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Ask HN: 50 job applications, 15 interviews, 7 onsites, and no offer – what next?

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Re: Ask HN: 50 job applications, 15 interviews, 7 onsites, and no offer – what next?

#11
You could have a problem with your interviewing. You may want to get someone you trust and will give you HONEST feedback to mock interview you and get some feedback. The companies turning you down, you're not going to get any useful info from them.

That and just keep trying. Its a numbers game though, if you aren't getting any offers there must be something wrong with your interviews.

Re: Ask HN: 50 job applications, 15 interviews, 7 onsites, and no offer – what next?

#12
Not to be mean spirited, but it sounds like you either need to learn how to close or you are going for positions you really aren't a good fit for.

I've gotten every job I've ever interviewed for that I really wanted. In the end, it's about perception and desire. If you don't go in acting like you deserve the job and can be an asset to the company, you are not likely to get an offer.

You also have to be able to sell yourself as the perfect fit. Trust me, no one is, but if you believe you can become it, it will show and they will believe it too. That's when the offers come in.

Go through your skill sets, really step back and evaluate if it's up to date enough for these newer positions you are going for.

Also, if you go into an interview with the attitude that you hate your current job, it will show. You need to make peace with whatever your current job is, find something positive about it, and reflect on that. This will help you to be positive in your interviews and talk well about your current company, which employers want to hear.

Re: Ask HN: 50 job applications, 15 interviews, 7 onsites, and no offer – what next?

#14
The fact that you're getting onsites after phone interviews is a good sign, it's almost a 2 to 1 ratio. Although 7 onsites is not huge but is a sign that something may not be working. Let's assume you're doing pretty decent on the other fronts and the issue is with onsites. So here are some things that come to mind that only apply to onsites:

- team-fit: this is a big one specially for smaller companies, they wanna be 100% sure this new hire will be just like everyone else so they can all get along, so next time you're doing an onsite do a quick look up of people you'll be interviewing to find as much as about their hobbies, side-projects, etc. as you can and talk about those things

- your presentation: how you carry yourself and behave is another thing that only applies to onsites, you gotta be confident or let your inner geek out if that's who you are, acting super nervous and non-confident sends the wrong signal

- answering the questions the way they want you to, it might have been a while since you last successfully interviewed and got a job so brush up on what the trendy interview questions are for role nowadays, go to Glassdoor look up similar roles and see what the questions were and what answers were the best, you don't wanna deviate too far from those, but you gotta treat like the ACT it's bs for the most parts but that'll determine if you end up at MIT or the city community college.

Re: Ask HN: 50 job applications, 15 interviews, 7 onsites, and no offer – what next?

#15
I've got ~20 years of recruiting for startups, write resumes (and profiles, etc), and coach job seekers. 50 apps and 15 interviews isn't a bad result in most cases, so you seem relatively effective in getting interviews. Whatever you are doing to get in is working.

Sometimes the resume "oversells" the applicant. I wonder if they are expecting someone a bit more knowledgeable and skilled based on how you present yourself. This is just a guess of course, but do you feel the resume truly represents (and does not overstate) your accomplishments?

How about price? You say you've worked for 4 "brands", so I'd expect you are paid well. Maybe they all like you, but not as much as the others when comparing price and experience of others.

Your mention accent, so that is obviously at least on your mind. Doesn't sound like a huge factor if you're making it onsite 50%.

These problems can be tricky. Stay at it, and maybe ask a past interviewer for some helpful feedback. They will likely be reluctant to give it to you (legal reasons, nothing to gain but goodwill), but worth a shot.

Good luck.

Re: Ask HN: 50 job applications, 15 interviews, 7 onsites, and no offer – what next?

#16

Not to be mean spirited, but it sounds like you either need to learn how to close or you are going for positions you really aren't a good fit for. I've gotten every job I've ever interviewed for that I really wanted. In the end, it's about perception and desire. If you don't go in acting like you deserve the job and can be an asset to the company, you are not likely to get an offer. You also have to be able to sell y…

Excellent advice. You are there to offer your services -- not to ask for a job! Go in with a humble I-will-kill-it attitude

Re: Ask HN: 50 job applications, 15 interviews, 7 onsites, and no offer – what next?

#17
What roles are you applying for? Perhaps there are other roles you would be a better fit for and you could try applying for those.

Otherwise, as others say, just be persistent. Sometimes you have a run of bad luck but it will pass. Don't read too much into it.

Re: Ask HN: 50 job applications, 15 interviews, 7 onsites, and no offer – what next?

#18
You are not convincing them that you will be a good hire.

Your article talks about what you want and how you feel.

Consider what those companies want and how they feel and try to determine why they failed to pick you over another candidate.

Talk to people you trust and ask for honest feedback on your weaknesses. Compare those to the things you learned during the interview.

Improve your skill, your communication style, and your contacts.

Continue to drive for the role you want, you will get it when you shape yourself into someone that can genuinely convince people you have the right stuff.

Re: Ask HN: 50 job applications, 15 interviews, 7 onsites, and no offer – what next?

#20
This indeed can be frustrating. It might help to take a step back and see how the onsite went. a) Think hard about how the onsite interviews went. Did you get enough sleep and were you fresh ? How did you dress up ? Engineer roles are quite forgiving in these aspects, but product management roles need not be b) "Great candidate, wrong fit" is not necessarily an honest comment. Often it means, they did not think you were fit for the right role - but they didn't see any red flags so the comment is meant to allow you to apply for other positions. Often companies have blacklist of candidates [for example, if the interview went rather poorly, they cannot re-apply for a certain period of time]. c) Do you explicitly say "I hate my job" or give the vibes that you are desperately looking for a change ?

I suspect it may be your interview style and recommend asking a close confidante about it. For PM type role, it is more about the ability to influence and earning trust. Keep trying! We all have rough patches !

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