Ask HN: I actually need a job now

#1

Post by berrypicker » Thu, Nov 21, 2013, 4:17 PM UTC

I've been working in startups for the last few years, using a lot of the latest tech that startups often use (Rails, Node, Mongo, Angular etc.).

Now I'm back in my home town (failed and can't afford to be out in London doing this any more), and seeking any job for a developer. But all I see is PHP, .NET, VB, Java and everything that HN seems to hate.

I actually haven't touched this stuff since school, and everything I've learned and used over these last few years seems to be useless in the corporate world here.

I'm renting alone and therefore need a job quickly. My options are finding a quick job (e.g. waiter, shop assistant) while brushing up on PHP (or maybe something else has better career opportunities?) in the evenings, or just doing something completely different.

Truth is I want a stable career now and care little about whether we're coding in Erlang or Java.

Re: Ask HN: I actually need a job now

#2

Post by 27182818284 » Thu, Nov 21, 2013, 4:24 PM UTC

You can probably handle .NET, and if you want a stable, enterprise-fueled job, then an enterprise language like .NET is great.

I don't think HN hates .NET or Java, they just don't make the frontpage as much. .NET (with C#) was quite a pleasure for me to work with and sometimes I miss it while hacking on Python+Django for my daily work.

Also, don't sell yourself short. Let the interviewers decide you're not worthy. Put your best foot forward and hit up some of those shops. If they like you, they'll have you come in and train you. They'll probably have their own deploy strategies and such already setup, so you'll have time to learn the language. Remember these are established places, not move-fast-break-things startups, so it isn't necessarily like you'll be writing production c# or Java the first morning. (If you do that's awesome, but I find that to be unlikely)

Re: Ask HN: I actually need a job now

#3

Post by workaholic » Thu, Nov 21, 2013, 4:25 PM UTC

Would that I could offer you a job, but I'm curious, how did you "fail?" Did you just have trouble finding another job in London to keep you afloat?

Re: Ask HN: I actually need a job now

#4

Post by segmondy » Thu, Nov 21, 2013, 4:36 PM UTC

You can brush up PHP in a week or less. Don't go the waiter/shop assistant route. Just start interviewing for every and any position you see until you get one. Unless you are absolutely broke with zero money. Then take the first job you can, but make sure you take something that allows you time to be able to go for interviews.

Re: Ask HN: I actually need a job now

#5

Post by kennethtilton » Thu, Nov 21, 2013, 4:37 PM UTC

As a hirer I can tell you, if you can code in any language just create a cover letter and resume that proves you can code. Do not be intimidated by laundry list of acronyms you find in job listings, but acknowledge them and talk about your confidence in your ability to get up to speed. hth.

Re: Ask HN: I actually need a job now

#6

Post by DrJokepu » Thu, Nov 21, 2013, 4:38 PM UTC

segmondy wrote: post #4

You can brush up PHP in a week or less. Don't go the waiter/shop assistant route. Just start interviewing for every and any position you see until you get one. Unless you are absolutely broke with zero money. Then take the first job you can, but make sure you take something that allows you time to be able to go for interviews.

This is very good advice. Except that I would brush up on .NET (in a week or less) instead. He would make more money.

Re: Ask HN: I actually need a job now

#7

Post by kghose » Thu, Nov 21, 2013, 4:41 PM UTC

kennethtilton wrote: post #5

As a hirer I can tell you, if you can code in any language just create a cover letter and resume that proves you can code. Do not be intimidated by laundry list of acronyms you find in job listings, but acknowledge them and talk about your confidence in your ability to get up to speed. hth.

This is something good to know! Thanks.

Re: Ask HN: I actually need a job now

#8

Post by untog » Thu, Nov 21, 2013, 4:41 PM UTC

27182818284 wrote: post #2

You can probably handle .NET, and if you want a stable, enterprise-fueled job, then an enterprise language like .NET is great. I don't think HN hates .NET or Java, they just don't make the frontpage as much. .NET (with C#) was quite a pleasure for me to work with and sometimes I miss it while hacking on Python+Django for my daily work. Also, don't sell yourself short. Let the interviewers decide you're not worthy. Pu…

Seconding that .NET/C# can be a pleasure to work with. Stuff like LINQ is awesome, Visual Studio is a great IDE. I've often thought that if I wanted to just rake in some easy cash I'd go work for BigCorp doing .NET and save up my cash for my next adventure.

Re: Ask HN: I actually need a job now

#9

Post by swalkergibson » Thu, Nov 21, 2013, 4:42 PM UTC

Who cares about what languages HN likes or doesn't like? If you have bills to pay, get a job and let go of the need to "please" some random people on the Internet, whatever that means. Imperative, object-oriented languages are all very similar, so just go get a job doing that. All you have to do is make clear to the interviewer that you may not have the precise pedigree in $FOO_LANGUAGE, but are willing to learn.

Re: Ask HN: I actually need a job now

#10

Post by berrypicker » Thu, Nov 21, 2013, 4:42 PM UTC

workaholic wrote: post #3

Would that I could offer you a job, but I'm curious, how did you "fail?" Did you just have trouble finding another job in London to keep you afloat?

Well the startups weren't doing too well (two failed) and I was getting paid a relatively low salary... I could probably have found another job but I didn't wanna burn up the little money I had saved up just being 'between jobs' in a really expensive city.