They Rejected Us

Post by ghaff » Fri, Dec 07, 2018, 9:58 PM UTC

Haul4ss wrote: post #280

dookahku wrote: post #276

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I can provide some insight on this. For me, as an older programmer, it's not about 'self-worth'. It's about sunk cost, it's about our ability to provide for our families, it's about what we are doing with our lives when we have much fewer days ahead of us than behind us. What do I tell my kids or wife? I can't get hired because I didn't memorize enough JS functions, or the right one, or didn't grab onto the right tec…

Since I was an intern in college, I have seen older technical folks become harder and harder to employ. I've had good friends lose their job and because they're older/more expensive, they get rejected with all sorts of creative excuses. Well, guess what? Now I'm older and I'm more expensive. Thankfully I saw it coming, and I have been saving diligently along the way. I'm not rich, but my lifestyle costs are not insan…

Post by pmiller2 » Fri, Dec 07, 2018, 10:05 PM UTC

dookahku wrote: post #276

jakeinspace wrote: post #24

This is like It Gets Better, but for fragile software engineers who obviously are talented enough to make 6 figures some place else. I understand rejection can feel personal, especially when so much of your life and identity comes from the work you've put into mastering some field, but this doesn't seem like the healthiest mindset. I'm just leaving college now and don't have much of a perspective yet, but the applica…

I can provide some insight on this. For me, as an older programmer, it's not about 'self-worth'. It's about sunk cost, it's about our ability to provide for our families, it's about what we are doing with our lives when we have much fewer days ahead of us than behind us. What do I tell my kids or wife? I can't get hired because I didn't memorize enough JS functions, or the right one, or didn't grab onto the right tec…

Post by johnfn » Fri, Dec 07, 2018, 10:16 PM UTC

uxp100 wrote: post #265

johnfn wrote: post #209

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Is HN really to the point where we are upvoting posts dismissing real people feeling real feelings of inadequacy over some suggestion of “fragility”? Everyone can feel bad. Just because someone could get a job somewhere else doesn’t mean rejection doesn’t sting. That’s like saying that a breakup shouldn’t hurt because you can just get another girlfriend.

But a web page that consisted of people saying "My partner dumped me, but now I'm dating someone much hotter" wouldn't be seen as particularly valuable. Not all diary entries should be public, even if the feelings expressed are "real."

Post by vanderZwan » Fri, Dec 07, 2018, 10:19 PM UTC

diracpam wrote: post #258

godot wrote: post #218

Earlier quoted context omitted.

To add to your points, the problem is not just missing good engineers because they don't study and play the game, but also hiring bad engineers because they study and play the game. I personally know of people who habitually study FAANG interview questions, and make it their career to jump ship every few years for salary boosts. I've worked with some of these people; while they are nice and friendly folks and I consi…

I'm one such 'engineer' who is good at whiteboarding algorithms. I can do well on 'system design' questions but dont feel confident at all about really designing such a system from ground up. I, for one, am glad that I can find gainful employment by memorizing 200 pages.

Post by andai » Fri, Dec 07, 2018, 10:34 PM UTC

lowercased wrote: post #272

Not hardly enough women in that list. Do they just not get rejected enough? Or are they not willing to speak up about being rejected? Were they not reached out to? Or is this a representative number of "women in tech", including rejections. Possibly... it's all of the above.