Chicago has an awesome start-up community. Check out http://www.builtinchicago.org/.
Ask HN: I got let go this morning. What should I do next?
81–90 of 207 posts
Re: Ask HN: I got let go this morning. What should I do next?
#82So my guess is this is the first time you've been let go, or this is the first time as an adult (post-college) during your profession that you've been let go. Relax, it happens. This doesn't mean you aren't a terrific developer and person to work with. Take a little time to think about what you've worked on, what you've accomplished in the past 6-12 months I think you'll see what a great position you really are in. A…
What's the benefit of a startup? Seems like more hours for less pay while always needing to get things done. I fail to see the appeal. They just have lunches and dinners which appeal to people.
In theory, equity in a startup. In practice ego and the slim possibility to grow with an organization.
Basically, it’s extremely unlikely for a junior developer to be chosen to manage people, unless they happen to be the most senior person there.
Re: Ask HN: I got let go this morning. What should I do next?
#83If you're interested in Chicago: GoHealth is hiring Javascript devs. (We're looking for those with Angular Experience)
If thats cool then contact our internal recruiter, Gina, at: gcontella@gohealth.com
Re: Ask HN: I got let go this morning. What should I do next?
#84If you want to stay in the midwest and build for farmers, come join us at FarmLogs (YC12). farmlogs.com/jobs
Looks like you guys are doing some awesome stuff! I'll have to keep you in mind if I ever decide to leave my cushy DevOps job in Troy.
Re: Ask HN: I got let go this morning. What should I do next?
#85> I have looked into doing freelance work, but as I am self taught my CS skills are not as solid as other developers, and my design skills are just about average Skills have very little baring on success as a freelancer. 99.99% of clients will not care what language, framework, algorithm or pattern you use to create their product. The biggest issue as a freelancer is clients. Clients are absolute hell.
Clients generally don't care about or understand your technology choices. People and process management are at least as important to freelance success as programming or design skill. That much I definitely agree with. I wouldn't describe my clients as hell, though--not by a long shot. But I've been freelancing full time for seven years, moonlighting five before that, and I've learned to avoid (and am able to do witho…
It just takes a certain type of person to be a freelancer that can deal with clients, and I am not that person. I had "good" high paying clients that were still not fun to work with. It's probably less about them and more about me wanting to control every aspect of the product.
Re: Ask HN: I got let go this morning. What should I do next?
#86> I built a large angular application while there, but it is now built and there are other developers who can support it.
what startup/company was this again?
Re: Ask HN: I got let go this morning. What should I do next?
#87Earlier quoted context omitted.
What's the benefit of a startup? Seems like more hours for less pay while always needing to get things done. I fail to see the appeal. They just have lunches and dinners which appeal to people.
Never getting a raise because that's not built into their budget and there's not a system around it. Having to beg for vacation time and getting maybe a week a year. And after a few years or a few ventures, your friends at big corps are already starting to talk about retirement and pensions, and you realize that's an extra million you gave up. But hey, you can wear shorts!
Retiring in your 30's? What an age we live in. What an industry we work in.
Re: Ask HN: I got let go this morning. What should I do next?
#88We're a LAMP shop that is doing more and more angular. I contract with many HNers. Please email johnny d0t goodman @ cpap d07 com if interested in discussing further and setting up a fizzbuzz.
Props to you for reaching out, but would you still apply a fizzbuzz test to someone that has just been the major driver behind building an angular app?
Yes. While I mean no disrespect the pass to fail ratio on them is 5:1 or worse. I've got to check so that when I pay for an hour of work I get an hour of value.
I read blog posts to the contrary. They say how awful it is that these "dumb HR people" ask these basic things. Well, I've probably done 200 technical interviews, mostly from HN, and unfortunately this is my experience.
If I must choose between unpopular and ineffective, then bring on the fizzbuzz. If you do pass the screen, I guarantee you those you will be working with are smart and effective too. So effective and so enjoyable in fact, that I keep doing these interviews in order to find them!
@jacquesm - You are internet famous, I love your blog and admire your work. I know we're on different sides of this. If you care to pick this apart, I will read it with an open mind and respond as factually as I can.
Re: Ask HN: I got let go this morning. What should I do next?
#89Earlier quoted context omitted.
Props to you for reaching out, but would you still apply a fizzbuzz test to someone that has just been the major driver behind building an angular app?
Yes. While I mean no disrespect the pass to fail ratio on them is 5:1 or worse. I've got to check so that when I pay for an hour of work I get an hour of value. I read blog posts to the contrary. They say how awful it is that these "dumb HR people" ask these basic things. Well, I've probably done 200 technical interviews, mostly from HN, and unfortunately this is my experience. If I must choose between unpopular and…
Being internet famous is overrated. Anyway, if you're going to start off from the premise that the OP is fibbing about their capabilities then you're starting off your relationship based on distrust. I'd rather give them the benefit of the doubt, give them a real test of their capabilities than to start off with something that has value when you're evaluating 100's of applicants for a specific job position so you can save yourself some time but here you're only dealing with one applicant and effectively you're the one now reaching out to him.
In that situation I think a fizzbuzz test is a bit strange.
But, it's your company and I don't think anybody should tell you how to run it, I was just curious about why you'd administer this particular test on someone that should be able to not only ace it but will likely be insulted by it.
Re: Ask HN: I got let go this morning. What should I do next?
#90[deleted]