Github profiles with public code. I have a Github profile with multiple public repos, but I don't think it helps with anything. I once had an interviewer say "it seems like you don't have much on your Github profile".

> I once had an interviewer say "it seems like you don't have much on your Github profile". This sounds like a softball question to invite you to talk about your projects phrased in a slightly ignorant way, possibly on purpose. If you had quality projects on your GitHub this should be an extremely easy statement to answer with "I disagree because x and I'm particularly proud of y and its popularity with n users and f…

Sure, but if an interviewer phrases it in this way, they should also fully expect to be shut down. I don't see any reason to not just go "talk me through the projects on your Github profile". To me it signaled that they minimalized my work, especially because there's at least 3 projects on my profile that I'm more proud of than any non-public work I've done in my professional career. Maybe I'm sensitive, but I guess it just signals that there won't be a fit.

Re: How (not) to apply for a software job

#114

Post by loloquwowndueo »

pacMakaveli wrote: post #82

This article is so frustrating. Get yourself on the market before spewing this shit. I recently been on the lookout for a new job and my first CV was personal. Full of my own words and description of what I did in the last 10+ years as a software engineer. I'm a bit biased but it was a really good CV. That got me 0 fucking offers. ZERO I rewrote my CV based on some google suggestions and with ChatGPT. I got through n…

Care to share the google suggestions? :)

Re: How (not) to apply for a software job

#116

Post by toyg »

ss1996 wrote: post #17

"but the written interview part (the part people seem to protest the most) I actually find quite useful." Yeah, not taking advice from this fellow. Good writing doesn't necessarily make you a good software engineer (and vice versa). Save this garbage for college applications.

I mean, it's Canonical - they famously weigh high-school experience very heavily, so I guess them behaving like colleges is consistent (if slightly insane).

Re: How (not) to apply for a software job

#117

Post by siva7 »

I applied twice at Canonical. Got both times an automated mail where they proudly pronounced how superior and more human their interview process is and that i will definitely receive a follow-up. Both times i've been ghosted. So therefore let me give some advice to the blog author: Before (or instead of) giving out generic advice to job candidates, try to be a bit more humble about the (broken) reality at Canonical.

Re: How (not) to apply for a software job

#118

Post by sjducb »

pacMakaveli wrote: post #82

This article is so frustrating. Get yourself on the market before spewing this shit. I recently been on the lookout for a new job and my first CV was personal. Full of my own words and description of what I did in the last 10+ years as a software engineer. I'm a bit biased but it was a really good CV. That got me 0 fucking offers. ZERO I rewrote my CV based on some google suggestions and with ChatGPT. I got through n…

Yea you 100% need a skills section that lists every technology you’ve ever worked with. I tried taking it off and got no interviews with that CV version.

Someone in HR or a recruiter will match up the technologies on the job post with your CV and only put you through if you list most of the ones they need.

Re: How (not) to apply for a software job

#119

Post by emerongi »

dangus wrote: post #100

> There’s nothing interesting or personal, and it could describe almost any software engineer. Do you not want a software engineer? I’m applying for a job that I have to have to survive, not my life’s ultimate passion. If you don’t want me to use automation to aid my workflow (which in this case is to apply to hundreds of jobs knowing that my chances at each individual one are slim) then you’ll get what you’re asking…

> Let me guess, you write software that transforms inputs to outputs on a deadline.

Software engineering described by a software engineer, love it!

Re: How (not) to apply for a software job

#120

Post by yosito »

How not to apply for a software job: applying at places where the interviewer is pedantic and evaluating you on things that are subjective and literally have nothing to do with your ability to perform the job. This article is worthless.
Post reply on HN