At 23 you do not usually get a tech job for what you can do right now but for what you love and will probably still love 10-20 years down the line. The point is: find yourself and a job will find you as a consequence, because your passion will make you stand out and fill the eyes of the hiring people.
Ask HN: I’ve been applying to a million jobs
241–250 of 259 posts
Re: Ask HN: I’ve been applying to a million jobs
#242Ok, this is a great question (I've faced the same problem as a generalist at times over my career), and I've loved almost every comment. First, let's look at the situation we find ourselves in the tech industry. Everyone is interviewing, but "no one" is hiring. Companies are reporting they hire less than 1% of applicants ( http://davidlynch.org/blog/2011/07/hiring-developers/ ). He probably wasn't the first to mentio…
First of all I agree with you. Even though this whole thread was initiated from my own not-so-great situation, I'm actually glad it happened because it spurred such an interesting conversation. The comments here are incredibly insightful (yours included) and there are some real gems to be taken! Now about your comment more specifically: I was not aware at all that this was the state of things in companies. It definit…
Well, I meant taking it in a more expected direction, not actually dumber. It's paradoxical that startup websites are so conservative that they must all look alike, but there ya go.
Go individual on your personal site, but remember a professional/CV site is for the benefit of the recipient so they'll buy.
Edit: It just occurred to me that this is the same idea as the sales/marketing funnel.
Re: Ask HN: I’ve been applying to a million jobs
#243Earlier quoted context omitted.
Also, to reply to myself :) ...I've hired a fair few people, your resume wouldn't make my first round of cuts if it were submitted to me. Reasons: * Website looks odd (see above comment). I just don't love the branding, and honestly there is too much text for too little message. * You talk about yourself as an Entrepreneur. These people in my experience are often some of the hardest to work with, especially at the be…
> * While I'm in Toronto, it's the same timezone as NY. You'd have to be something super special for me to want to hire you remote in Paris. If he was in Lima, Peru (It's also -5 TZ) would you have the same reservation? Would you care if he was not american/canadian but say, a Russian living in Peru?
On the assumption you're not insinuating something there...
If the time zone was the same I'd be much more comfortable with it, but I'd still prefer someone who could spend at least some time in the office (some problems are just easier too work out face to face). We have not optimized things for remote work, yet.
Edit: I'd also argue it's probably not in his best interests to work remote. Remote is great if you have a family, other life commitments etc. At a young age I enjoyed being in the office around people, moving fast and making social connections while I worked. Losing that experience would likely have seriously disadvantaged me later in life.
Re: Ask HN: I’ve been applying to a million jobs
#244Im hiring, how can i get in touch with you?
Re: Ask HN: I’ve been applying to a million jobs
#245Just curious, did you pay for the Input font licensing?
Re: Ask HN: I’ve been applying to a million jobs
#246Well. You've only graduated 2.5 years ago, so trying to push yourself as a Product Designer is probably out of your reach, and comes across as unrealistic. This is a senior-level role where experience is more important than ticking off skills. In combination with the breadth you listed this doesn't make you seem like a genius, it makes you seem like a generalist who lacks focus and probably has a touch of ADHD. Perso…
Don't take this guys negative position to heart - personally, I think he's basically wrong.
Your portfolio is actually pretty decent - especially for someone so young.
You're only 2.5 years out of school and you clearly are a multi-skilled individual with a solid ability to 'get things done' (the best skill ever) - especially wherein you've clearly required a number of different skills.
I'd suggest that being young and wanting to work remotely, or go to 'a foreign country' is hard. Immigration laws are real, and they are a barrier.
Try searching for something closer to home, or facilitating your career by getting some kind of 'status' in the US so that employers there can hire you. (Easier said than done, I know).
Keep your chin up, I would hire you in an instant if I had a role for you.
Re: Ask HN: I’ve been applying to a million jobs
#247Your resume doesn't even have an objective section. That should traditinally be first. Describe what type of position you're looking for, and why you want to do that. Don't just list your experience, describe what you want for your future work.
Re: Ask HN: I’ve been applying to a million jobs
#248First thing I saw that popped up on your website is your age. Not sure why, but I seem to think some (potential?) employers could take it against you. For example, being young, lots of people would think you're unprepared, inexperienced, or much worse, does not bring much to the table. On the other hand, some might think otherwise that when you apply for them and get hired, there's the potential that you might jump ship when the next better opportunity comes.
Others may think differently though - they could see you as someone they could probably use for tasks which you would find dry and not worthwhile, hence, even before you start, the odds are stacked against you.
Just my observation. Your credentials looks impressive though. But hiring managers rarely look deep into what your page tells.
Re: Ask HN: I’ve been applying to a million jobs
#249I write resumes and coach job seekers who have difficulty in finding work or navigating career issues (my HN profile has links). My background includes nearly 20 years in recruiting for east coast startups. You have a few things going 'against' you in most cases. I haven't seen a resume yet, but based on your site and post: 1 - You're relatively junior (at 23). 2 - You now live in France and want either remote work o…
Saying things like "I learn fast" and "I'm a good communicator" don't get a recruiter's attention. Right. You don't impress people by saying "I'm a good communicator." You impress them by... communicating well.
Contrarian opinion:
Saying "I'm a good communicator" is the most succinct and clear way of communicating that one is a good communicator.
The recipient needs only read 4 words to get the message.
Re: Ask HN: I’ve been applying to a million jobs
#250Earlier quoted context omitted.
Saying things like "I learn fast" and "I'm a good communicator" don't get a recruiter's attention. Right. You don't impress people by saying "I'm a good communicator." You impress them by... communicating well.
Contrarian opinion: Saying "I'm a good communicator" is the most succinct and clear way of communicating that one is a good communicator. The recipient needs only read 4 words to get the message.
But what about the three-word sentence "I communicate well"?
More seriously, the most that reading "I'm a good communicator" tells me is that the writer can form sentences reasonably.
Succinct? Sure, but it's still so broad. When I'm working with someone, I would appreciate a troubleshooting message of "The Flob server is saying clients don't have the right Gruffin anymore." instead of "Flob isn't working."
Obviously this depends on context, but choosing where to be succinct is key. My project manager would much rather hear "Flob is down for half the users - we'll have a patch tested and deployed by tomorrow afternoon" than "Flob broke, and we're fixing it".
"I have a proven history of writing clear and efficient end-user documentation" and "I'm someone people enjoy bouncing ideas off of" give me more confidence in someone's communication skills than "I'm a good communicator".