We're currently going through the largest tech downturn since the dot com bubble. It's not you, it's the market. Tough for everybody who is looking right now. For the first time in 20 years there are more applicants than jobs again.
Ask HN: Why am I suddenly unemployable?
131–140 of 304 posts
Re: Ask HN: Why am I suddenly unemployable?
#132You are apparently in the UK, but the job market in the U.S. has similarly been very spooky lately. I was laid off and have received almost no interviews outside of a single previous employer. My resume was flat out rejected, even from places that I had previously worked or was made an offer from as little as a year or two ago. It was really weird. As in, previous contacts would not even reply to emails or LinkedIn m…
If there is a surplus of talent, a company would rather hire someone who has background in the current stack and can jump right in. If there is a lack of talent, companies hire whatever is even close and trains the new stuff. Seems pretty straightforward to me.
Re: Ask HN: Why am I suddenly unemployable?
#133You aren't. The economy is absolute garbage right now. I'm in the US and the situation is similar here. I've never had an issue finding a job before either, but I've been unemployed since the middle of 2023. Assuming you aren't under financial hardship, my advice is to spend more time on your hobbies and check back in around July/August. That is when the layoffs are projected to drop and hiring is expected to keep up…
I truly do not mean this in a snarky way - who is projecting that layoffs are projected to drop and hiring is expected to pick up around July/August?
Re: Ask HN: Why am I suddenly unemployable?
#134Beware the comments here from the US that don't apply to UK CVs - which are a different style. Personal intros are not important. I can't see any job titles - which is frankly more important than the company and makes it easier to skim sections of experience Definitely go into more detail than just "Worked on" and "Used" - anything on stuff the company uses in the CV is not confidential and you can put on your CV. Fi…
> Finally put months on your CV - it's not clear if your most recent role was 12 months or 1. I've stopped doing that because it gets tiring why I changed so frequently in recent years. It's not my fault places go bankrupt, startups do layoffs, or teams just up and dissolve after you join, and it gets tiring explaining that rather than discussing my experience, skills, and interests and the role at hand. It was a tot…
You're handicapping yourself with the lack of transparency. It just comes across as shady. Why are you worth the risk compared to the overflow of excellent candidates in this market?
You need to suck it up and share this information. Briefly explain each situation on the resume (i.e. "fixed contract ended" or "startup shut down due to loss of largest customer").
Edit: spelling.
Re: Ask HN: Why am I suddenly unemployable?
#135Earlier quoted context omitted.
If there is a surplus of talent, a company would rather hire someone who has background in the current stack and can jump right in. If there is a lack of talent, companies hire whatever is even close and trains the new stuff. Seems pretty straightforward to me.
It is very short term thinking, which doesn't seem straightforward to me.
Re: Ask HN: Why am I suddenly unemployable?
#136up your network mojo (not the tcp/ip kind).
Re: Ask HN: Why am I suddenly unemployable?
#137You aren't. The economy is absolute garbage right now. I'm in the US and the situation is similar here. I've never had an issue finding a job before either, but I've been unemployed since the middle of 2023. Assuming you aren't under financial hardship, my advice is to spend more time on your hobbies and check back in around July/August. That is when the layoffs are projected to drop and hiring is expected to keep up…
Every time I bring up this uneasy feeling of everything feeling like it's going to crumble soon, I get employment data hurtled at me and the stock market thrown in my face. Maybe Canada is worse due to how insane housing is but for the average person life does not feel anywhere like it used to pre pandemic at least.
Re: Ask HN: Why am I suddenly unemployable?
#138Earlier quoted context omitted.
It is very short term thinking, which doesn't seem straightforward to me.
Why is it short term? Are employees less familiar with the technology they’re using day to day more likely to stick around? I’d guess the opposite?
Re: Ask HN: Why am I suddenly unemployable?
#139There's too many devs and too few jobs imho, so it's tougher.
Market will rebalance, and we need to cope with this new reality of jobs being harder to find.