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Ask HN: Can't get hired – what's next?

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Re: Ask HN: Can't get hired – what's next?

#51

Post by EstanislaoStan »

gridspy wrote: post #24

If you want to stay in the bay area and leverage your experience, perhaps you want to become a technical co-founder for someone? Otherwise it might make sense to move out of the bay area to where there are lower costs of living and then lower your salary expectations to match. Bear in mind that being a good corporate drone or middle manager requires different soft skills and attitude than being the CEO of your own co…

Hello from Fargo, ND! I make peanuts but it's the least stressful job I've ever had.

Re: Ask HN: Can't get hired – what's next?

#52

Post by iterance »

Back up a second. You've missed an important question. What do you WANT out of your time in this life? Where do you actually want to be in ten years, or twenty? $150k p/a is not an answer, or at least not a very good one. You clearly have means enough to start businesses, so a lot of non-conventional doors are open to you. Why do any of it?

Re: Ask HN: Can't get hired – what's next?

#53

Post by bix6 »

silvercymbals wrote: post #42
bix6 wrote: post #29

> when I get interviews I just flat out can't pass tech screens anymore This sounds like the issue to me? You’re getting opps but you’re biffing the tech screen. Can you just slam leet code for 2 months and then ace the screen or is it something else?

Some have been leetcode, others just asking esoteric react facts. The in-person rounds I've done have seemingly gone well, I've produced code that fits requirements each time. Not exactly sure.

Have you asked any of the interviewers for feedback / why they passed? Can’t fix what you don’t know.

Re: Ask HN: Can't get hired – what's next?

#54

Post by jacktasia »

silvercymbals wrote: post #12
TylerLives wrote: post #9

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Why can't other people recognize how great you are?

My resume is pretty scattered. I had good interest with a recruiter sending me FDE roles. But most large orgs look at my resume and run since I have multiple two year stints and stints starting / running my own companies. I'm also fully willing to admit that relative to "senior engineers" of today, maybe I just suck. In that case, idk how to move to what's next. I'm social, but not exactly normal. Also willing to see…

Where do you lean as far as FE/BE/mobile? What tech stacks and/or programming languages can you hit the ground running with?

Re: Ask HN: Can't get hired – what's next?

#55

Post by silvercymbals »

rednafi wrote: post #21
rarisma wrote: post #16

I don't really know what it's like in America but 150k here is insane. If you really can't land a job, it's either time for an attitude adjustment or perhaps a third bite at the apple.

I don’t know where you are but 150k is decent at best in most US and Western European big cities. So if someone has a few years of experience under their belt, the expectation isn’t too complacent.

Look up the average salary of H1B visa holders...

I don't really have any interest arguing what a respectable salary on HN is. The recruiter I was working with clearly stated that $180-200k given my resume was reasonable. America isn't europe.

Re: Ask HN: Can't get hired – what's next?

#56

Post by jinushaun »

leakycap wrote: post #2

You have set a high goal of $150k salary without a clear way to achieve it, or a clear passion, if I'm reading correctly. What is your depth of knowledge in? You say software? Law would be an risk idea if you don't love it with all your heart, even people who love law hate it by the end of law school.

$150k is not a crazy number. That’s not even inside the senior engineer salary band.

Re: Ask HN: Can't get hired – what's next?

#57

Post by silvercymbals »

TylerLives wrote: post #41
silvercymbals wrote: post #12

Earlier quoted context omitted.

My resume is pretty scattered. I had good interest with a recruiter sending me FDE roles. But most large orgs look at my resume and run since I have multiple two year stints and stints starting / running my own companies. I'm also fully willing to admit that relative to "senior engineers" of today, maybe I just suck. In that case, idk how to move to what's next. I'm social, but not exactly normal. Also willing to see…

I jest, but I've been in situations similar to yours. I don't have any advice to give, but I wish you luck.

Thanks for your thoughts :)

Re: Ask HN: Can't get hired – what's next?

#58

Post by silvercymbals »

rockemsockem wrote: post #27
silvercymbals wrote: post #12

Earlier quoted context omitted.

My resume is pretty scattered. I had good interest with a recruiter sending me FDE roles. But most large orgs look at my resume and run since I have multiple two year stints and stints starting / running my own companies. I'm also fully willing to admit that relative to "senior engineers" of today, maybe I just suck. In that case, idk how to move to what's next. I'm social, but not exactly normal. Also willing to see…

Are you only applying to senior roles? Idk the specifics of your background, but it sounds like you haven't been somewhere long enough to get promoted and have largely worked on your own projects. To me that doesn't really say that you have senior engineer skills, i.e. designing scalable systems (both in compute and development-wise), leading multi-person projects, considering trade-offs, etc.

I built a bespoke IOT stack that currently runs over 10k devices and a full production line interface / deployment for a factory we used in china. I'm not going to define what "senior engineer" is, but this was done largely solo with engineers I managed to maintain it.

Re: Ask HN: Can't get hired – what's next?

#59

Post by silvercymbals »

8note wrote: post #48
silvercymbals wrote: post #22

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I appreciate this, but I'm just not willing to fall for boomer cope. The notion that $150k will even let you raise a family where you don't care about looking poor (I don't care) is frankly insulting. I'm legitimately going to just move to another country if one more boomer tells me I just have to "wait for the stars to align" one more time.

150k is reasonably more than most two working parent families make. you mught have a stilted view on how rich other people are. it might be base salary for tech workers in high cost areas, but its not at all the norm across the economy

Well, if your basis is a midwest state like Iowa with zero tech jobs - that might be accurate.

Re: Ask HN: Can't get hired – what's next?

#60

Post by silvercymbals »

Havoc wrote: post #46

If you want to be employed in a tech space then you'll need to work on passing those tech screens. Silly as they may be employers makes the rules in interviews. Or found another company then you can make your own rules. > law school Given how rapidly the current administration is tearing up the legislative rule book and AI excelling at big chunks of it, law is not a space I'd want to be in

I can't tell if I'm just too stupid to pass them or if the market has suddenly raised the bar substantially.
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