With 8 years of experience, you might know quite some people in a position to hire. Call every single one of them, and if they're probably not hiring, ask them for 1-2 phone numbers of people they know who might be looking to expand their teams.
Ask HN: Feeling quite disheartened about job search, any advice?
71–80 of 148 posts
Re: Ask HN: Feeling quite disheartened about job search, any advice?
#72The National Labs are most definitely hiring for all STEM roles. https://nationallabs.org/work-here/careers/ I just looked at Berkeley and they have 60 openings with the word “software” in the title. https://jobs.lbl.gov/jobs/search/4993486
> I'm in the EU FWIW.
Re: Ask HN: Feeling quite disheartened about job search, any advice?
#73I have 25 YoE and talking to walls too. My only suggestion is to ask everyone to review your resume. If that doesn't work, start lying. The last time I was looking for work, I applied to over 600 positions. I've been off work 2 weeks and I'm nearing 200. Came across this the other day, good resources hidden in links: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1IUUwdEw0RjTftvJv3LTA-7XI... (such as this: https://docs.google.co…
Don't lie, that just degrades signalling for everyone else.
Signaling is already shit with mighty high requirements which are BS like 'need 5 years of experience in the field' for a junior position.
Everyone got bills to pay, can't blame anyone for lying. If you put ridiculously high expectations, this is what you get. Go full ham on little white lies. Exaggerate like they exaggerate about how fun the environment is to work in. If it were truly a superb place, the position was already filled to begin with.
From there, look for something else. The best thing to do (and I hate it) is start searching while being employed. Doesn't matter which job. Just do whatever and state you're overqualified (but try not to trash talk your current position). That way, you get some of your self-esteem back, you'll have less stress.
Re: Ask HN: Feeling quite disheartened about job search, any advice?
#74I have 25 YoE and talking to walls too. My only suggestion is to ask everyone to review your resume. If that doesn't work, start lying. The last time I was looking for work, I applied to over 600 positions. I've been off work 2 weeks and I'm nearing 200. Came across this the other day, good resources hidden in links: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1IUUwdEw0RjTftvJv3LTA-7XI... (such as this: https://docs.google.co…
Don't lie, that just degrades signalling for everyone else.
Lots and lots and lots of people are already lying. Hard to compete with that.
[Edit]
A quant analyst working at some firm was told to steal Bernie Madoff's lunch. When he realized Bernie was 100% accurate on his predictions and it was obviously bullshit, he told his bosses, and filed four appeals with the SEC, but no one would listen:
Re: Ask HN: Feeling quite disheartened about job search, any advice?
#75When I am in situations like this, I try to focus on the process, not the outcome. Find joy in applying for new jobs, learning about system design and algorithms, or doing practice interviews. If you follow the process, you will find that job. ---- On a side note, I would encourage you to not lower your pay or communicate you will accept lower pay, because its a signal to employers that you're desperate, no one wants…
>As one of my old favorite managers once told me, "when I gave you that offer, I wanted you to walk in on your first day smiling"
Is there more context to this? Did the manager want you to walk in smiling even though a low ball offer was accepted, or want you to walk in smiling because you felt you got a good offer you are happy with?
Re: Ask HN: Feeling quite disheartened about job search, any advice?
#76When I am in situations like this, I try to focus on the process, not the outcome. Find joy in applying for new jobs, learning about system design and algorithms, or doing practice interviews. If you follow the process, you will find that job. ---- On a side note, I would encourage you to not lower your pay or communicate you will accept lower pay, because its a signal to employers that you're desperate, no one wants…
Thank you for your words, I'm definitely trying to reframe this way and rekindle some interest in algorithms/design.
And yeah, I haven't obviously made that signal, but I have definitely applied for "lesser" companies that I wouldn't have otherwise.
Re: Ask HN: Feeling quite disheartened about job search, any advice?
#77[flagged]
You're sick in the head. Absolutely abhorrent.
Re: Ask HN: Feeling quite disheartened about job search, any advice?
#78Similar boat. I'm looking in other industries.
Re: Ask HN: Feeling quite disheartened about job search, any advice?
#79When I am in situations like this, I try to focus on the process, not the outcome. Find joy in applying for new jobs, learning about system design and algorithms, or doing practice interviews. If you follow the process, you will find that job. ---- On a side note, I would encourage you to not lower your pay or communicate you will accept lower pay, because its a signal to employers that you're desperate, no one wants…
> On a side note, I would encourage you to not lower your pay or communicate you will accept lower pay, because its a signal to employers that you're desperate, no one wants you, and they too should be cautious to hire you. As one of my old favorite managers once told me, "when I gave you that offer, I wanted you to walk in on your first day smiling"
While this is often true: (1) some employers really do want the cheapest labour — they're not people you want to work for for other reasons, but they will hire you, and if you're short of money, some is better than one
(2) It's unclear what the market rates are. I'm also job hunting*, and I've seen people confidently claim the "going rate" for my experience level is anywhere from €75k to €114k. My experience with pay has always been getting huge rises followed by people shocked by how small the number is.
* If anyone's interested in hiring me: iOS senior, Berlin, been doing iOS since the first iPod with retina display came out
Re: Ask HN: Feeling quite disheartened about job search, any advice?
#80Earlier quoted context omitted.
Don't lie, that just degrades signalling for everyone else.
Signaling is already shit with mighty high requirements which are BS like 'need 5 years of experience in the field' for a junior position. Everyone got bills to pay, can't blame anyone for lying. If you put ridiculously high expectations, this is what you get. Go full ham on little white lies. Exaggerate like they exaggerate about how fun the environment is to work in. If it were truly a superb place, the position wa…
> That way, you get some of your self-esteem back, you'll have less stress.
Seriously this is something you have to start figuring out. Nobody can get refused hundreds of times and not get into self-doubt. Once out of a few referrals, I actually take the time to write back to whoever refused, even if it's a dead mailbox, just so I can tell to myself hey buddy, look at how I can do this job. I take their offer line by line and tell them why I am the best to do it. Come to think of it, I should do that for cover letters.