
Ask HN: I’ve been applying to a million jobs - oliv__
Hello HN,<p>I am simply writing this post because I can&#x27;t take this situation anymore and this is a cry from the heart.<p>I&#x27;ve been applying to a <i>million</i> jobs, I always seem to get the same old automated denial and I am just so sick of it. I am incredibly hardworking, disciplined, passionate about what I do and good at it, I&#x27;ve been doing web dev &amp; design since highschool, I learn fast, I sweat the details, I am willing to learn anything it takes to solve my problems, I&#x27;ve launched a startup, single-handedly sketched, designed, and developed two mobile apps from scratch, (both live on iOS and Android at the time, and one of which went on to get over 8000 users the first month, be top 10 of its category, get featured in top women&#x27;s publications online) , created APIs, have experience with databases (SQL and NoSQL), marketing, writing copy, web scraping, product design, interface design, I am Franco-american, bilingual in French and English, speak Node.js, Python, Django, Meteor.js, Hapi.js, and whatever I learn next.<p>I&#x27;ve been &quot;selling&quot; myself as a Product Designer but I truly can&#x27;t fit in such a narrow box; I love the entire process, I love coding: for me HTML&#x2F;CSS and code have never been anything more than <i>tools</i> to get whatever was on my mind into the real world. I love clicking a button and seeing it do something. That to me is magic.<p>But I am so frustrated right now, I don&#x27;t understand why everything takes so long, this process is unbearable. It&#x27;s already an inhumane effort for me to apply for a regular job, but I am willing to do anything (in tech) as long as it&#x27;s paid at this point. I just want to come back to New York (I moved there when I was 20, knowing no-one) and work.
I really feel like I can be incredibly useful to whoever hires me and it kills me that no one is even giving me a chance.<p>This is my website: http:&#x2F;&#x2F;o23.io<p>Help.
======
fecak
I 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 or to come back to the
US. (remote junior work isn't easy to get).

3 - You're applying to a million jobs, which likely means you are sending out
rather anonymous letters instead of something even remotely targeted.

I encourage my clients to apply to less companies, but to make those
applications more targeted. Write a cover letter (or just the body of an
email) that demonstrates that you've actually read the job spec and maybe even
a page of their website.

Saying things like "I learn fast" and "I'm a good communicator" don't get a
recruiter's attention.

The good news is that you have some projects that will look good on a resume.

Your messaging should focus on your accomplishments and projects, and not on
how hard you'll work or how much you love to code. When you stop talking like
a junior dev dying for work, you'll start being treated that way.

My guess is that the problem is the resume or the messaging.

~~~
soneca
What kinds of projects do you consider that look good on a resume?

If you need more context, I just started learning web development and want to
start building some interesting projects that could help me get a job.

~~~
nameless912
As someone who does some technical recruiting, things that look good:

1) Work experience. Let's face it, this always looks good to everyone looking
over your resume. We all know that people hiring for an office have a bias for
work you do in an office. I'm as guilty of it as the next guy.

2) Side projects. For me at least, starting stuff from the ground up (no
matter how silly or niche) shows me the kind of code you write in your free
time, which is a much better measure of your ability (but possibly a less
rigorous measure of your success) than what you do at work, where you're
constrained by deadlines, code reviews, and "best practices".

3) Open source contributions. This one is trickier; usually when you
contribute to Open Source projects, you're doing small pieces of the big work
that needs doing, and there isn't much decision making/architecting going on.
Speaking as someone who's currently trying (and failing....) to get into Linux
kernel contributions, 90% of the issues you're going to come across that are
within your abilities to fix are the kind of thing that a more experienced dev
could do in 20 minutes, but doesn't have the patience to sit down and do it
(due to being busy with more important/pressing work). So, the vast majority
of the work you'll do (especially early in your career) is going to be bound
in scope by your lack of experience, and won't be as impressive as engineering
something from scratch.

In general, WRITE CODE. WRITE LOTS OF CODE. And show off whatever you can. And
try to follow best practices, e.g. using CI/CD, writing good tests, using
proper style, designing and documenting your architecture, etc.

------
nnq
Maybe it's that you're experience says _DESIGNER_ all over the place, but you
seem to look for a " _DEVELOPER_ with some extra product-design attributes"
type job.

This _confuses the heck out of most recruiters_ , since they like to put
people in "boxes with labels", like "product designer, "graphic designer",
"frontend developer" etc. I mean, people can't even figure out "who should
interview this guy?"... which leads to being unable to even schedule an
interview... which leads to lazy people going "wtf, next" reactions...

Also avoid labeling yourself as "designer who can code"... at an older job I
worked with projects started by a designer/coder and it was a horrible
experience... maintaining code written by a designer with rudimentary coding
skills (not even basic OOP, let alone basic OOD/SOLID skills, or at least
notions of FP) is pure hell for a disciplined software developer.

Also adding _ENTREPRENEUR_ there translates to "shit, this guy can leave the
company and start his own business anytime".

I'm an _" Expert Generalist"_ myself, but never label myself as such, it
drives _everyone_ away! (Not even after getting a job... it will make everyone
around you feel stupid and insecure, because "hey, this guy knows everything,
I only know X", and they'll not enjoy working with you...)

 _List your full experience, but label yourself as what you want your future
job to be! This way recruiters, founders or engineers will know what to do
with you..._

~~~
oliv__
Thank you for your insight.

The thing is, I've always been in between both and as a result truly fit in
neither position, compared to people who've specialized in one side.

I thought I would apply on the design side because it has always come more
naturally to me, but maybe I should reevaluate.

~~~
nnq
One more thing: you also have the odd combination of "product design" \+
"sounding-mostly-like-BACKEND tech experience", but people would expect
"product design" \+ "frontend" with nicely sounding keywords Angular 2 or
React or Polymer etc. I guess...

I don't have a solution for this because I have a similar problematic set of
skills (product design + backend + entrepreneur-ish + desire to jump more
towards machine learning...). _I 'm curios how you end up solving the issue of
selling this combination of skills, so please let me know how it goes ;)_

~~~
gkya
Recently there was an interesting article here with a title like 'The Bipolar
Programmer' where a stereotype about 'smart but lazy' STEM students; in that
article I fiund nearly a definition of myself, and I think you and the OP may
find that this is true for you two too. I, too, am curious for many areas of
computing and art, and as a result sparsely knowledgeable about most of them,
but lack profound proficiency in all of them. I believe (and daresay) that we
make a category which is hard to recruit in this sector. I've lost the hope
that I'll be able to fit in as a programmer-for-hire and believe that the only
place for me here is as an entrepreneur-hacker and open-source side-projects
person. I've actually drifted so away from programming as a profession that at
the moment am studying philology at uni.

~~~
Jarwain
Are you referring to
[http://www.shenlanguage.org/lambdassociates/htdocs/blog/bipo...](http://www.shenlanguage.org/lambdassociates/htdocs/blog/bipolar.htm)
or [http://mhprompt.org/2016/09/29/on-being-bipolar-
programmer.h...](http://mhprompt.org/2016/09/29/on-being-bipolar-
programmer.html) ?

------
azurelogic
Tossing CVs down an HR portal (to nowhere) isn't a way to find jobs. You find
jobs by _knowing people_. I'm sure there are some developer/designer meetups
in Paris. Find one (or many) and start going. That doesn't mean sit in the
back silently. You need to network. This doesn't have to be cheesy. Make small
talk. Get to know them and their interests. Maybe you'll have the same
favorite CSS framework. Talk about that then. When people feel that you are
easy to talk to and that you know what you're talking about, it becomes easier
for them to feel good about introducing you as a candidate to their boss.

Why I am so confident in this answer? 1) I've gotten every one of my jobs
through networking (either from meetups or from former coworkers and friends);
2) I run a meetup, and I've seen it happen; and 3) I've been in the position
to recommend people to an employer, and I don't recommend people who might
make me look bad.

~~~
bogomipz
>"Tossing CVs down an HR portal (to nowhere) isn't a way to find jobs. You
find jobs by knowing people."

No you can find jobs by applying for positions on listing on Indeed, Simply
Hired, or direct listing on companies sites. It happens all the time. Yes
developing a network is also good but that is not the only way to find a job
as you are implying. I've gotten my last 3 jobs without "knowing people."

~~~
yazan94
I am assuming that by changing your career 3+ times, you would be considered
an experienced developer. If so, I would say that it's then safe to assume
that your skill set and accomplishments speak for themselves to a degree. But
for a junior developer without much professional experience, knowing someone
or getting face-to-face time with someone may be their best shot at landing
that entry position job. As a recent graduate, my 1st internship and ft offer
were both through a career fair, and my other internship was through a
friend's recommendation. When your skill set is so similar to so many other
people in your position, sometimes the only thing that would set you apart is
a personal touch.

------
d--b
I think you should chill a little. How are supposed to read your post? "I'm so
good and nobody hires me, wtf?" I'm sorry to say so, but this makes you come
across as the quintessential millennial entitled brat.

If I was recruiting right now, I would think: this guy will want to control
everything he touches, and will be extremely negative whenever something
doesn't suit him. And then he'll leave, shouting how crap everything is, you
get the picture.

How about marketing yourself like so:

"I'm a young and passionate web designer, have been training myself on apps /
webapps for the past 3 years. I'd like to think I'm ready to put my skills to
use, so I'm looking for a group of great people who are putting together a
product that I may be able to help design".

~~~
klenwell
> I'm sorry to say so, but this makes you come across as the quintessential
> millennial entitled brat.

I think this is a bit harsh and would have been better edited out.

But otherwise, as someone whose is in the process of hiring a junior
developer, I think you expressed the concerns I have exactly.

I'm usually looking for someone smart, talented, dedicated, etc... but most
importantly, they need to have the patience and the discipline to churn
through the boring stuff (bugs, documentation, code reviews, learning and
following team practices) that is in my experience the core of being a
reliable developer. Seeing three different positions listed for 2016 alone
doesn't inspire that kind of confidence.

~~~
d--b
Yes, I agree that was too harsh. The guy is probably not, but in some ways
that is what his post conveys.

------
peterhartree
> I can't take this situation anymore and this is a cry from the heart.

> I am so frustrated right now, I don't understand why everything takes so
> long, this process is unbearable.

Meta advice: if I were you, I'd take a break for a few days and focus on
getting your feelings about this back to a calmer, constructive, cheerful
place.

If you're not sure how to do this, I'd say: start with vigorous exercise every
day [1], do things you normally enjoy, and consider mindfulness meditation
[2].

[1] [http://7-min.com/](http://7-min.com/) is a good quick fix.

[2] [https://www.headspace.com/](https://www.headspace.com/) is good and free
for a beginner.

~~~
DoofusOfDeath
Totally agree.

I'm regarded as a pretty good developer, but I've also had stretches where I
was desperate to change jobs, and the offers weren't coming in fast enough. I
got very stressed-out and emotionally over-wrought. That's not a good starting
point for impressing prospective employers.

If you can, I'd suggest the following project:

1\. Commit yourself to _not_ look for a job for 6 months.

2\. Pick just one or two of the constructive criticisms people post here, and
use that time to see if you can improve in those areas.

3\. At the end of those 6 months, give yourself 1 month to apply for jobs, and
see how well it goes.

4\. If you don't get an acceptable offer, GOTO step 1 above.

------
bsvalley
Best tips for you.

\- Never mention where you're from or where you live. They'll figure it out
when they'll give you a call (discrimination is bigger than you think). People
hire similar profiles and take a lot of unfair shortcuts. If I'm not "franco-
american", I'll have one extra information that could potentially make up my
mind if I have 1000 Resume to look at. You're different than me, I will have
to go outside of my comfort zone...

\- Don't mention your age. It also gives people something to consume. A quick
info that can make an early unjustified decision.

\- Since you're applying for a Product Designer, make your personal website
look like a portfolio of apps, not a Resume. Use a simple plain background and
list your apps. Don't use text, make it easy for them to visualize what you've
done in max 5s.

\- Don't share your failures publicly, it will also give them more negative
information about you.

\- focus on building a network not on sending cold applications. You need a
referral not a job.

~~~
balnaphone
Agreed, providing information regarding age and nationality works against you.
I wouldn't mention "based in Paris" either.

The only point that may matter is if you have the legal ability to work in the
US, and you can wait until they are interested to get into that. In fact, if
you're an American citizen, use an American postal address -- it signals "you
won't have to deal with immigration issues".

~~~
mixmastamyk
> providing information regarding age and nationality

While I believe it is common overseas, in the US it is considered a no-no. We
like to think we live in a meritocracy.

~~~
pitaj
If you have any information about your physical body on a resume they'll throw
it out because it's a huge legal liability opening them up to discrimination
lawsuits.

------
rvdm
Hi Olivier,

These are just my thoughts and they are based on nothing tangible, other than
that I own a tech company and hire developers and designers. I also come from
a mixed engineering and design background and am probably from about the same
area in Europe as you are and now live & work in California.

— You're young and it's hard for someone your age to master multiple
disciplines. I'd focus on presenting one discipline. If I were you I'd sharpen
and highlight your development skills. Maybe you can present yourself as a
design-driven front-end developer?

— Recruiters often search by keywords. LinkedIn can help you experiment with
what keywords get you the most attention. You could for example try learning
React.js which is very popular right now, or further developing your iOS
skills and change your LinkedIn title to React.js developer or Swift & iOS
developer. Try different things and see what gets you more attention.

— Some recruiters like seeing big names on resumes. Have you considered
applying to, for example, big international ad agencies that have Paris
offices? Companies like Grey, Ogilvy, BBDO might have local offices that need
design sensitive front-end developers. I have no opinion about any of these
companies, I just know they're big agencies that have offices all over the
world. You might be able to transfer or those names might open some doors for
you in the US.

Again, please take this with a grain of salt. These are just some quick
thoughts.

------
apolymath
I get hired all day, people bang down my door after im hired, and all I do is
explain the tools I used each year. I never graduated high school, never went
to college, never really built anything that I can show off. I just talk about
the tools I use. thats it. www.markentingh.com

~~~
willvarfar
Yeap a list of tools, the longer the list the better.

I'm completely agreeing with you, but I cry a little tiny bit inside. Sad that
its this way.

PS don't think it fair that you are being downvoted. You are giving sound
advice.

~~~
dualogy
> Yeap a list of tools, the longer the list the better.

> I'm completely agreeing with you, but I cry a little tiny bit inside. Sad
> that its this way.

Me too. When did tool jockeying and lib/api wrestling become equivalent to
"skilled techie/engineer"? Oh you're into algorithms, programming languages,
realtime performance? Pooh-pooh on that, tell me your decades-long
"experience" as a [cloud stack X] / [reactive framework Y] / [agile scrum
devops continuous integration yadda-yadda Z] .. "engineer". Yeap that's what
we call nowadays what you old grumpy neckbeard geek (rather than fashionista
bespectacled over-groomed metro "geek") still call inane trivial
"habits/rituals not skills".

Rant over =)

------
retrac98
Quality over quantity. Apply to a few jobs, apply directly, really get to know
the company before you apply and show that in your application by completely
tailoring each one to the job.

I'd also market yourself as a Software Engineer (or a better known job title)
rather than a "Product Designer". In the right company, an engineering role
will see you dip your toes into all aspects of the product development
process, which seems to be what you're after.

Lastly, remember that you need to stand out at every step of the recruitment
process, from the easily discarded stack of resumes, to the checking your
social media/github profiles, to the interview and technical assessment.

------
xiaoma
On your site, you bill yourself as a "Product Designer—UI/UX
Designer—Developer—Entrepreneur".

Who exactly would that appeal to? In most cases, startups hire to get specific
things done they can't do themselves. It's not really much of a plus if a
candidate is "close" to the level where they could provide value in several
ways. If someone is _great_ at something, that provides value right away.

This doesn't mean combining skills is a bad thing. It means that if you're a
designer and want to bring your other skills to the table, you should focus
everything around what those skills can do for your design. E.g, make a whole
page about your design work. Mention how you take copywriting or
internationalizations concerns into making a design handle text flexibly. Talk
about producing HTML/CSS/JS interaction designs to improve communication and
productivity when working with developers.

This way of showing off your breadth, you'd actually be strengthening your
hireability as a designer rather than weakening it.

Finally just showcase your one most impressive piece of work. If people like
it, they'll check out links to the others but it will have no chance of
getting lost in the crowd.

------
unit91
I really want to help you here, but I'm not sure why I would hire you. As
others have said, one of the first things that struck me was your age is
irrelevant and your nationality only matters if you've made the case for
yourself (citizen hire?, visa?, contract?).

More important, if you're hired for visuals I have to see that your style can
be a good fit for my company. For most designers I'd hire, this usually means
they have past (or hypothetical) work displayed ranging from cutesy bakeries
to engine manufacturers, with your typical corporate sites mixed in. It's hard
to see how your git log -like look and tables of data or pictures represent
you well.

If you're hired as a programmer, your JS screenshot tells me "this guy is very
junior". Some thoughts that popped into my head while reading through it: your
profit function does a lot more than calculate profit. It also reconciles
dates (moment.js is a good sign), and computes interest at a hard-coded 9%
(red flag). I have no idea what the 10 and 20 magic numbers are in the if
statement, or why it's so repetitive. You also declare today on line 55, then
essentially do it again on lines 67 and 68 without a good reason (from what I
can see). Moreover, from looking at your table of data, you're clearly
calculating the fees elsewhere which tells me you may be cutting-and-pasting
code to get your profit number. Your text input experiment is great for
learning but not something you should show off. It strikes me as a first-day
jQuery toy for self-teaching.

So where do you go from here? I'd get a new URL (olivierbreton.io, maybe),
clean up the design, and post more sophisticated examples if possible. Tell us
what tools and technologies you know and what you're learning now. Don't try
to sound like you've got 15 years of experience. Target a junior role with
phrases like "I'm eager to work hard and learn". Apply to junior-level jobs
you'd actually like to have and know about the company you're applying to.
Hope that helps, best of luck!

------
Bladtman
You might not like this, but here are my honest thoughts: You seem to be
selling yourself as a web designer, but your website is terrible, and so are
it's contents.

I realise this is subjective, so I won't try and justify my thoughts. Frankly
I don't care enough to debate them anyway, so you can take it or leave it, as
you please.

Your designs aren't minimalist, they're just minimal; empty, underdone. And
even then your colour palettes are grating. Not to mention that o23.io, days
and skyler look pretty identical.

Maybe the reality is that no-one wants to hire you, because you, or the works
you use to advertise yourself, aren't quite as good as you might think.

~~~
grayclhn
Your last sentence isn't necessary.

~~~
Bladtman
I changed it to something slightly less inflammatory.

~~~
sokoloff
Damn, I can only imagine what it was like _before_ the edit then...

~~~
sdflkd
The ego on HN gets me every time. I quite like his designs.

~~~
magic_beans
His design is excellent for a developer. But maybe a little TOO minimal for a
product designer.

~~~
Bladtman
I disagree. Maybe you are right, maybe this isn't the reason he doesn't get
interviews, but if someone sent me that portfolio, I would not give the
application a second look.

------
snarfy
Stop being so honest and play the game. The game is getting an interview.
That's all your resume is for.

Do you have a job, any job? A lot of places won't even consider you if you
aren't already employed.

Do you have a list of buzzwords near the top of your resume? Many places
receive so many resumes that automated filters are used to search through
them, usually by buzzword.

If I were hiring you it would be for an entry level web developer position. If
you like to see something happen when you click a button you are more of a
developer than a designer.

Red flag - Misuse of css classes.

    
    
        <span class="star">*</span>
    

Classes are about the meaning, not the content. What if you want to use #
instead of *? Do you change all the class names to "hashtag"? If I were
interviewing you this is something I would ask about.

~~~
manarth

      Red flag - Misuse of css classes.
        <span class="star">*</span>
    

I'd also ask if that markup was necessary. Is it to represent a bullet? If so,
that's already implied in the markup by the use of <li>, so a more semantic
implementation would be to skip the markup completely, and either style it
visually with list-style-image, or inject the star with the css pseudo-element
::before.

I'd also look at <h2 class="big">, and ask whether the class is needed, and
the visual separators <p class="sign">@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@</p>. To a
screen-reader user this would read "at at at at at at at at at at at at at at"
etc.

These certainly wouldn't be deal-breakers for a hiring decision, but it would
have me leaning towards a junior position for a candidate, and setting a goal
of developing knowledge of semantic markup and accessibility.

------
ddebernardy
You might be in the underqualified/overqualified abyss, where you're not
experienced enough for the senior positions you'd like to apply to, and
overexperienced or not specialized enough for the junior positions you're
applying to in the meanwhile.

If that sounds about right, tone the CV a bit down a bit to get the latter,
and try to go meet decision makers for the former in person (meet ups, etc.).
(Fwiw it gets worse when you get older.)

Also, as highlighted in another comment, "entrepreneur" is a big no no in a
lot of places: it reads like "just passing by to earn some cash and move on
with my next venture". More generally, don't make your CV look like you're
looking for something temporary until you find something better.

Good luck!

------
lexo
I take it you're applying to NYC startups without a US working visa. Even
though you are willing to work remote it is an extra hassle to hire you
instead of a local. Most startups won't go through the trouble if they can get
comparable locals. So either indicate why you are unique and so much better
than Americans or start looking for jobs in Europe.

Also, it helps to know people.

~~~
sokoloff
This. If you are eligible to work in the US, come right out and say that.

Agree with the other comments that you should market yourself as a software
engineer, focus on the tools, languages, and frameworks that you're familiar
with there, pretty up your website some (the random yellow stripes look like
edit bars to me; monospaced fonts look terrible, IMO, etc). Make it more
generic, less jarring, get the interview, get hired as a software engineer on
a frontend team and then let your design skills develop and be recognized.

No one is hiring a ~25 year old remote product designer from another country
based on that website. Start with incremental steps. Get the SWE role first.
Go from there.

(Also, count up how many applications you've actually done and then compare
that with 1,000,000. I suspect you're going to be off by at least 3 [and
probably close to 4] orders of magnitude. People who hire SWEs tend to like
people who care about precision.)

~~~
mixmastamyk
> No one is hiring a ~25 year old remote product designer from another country
> based on that website.

One of the best sentences on the page.

------
vmarsy
First, 23 yo is young, don't worry.

I'm not a designer expert but a few remarks :

On your website I can't find your resume, a simple pdf that I could skim
through quickly, or even a linkedin link.

On each of your projects, I would put a bullet point or 2 about the key
learnings/skills you got for each project. For software engineers it'd be
useful to see something like: [App Foo] : platform for X and Y. Written in C++
using Unity Framework. That way, if I know any of these, I know I can ask you
more questions about App Foo if I know about C++ or Unity. "iOS and Android",
"get over 8000 users the first month, be top 10 of its category, get featured
in top women's publications online" should show up somewhere too!

Similarly, I understand your minimalism effort but for each job position, I
would add bullet points about your key experience, key skills, and more
importantly _key business impacts_ (and key customers if allowed)

You need to emphasize _why companies should hire you_ , not why you want to be
hired by company.

If you're willing to work in the US, be clear about it (is it only NYC?), also
be clear about the fact that you are a US citizen or your work authorization
status in the US.

------
thehardsphere
> I've been "selling" myself as a Product Designer but I truly can't fit in
> such a narrow box

I know nothing about "Product Designer" but I do know quite a bit about not
fitting in narrow boxes and how that can hurt your ability to find a job.

You need to figure out how to communicate your value proposition to HR-type
people who make the initial decisions about what to do with your resume. These
types of people have dozens to hundreds of resumes to go through, so they are
probably not even going to look at your website and not going to spend the
effort to figure out what a "Product Designer" is if they don't already know.

So, when you look at a job and apply to it, you should tailor your resume and
pitch to whatever they say they're looking for, using their words even if they
don't feel right to you. In my case, that meant calling myself a "Software
Engineer" even though I don't think Software is an Engineering discipline and
my educational background is in Chemistry.

You should also emphasize skills differently depending on who you apply to.
Your list of things that you dream of is uninteresting to me, in that you put
the least valuable (HTML/CSS) skills first and the most valuable skills
(Python + Django, Node.js) last.

Also, don't list your experience the way you do on your site. You founded all
of these apps that you list yourself as working for, right? Don't do that; it
looks desperate and when I see it I wonder what you're trying to hide. If you
worked for yourself the whole time, just say you did that and explain what you
did; don't try to make them look like jobs that someone hired you for to do
for them.

------
sigi45
_Entrepreneur_ funny.

How about a little work experience in your field?

You basicly now a little bit Javascript, html/css, did some mobile apps and
now a little bit of database stuff?

That's just not impressive at all.

You should start getting real. You are not special, you haven't done anything
special for your age. Start somewhere, get job experience.

~~~
klibertp
The negativity is unwarranted.

Are you venting your anger caused by yourself not being special? But why would
you? We are all like that: nothing special really. The ones who are special
are by definition exceedingly rare and there's nothing wrong in not being one.

What's important is that "nothing special" does not equal "nothing of value".
The OP sounds like he doesn't know, yet, where his value lies or how to
advertise it to people who could hire him. That doesn't mean he's worthless as
he is now.

In any case, your comment is very unhelpful and it sounds like a personal
attack rather than an advice.

------
monodeldiablo
Figure out what you want and craft your resume to reflect that.

Big companies, as an excellent (though curiously downvoted) commenter noted,
love long lists of tools you've "mastered". This is because they employ
recruiters who don't have the technical chops to evaluate nor appreciate the
nuance of your past experience.

If you want to work at startups, you need to use a different tack. When I
started only doing startups, I added more of my personality to my resume and
applied only to jobs in niches I cared about. I also invested a modicum of
time in my network, getting a colleague or friend or acquaintance to
"introduce" or recommend me.

Most importantly, I've never gone through the front door. I consider the
"Apply now" button to be a passive filter. I avoid it like the plague.

Instead, I chat future co-workers up at meetups, asking them about their work.
I contact companies that aren't even advertising positions (every company
that's not shrinking is always hiring). Most importantly, I research the
company and email individuals I'd like to work with directly. Not my CV, mind
you, but I send a small, respectful note and put my linkedin profile and
github handle in my signature block.

I know some people find this approach annoying, but it puts your name and
email in front of a real person, establishing a direct human connection.
That's powerful. And, unlike recruiters or people tasked with handling the
application queue, the person you email has little incentive to toss your
email in the trash.

Remember, the goal is always to stand out from the crowd, show initiative, and
demonstrate your creativity. Good luck.

------
CryoLogic
Most of the posters here are being assholes, welcome to hn comments - the ego
here is huge.

I have been in a similar situation, and here is my tip for you: recruiters are
idiots. Seriously, most tech companies hire art history majors and such for
recruiting high tech roles. It's not that they are bad people, but most
recruiters are very bad at candidate selection.

Here's what I would do in your situation:

1\. Find a job I really wanted (e.g. back-end python developer). 2\. Strip out
any non-python related material from your social media, websites, resume. 3\.
Build a hyper-focused buzzword dense resume. 4\. Apply and act like a bit of
an idiot until you get a job. Play the junior dev who only knows some basic
python for a year or two than you are golden when it comes to getting other
jobs / moving around.

------
moon_priestess
> I love coding: for me HTML/CSS and code have never been anything more than
> tools to get whatever was on my mind into the real world.

This is a red flag for me. Working for someone as a programmer is often about
getting what is in _someone else 's_ mind into the real world. To excel, you
need to love the process of designing and developing software, not simply
seeing the end result.

All of the best programmers I know love programming for the sake of
programming. Conversely, some of the most dangerous and careless programmers
I've met are the type to only be into it if they're making exactly what they
want to make (and often if they can make said thing quickly).

I may be alone on this one so take my comment with a grain of salt!

------
lhnz
I would probably hire somebody like you, but I think the norm for many
companies and recruiters is to seek somebody that represents themselves as a
specialist and won't want to input on the whole product and business. You're
easier to manage if you will completely defer to them in their areas of
expertise.

I have tried your approach before and I also received less interest. I've
always gotten more attention when I've rewritten my resume to sideline my
other mindsets and interests below the technical ones.

On the other hand, Jon Gold [[http://jon.gold](http://jon.gold)] seems to have
been able to represent himself as a designer/developer hybrid, so maybe it's
possible with enough raw talent. Or maybe there is something he knows which we
don't. ;)

Edit: Looking at your portfolio, I think you could sell yourself as a
'Designer'. However, I think to do so you will need to create a more visually
interesting portfolio.

------
fusiongyro
You kinda sound like a primadonna. It's an "inhumane effort" for you to even
just _apply_ for a regular job? How are you going to react when I give you a
task that's actually unpleasant?

~~~
mixmastamyk
He's applied to millions.

------
gorbachev
When I was as young as you are and applying for jobs in the US (while living
in Europe), I applied for jobs in about 250 companies. Eventually I got 10
interviews, and two job offers. It sure felt like a million applications. I
spent roughly six months doing that.

But I targeted every single one. I sent a custom cover letter to every single
application after researching the company, their clients and their work. I
only applied for jobs in companies that were doing work that I liked / knew I
could contribute positively, and I showed it in my cover letters.

It's tough. It's especially tough for young, jr. folks. Hang in there!

Talk to a trusted person who can give you good feedback on your resume and
cover letters, and the whole process you're using to apply for jobs.

------
graham1776
The one thing I always tell anyone on the job hunt, which few ever seem to
take me up on: Informational Interviews. These are informal "can I take you
out to coffee?" talks with people in your industry to see what they are
working on, what is happening with them, what is going on in the industry.
Every job I have ever gotten is through informal meetings with people I have
met through my network (whether its the current employer, your friends,
parents, relatives, or other).

At the end of every one I ask: "Is there anyone else you think I should talk
to?" and "Do you currently have any opportunities at your company for me?".
Rinse repeat. I guarantee investing in 30 informational interviews will yield
huge dividends vs. 30 career fairs, a personal pitch deck, starting a blog,
dusting off your resume, or God Forbid: applying to a million jobs on online
portals.

[http://www.grahamwahlberg.com/book](http://www.grahamwahlberg.com/book)

I wrote a free guide on this if anyone is interested, would love feedback.

------
Smushman
Several points I also want add:

1) Just, Wow. I am impressed at the amount of good advice here - HN'ers really
do go all out to help.

2) Problem - too much advice is hard to sift through. To a carpenter, you will
need a better hammer or to charge less; to a painter, the finish isn't smooth.
Choose carefully; I doubt feelings will be hurt.

3) Finally - remember this is all an odds game. Your resume has to arrive, and
subsequent interview has to complete all in concert with a need.

JD's (job descriptions) are supposed to improve these odds. But often JD's are
only up for an HR requirement or other reasons. Some examples are:

\- An H1B requirement

\- Already have an applicant they want but they have to justify something

\- Internal fill

\- Tire kicking (happens in security roles - teams take their time filling
these)

\- Comparison people for the hiring process (they have a bead on one
applicant, but they have to include 2 other applicants in on-site interviews
for balance)

\- Position is terminated before hire due to lack of funding/budget

\- Situational changes (role is fluid and changing - you applied but the role
itself was adjusted afterward)

These are just some of the reasons. Don't give up!

------
informatimago
1- you've not posted anonymously (link to your resume with I assume your real
name). Therefore the effectiveness of the advice may be reduced.

2- my advice would be to remove "Franco-American". If you want to profit from
your dual experience, say you're American on the CV you send in France. Say
you're French on the Resumes you send in the USA. But it's not obvious that it
would be an advantage (depends on the company), so you may just say that
you're American in NY, and that you're French in Paris.

3- search jobs locally. If you want a job in NY, go there first. If you want a
job in Paris, stay here.

------
verelo
I'm not trying to be mean, but when i read:

"I'm passionate about all things visual" on your website*

...my brain instantly replied to me: "This website tells another story"

* [http://imgur.com/a/TRtno](http://imgur.com/a/TRtno)

~~~
verelo
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 beginning of their career. You're likely to stick around for 12-24 months and then leave (even if I pay you really well, and treat you as best as I can). It puts me in an endless hiring cycle and annoys other staff who are here between hirings, which puts them at risk of leaving.

* You describe Skyler as a product, but it honestly looks like an extension of your blog, and a bit like a school assignment. Tell me what I need to know quickly, it's way too hard for me to figure out why i should care about this project.

* 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. In fact, this simple point alone would be the sole reason you were not looked at further. 9/10 interviews are unsuccessful (roughly), the chances you're the 10% are low...and then I still need to want you enough to deal with you remotely. It's a non-starter...remote work is generally something I'm into if you have a special skill I need (in which case i'll reach out to you, or you'd be introduced by a trusted source)

Suggestions: * Make your website simple, get rid of all the words and give me
a simple, clean message. Tell me why I should care!

* You're at the beginning of your career in a less than ideal location for what you're after, I'd suggest looking for local work or opening up to moving.

* Pick what you're good at and sell that, you're claiming to be a silver bullet. There are no silver bullets.

~~~
gspetr
> * 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?

~~~
verelo
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.

~~~
gspetr
No tricks, it was an honest question.

Thank you for a thoughtful answer.

------
oliv__
Wow. I certainly did not expect this to explode like it did.

I'd like to thank all of you who commented! Thank you for all the harsh
comments and great advice you gave me. It all really helped; I'll try to make
the best of it.

Thank you HN!

------
falsedan

      >  I really feel like I can be incredibly useful to whoever hires me
    

Are you showing that? In your cover letters, are you driving home how hiring
you will make the company achieve its goals, with specific, measurable facts
to back that up?

    
    
      > I truly can't fit in such a narrow box
    

Your blurb here reads like you won't be happy working on one thing in a
collaborative environment. Most companies want you to execute _their_ vision,
so you'll have to show flexibility of thought and willingness to work on
someone else's idea.

------
pvaldes
Maybe you could benefit of a faster message flow. Something like:

Hello. I'm Olivier Breton, a 23 y/o Franco-American Product Designer; UI/UX
Designer, Developer and Entrepreneur.

Instead:

@Olivier Breton (pause)

Lets put a nice line here for no reason

Hello. (pause)

My name is Olivier Breton. (pause, Yes, you said it before)

I'm a 23 year old Franco-American (pause)

Product Designer—UI/UX Designer—Developer—Entrepreneur. (and now, avalanche of
terms)

Visually each term must have clear boundaries. There is not need to fuse it. I
read this line as: I'm a product, I'm a Designer-UI/UX and I'm a
Desigdevelopreneur, whatever It means.

That sounds a little shy, and maybe also robotic IMHO.

------
shimon
It doesn't seem like anyone has mentioned location and work authorization yet.
This can be an immediate red flag on your resume. Many companies just won't
consider a non-US-based person, or someone who isn't already authorized to
work in the US.

If you can do this honestly, remove any mention of France from your resume,
and put in New York, NY instead. Or indicate that you're planning to move at a
specific future date:

Olivier Cestlavie New York, NY (relocating from Paris in March 2017;
Authorized to work in US since January 2015)

------
Fzzr
I don't know anything about the hiring process for designers, so just speaking
to the programming side here.

My first instinct was to look for a GitHub profile, both on the homepage of
your site and alongside the various examples. The text field thing was
interesting - why not put the code on GitHub, so it's easier for people to
look through and try out? If it's already there, then make sure your GitHub
profile is discoverable on your site, because I didn't find it despite looking
for several minutes on multiple pages.

Also consider posting your LinkedIn profile on your website (or get one if you
don't have one). I personally don't care about that, but recruiters definitely
seem to.

In any case, my employer is actively hiring; I'll email you the job listings.

Good luck.

------
thomk
Why is your age on your resume? That's unusual and it seems to be hurting you;
everyone here on HN mentions it.

------
2061a48b32e8
I would urge you to consider that you are not the only one looking for a fit,
and it sounds like your frustration comes from the lack of such a fit (i.e. a
role that you feel plays to your qualities, and where the employer feels the
same way).

Technical knowledge is great (essential, even) - IT is a meritocracy and all
that - but don't forget that people need to work with you, and you with them.

It may be people have an issue mentally fitting you in the 'right' box (as
others have suggested), and possibly, the same is true for you (you don't like
the sound of their box).

So as has been suggested, don't only look for a role/job that motivates you,
try and look for something that speaks to you personally, and where you feel
there is a good chance of cultural fit.

And don't take the rejections personally - ultimately, the outcome will always
be binary, and I doubt it is the experience of most people here to
systematically get offers _when they are the ones looking_.

Opinions are good, and if you value your own opinions, stick to them, and look
for somewhere that agrees with you on their value. If you don't find that, do
question yourself.

No matter how frustrating this all is, it will lead to something, be it your
dream gig, your foot on the right career ladder, or a complete change of
direction.

Again, do not take this personally - from your side, you are (of course, and
to your credit) doing your best - but you have no way of knowing that anyone
else is, and hence, of knowing you are being assessed on your merits.

FWIW, I have had to move countries twice to find my first job, and am
currently having difficulty finding the next one, with 10+ years of experience
behind me. IT hiring has its own weird hiring patterns and peculiarities, and
most likely, your break will be down to luck - and like much luck, you may
need to create the conditions for it to happen...

~~~
2061a48b32e8
Just to add: make a priority list.

I don't mean to engage in discussion with myself, at least not in public.

If New York is what you want, make that happen. But make clear this is your
priority, and that what you get, you won't take personally: we all need to
make decisions that involve our future, and they aren't always the pretty
ones.

If you want your technical knowledge to be the priority, make that happen. If
you do it right, you can possibly move to New York, if you still want that.

I don't think age is the issue - and honestly, everyone asks for experience,
which you can convince people you have: you need to point out the relevant
aspects of what you have done.

If you feel, as you say, that you could be incredibly useful, then surely you
must have some opinion about where you want to apply this: for yourself, for
others, for love, for money, for recognition, for the lulz?

------
sixhobbits
Some people have commented on the website already. I'm not a designer, but the
first thing I think of when I see it is a Word Document made by a secretary
who has been told to "spice it up" a bit, so she grabbed the M$Word 97
highlight tool with default settings and applied it at random.

As I said, not a designer. And I'm sure Microsoft picked that Yellow for its
highlight tool for a reason. The yellow on white is probably Good for some
reason. But I find it really unappealing and it has the same kind of
connotations as the rainbow-coloured WordArt in an arch shape for me (e.g.
[http://www.softwaretrainingsolutions.com/HDO/guests/Word/Ima...](http://www.softwaretrainingsolutions.com/HDO/guests/Word/Images/WordArtSamples.gif))

------
krmmalik
You're like the dream person i'd love to have on my team. What im about to say
is going to sound really odd and a little hocus pocus -- but i assure you --
it's meant as a re-assurance and not to demoralise you in any way. I went
through something very similar to you about 4yrs ago. In the end i realised
jobs are not for me. I was born to be an entrepreneur. A master of my own
domain. I think the universe is trying to tell you that you're made for better
things than a job that sticks you into a box.

I'd love to get to know you. I'd love to help you through the challenges
you're currently facing and maybe if that leads somewhere we can talk about
working together.

My website is [http://krmmalik.com](http://krmmalik.com)

~~~
billyt555
[http://www.krmmalik.com](http://www.krmmalik.com) \- without the www you get
a 404

~~~
krmmalik
Thanks for letting me know. Although it seems to be working fine without www
for me and for quite a few others?

~~~
_alaeri
This is the error I have:

Error 404 Vhost unknown. Vhost unknown. Varnish L7 server

Not sure why it would work for you and not for me. Might be a Varnish issue?

------
throwaway413
I'm 23 as well, co/founded a few startups now. I never tell people my age -
ageism is a real thing and sets in the second they identify you as someone
young enough to be "inexperienced" even if you are far from it. When I don't
tell people my age, they generally assume I'm late 20's to early 30's, which
allows me to command more seniority and respect from my coworkers.

Your youthfulness is your most valuable weapon. It also makes you a risk.
There are two types of companies - those that will seek to mitigate that risk
or not get involved altogether. And those that will recognize that with great
risk comes great reward.

------
csorrell
What does your CV look like? You're getting a lot of feedback about your
website, but I doubt this is what hiring companies are getting hung up on.
Using a website to showcase some of your work is great, but your CV is what's
going to make or break the deal. If your CV is written in a similar style,
then I'd say that's your problem. Keep it short and professional; define your
skill set by listing the tools you use and briefly describe where you've used
them. Don't over design it, and keep the personal flair to a minimum.

------
sparkling
You might want to clarify your immigration status. You mentioned that you have
previously worked in the US.

\- Does that man you have a valid visa that allows you to work in the US?

\- Do you have permanent residency?

\- Do you have full (dual-)citizenship?

If so, mention that on your resume. There are many companies, especially small
startups, who simply do not have the resources to deal with visa/immigration
issues - perhaps that is why you are not getting any replies. If you currently
do not hold a visa, you might want to specifically seek out companies that
offer visa sponsorship.

~~~
oliv__
You're right, I thought that was clear from the "Franco-American" mention but
I'll make sure to make it crystal clear.

------
jacquesm
Your best bet is to forget about writing applications but to get on the phone
to the people that you've successfully worked with in the past and to ask them
to refer you to one of their contacts in need of your skills. That's the
fastest and most certain track to employment that I know of, it gets you to
the head of the line without that pesky competition of 100 other guys and
girls just as talented as you who are playing 'who can write the nicest
resume' wars.

Best of luck!

------
zomg
honestly, it seems like you're all over the place. pick a skill, be the best
at it, and let the rest of your abilities support and reinforce that skill.

lots of young people talk about what they have done but don't realize that
companies want to know what you can offer to them (read: results). if you're a
"product designer" then you need to sell yourself as such (not "sell") and
speak to the RESULTS of your designs. how have they been successful?

a hiring manager (like myself) is thinking, "how can i leverage what i see
here to grow and build my business?" if you've launched a startup, speak to
the design and how it impacted the financials and growth. no one cares you
started a business (sorry!), i can do that it 15 minutes. making it successful
is what gets attention. you want to work at a startup? how was YOUR startup
successful?

lastly, i'd suggest you regroup on your website. i personally don't mind the
design, but if you want to land at a startup, then you need to tailor your
online portfolio to your audience (and desired position!), accordingly. you
get one to chance to make a good first impression and i think you can do
better there.

most importantly however, just keep at it. you have time on your side!

------
jensvdh
Stop applying to US Based jobs. Focus on France. If you don't already live
here no company will sponsor you a H1-B visa because it's practically not
doable. Not even the big Silicon Valley companies will do this if you don't
live here.

------
Svenskunganka
The thing I think is happening is that literally everyone and their
grandmother is becoming a web (app) developer/designer. This might be a very
unpopular opinion here on HN, but I think branching out to something else
within software programming might be a good idea.

Maybe I'm wrong, but that's an impression about the web dev job market I've
had for a while now, and I'd love to hear if others have the same or a
different impression.

------
ShirsenduK
Hii Olivier,

I am assuming I was in a similar place like you 8-10 years back. In
retrospect, I have found that the following reasons affected my applications.

1\. I was from an unknown college in an unknown place. Yahoo! or Microsoft
wouldn't even look at my resume. Too much of unknown.

2\. Startups wouldn't hire me as relocation is expensive and 8-10 years back
the good startups were scrappy. Btw, aren't the best ones always scrappy? And
you might have been applying to them as you want to work with the best.

3\. I listed a lot of expertise which I had. But its hard to believe
especially for HRs who get 100s of candidate everyday advertising they know
everything only to be told by the interviewer that the candidate wasn't good.
I am not doubting your skills but the problem is the noise. Most 23 year olds
don't know how to read code.

How I overcame it and got a job.

1\. I did my Masters so an MNC would hire me. I knew this hack/entry.

2\. After getting into the MNC, I worked my ass off and kept applying to jobs
focusing on the work I did at the MNC.

3\. I got a job at an awesome startup!

And things started changing. Now I get replies to most of my applications.

And automated or copy paste resumes do work but HN crowd might not agree. But
most of the industry is still very non HN.

Hope it helps. All the best and keep applying!

------
magic_beans
I do pretty much the exact same thing as you and I am approximately the same
age. Almost EVERY job I looked at in NYC precluded remote workers and non-
citizens/non-greencard holders. Jobs in SF seemed to be a little more open to
sponsorship. Maybe try looking there?

You'll need to look for jobs in Europe, or look specifically for jobs that
will sponsor you. Your problem isn't your skill. It's your location.

------
mwpmaybe
Check out the "Who's hiring?" [0] thread and consider posting in the "Who
wants to be hired?" [1] and "Freelancing" [2] threads (there's one every
month).

I remember feeling like you do when I was young and thought I knew everything.
As others have mentioned in this thread, starting your own company or building
a freelance practice might be the best strategy. Quite frankly, if you're so
great, you should work for yourself. If you're not, you probably (and
unfortunately) need to "pay your dues" and put in two or three years as a
junior developer (this is key) at an established company. I'm looking at your
web site and can't easily figure out whether or not you've already done that,
so that's not a good sign. You'll build skills, a network, salary and job
title history, and most importantly, credibility.

Also, have you considered going to university? A lot of companies in the US
won't hire you if you don't have an undergraduate degree (or 10+ years of
corporate experience). I see "Foundation in Applied Arts" on your web site but
it's not clear what if anything that translates to.

FWIW, I did the CS degree and dues-paying thing and most days wish I'd started
a company instead.

0\.
[https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=13541679](https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=13541679)

1\.
[https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=13541681](https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=13541681)

2\.
[https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=13541680](https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=13541680)

------
arc_of_descent
Make it very clear in your cover letter what role you are looking for. With
roughly 3 years experience, a Product designer doesn't seem apt. (for the
recruiter, although you may be a genius).

So something like "Web developer, with ambitions of growing towards a product
manager/designer role".

Once you get an opening into a company, and its a good match, your talents
will be recognizable instantly.

~~~
draugadrotten
> Once you get an opening into a company, and its a good match, your talents
> will be recognizable instantly.

This.

It's usually much easier to "climb the ladder" internally than to get hired to
top positions from outside.

------
djrogers
Honestly feels like the OP is expecting this HN thread to be a series of
commenters rushing to give sympathy and job offers - I'm pretty sure the
frank, honest, and _accurate_ feedback and criticism here came as a bit of a
surprise.

But hey - if we didn't all feel like we could do _everything_ when we were 23,
then a lot of stuff throughout history ay never have gotten done ;-)

------
jacquelineo
[https://github.com/jessicard/remote-
jobs](https://github.com/jessicard/remote-jobs) may be a useful link for you -
a lot of remote companies are smaller web dev or design studios where you may
find a home. Apologies if this is something you've already seen and good luck!

------
navd
To be honest I like most of your work and you remind me a bit of myself. The
only difference seems to be I have a large focus on development. (frontend or
backend, whatever code is code just the process is different)

My first job ~7 years ago I kind of fell into with a bit of luck and
networking. However that experience helped me really propel my career.

I'm about the same age as you (24) have the following advice:

Don't put your age anywhere. Ageism exists. It'll benefit you a lot more to
have a stunning resume / track record that gets you in the door and have a
face to face talk with people who will hire you.

Get your programming chops up and try to pursue an engineering position. There
are more jobs in engineering vs a design position. Plus you obviously know a
bit about design and this'll translate nicely into aspects of engineering.

Good luck! And like others have said take a day off, have a couple beers, and
continue when you feel a bit more optimistic.

------
laythea
I'm sure your technical chops are great, and it is a big plus that you have
projects to demonstrate, however I must admit, your post has the potential to
comes across as a bit desperate.

I would suggest not listing your dreams such as "Mesmerizing Colors" in a CV
(resume). Without wanting to be presumptive, if you were to list your dreams,
would they really be limited to containing "business value" attracting
attributes such that may be of interest to an employer/client? In addition,
the absence of any such dreams may unnecessarily put off potential
employers/candidates - in particular those who look for candidates with a more
varied interest. I don't state that as an insult - just the way I read it.

In my opinion, in an interview/marketing campaign, a person should aim to come
across as professional as possible as this is effectively your store front.

Saying all of that, best of luck in your search!

------
peteretep
I do this for a living. If you email me your resume, I'll get back to you with
some advice in the next few days

~~~
oliv__
I will, thanks.

------
antoniuschan99
I had some trouble a few years back when I was looking for a job after 2 years
experience. I wasn't junior nor was I senior and I had spent a year and a half
working on my 'startup' (so basically 3.5 years experience).

I didn't have any success finding remote interviews (less than 5), and had
more interviews locally. However, it was my state of mind that prevented me
from getting an offer. Not sure where your head is at, but with your resume
and the job opportunities in the current days, the issue is more about you
than the jobs itself.

Also, it seems like your designs would suit more French Fashion houses anyway.
Seems like less of a feat to work at a French Fashion house (or design house)
for a few years then branch off to New York than going straight back to New
York (Remotely).

------
juandazapata
You're just too young and lack experience. Just keep shipping cool stuff and
keep growing your skillset/expertise. You'll get there.

------
b3lvedere
The best advice i can give you is to make multiple resumes. Adapt the resume
for the job you are applying for.

And don't worry about the frustration. A lot of people had to apply a
gazillion times for various things before they got one chance to show what
they can.

------
Smushman
I want you to know you are not alone... I have been doing the same thing with
the same results for the last 6 months.

I have applied to over 168 jobs (I used LinkedIn and it tracks them all). Of
that I got about 25 recruiter interviews (level 0), about 15 Hiring Manager
interviews (level 1) and about 10 second stage calls or on-site (level 2).

None have yet panned out or even look close...

It's hard out there right now - I do not know why precisely. I have many
guesses.

But the important thing is to keep applying. Certainly, if you stop, nothing
will happen further on its own. Knowing your not alone hopefully helps you do
that.

In the future I hope we can do something smarter with this information.

~~~
magic_beans
I applied for jobs this year and last year. Last year I applied to 323. I got
5 screening calls, 2 interviews, and 0 job offers. This year I applied to 26
jobs. I got 11 screening calls, 3 interviews, and 1 job offer.

I've learned that the trick is quality over quantity.

------
chlx
Are you "just" doing normal applications? or have you tried to spend a day or
two looking at a specific product, and sending your thoughts/designs to the
company?

Product Designer in NY, when you don't live in the US might be too narrow.

Just remember. It's always up to you. With your skills you can get a job any
day. Which means, keep going for what you specifically wants, but just accept
the consequences (takes time). If you can't accept the consequences, seek
other jobs (e.g. other roles or cities). It's on you :-)

Complaining or feeling down adds nothing to your life. Easier said than done.
I know!

So accept the process or hunt something else

------
divbit
Several of the comments here are pretty harsh about your works- to balance
that out, I thought they were pretty cool, but then again I like retro /
minimalistic things, and am not really a design expert.

------
amelius
> I've been "selling" myself as a Product Designer

You should ask a "product designer" crowd then. They can probably better tell
you what is wrong with your applications than the programmer crowd.

------
UK-AL
Unfortunately, companies like to put people in specific boxes.

They are not looking for people who can span the entire process, and change
things globally.

Partly because that is threatening to high up's, and makes you harder to
manage.

------
gregshap
Does Franco-American mean you are a US Citizen? * If so then say it, or just
take the Franco out of your bio

Are you committed to working in NYC? * Move now. Worst case save up a couple
thousand dollars so you can make it a month. Live somewhere cheap and you can
pull this off more easily than you would think.

Rather than feature the products/apps you built, write about the process you
went through. * What challenges did you overcome? What UX assumptions did you
start with that evolved through user feedback and testing.

Where is your github profile? * feature it

------
dbg31415
From what I can tell you have a few things going against you.

1) You haven't worked anywhere I've heard of. Means I don't know if you've got
"new-hire issues" around showing up on time, writing professional emails, etc.

2) You seem suited for a UX Designer position, but you're aiming for a more
senior product role. If I were you, I'd go for a UX Design job at an agency or
company that people have heard of (or with clients people have heard of) so
you can add those to your resume. (It's not bad to know some code to do UX
Design, just like it's not bad to know some design if you want to be a
developer -- but understand that most teams are split so people can specialize
and thrive at what they are each good at. College is about learning broad
topics, but for work you'll have an easier time finding a job if you pick
something with high demand and specialize in it.)

3) You're looking for jobs in NYC when you are in Paris. General rule, you
have to be where you want to find a job. Your search will be 10x harder at
least doing it from another city.

4) I don't see any links to LinkedIn -- always nice when new-hires have recs
posted so I can read what others say. Get a LinkedIn page and get some recs.
There's nothing about your education even on your web page...

Good luck finding a job, it takes time and patience. If you aren't applying
"right" you'll end up spinning your wheels going after things you won't land.
In time you narrow down what you are good at, how to sell your skills... it
does get easier.

------
soneca
I mostly agree with nnq comments. And I think you should submit your resume to
this site: [https://www.topresume.com/](https://www.topresume.com/)

I am not anyway affiliated with them, and I know it sounds like a "bullshit
service for just out of the college wannabe corporate executives who can't
even write a decent resume based on common sense".

I used a jobs site (not even remember which) that included in the sign up this
"free resume critique" service as an option. I did it expecting a whole bunch
of mostly automated platitudes, but I was positively surprised with the
comments they sent me a few days later.

It appears that a human being really read my resume with attention and send
some very unobvious, constructive, practical feedback. It might be a little
different for developers jobs, but I imagine you are applying to places where
an HR person is reading your resume first. This company seems to know exactly
what HR and their automated systems want.

That said, I have no way to prove if the tips they gave me are _really_ good,
but they _sounded_ great to me. I think it is worthy to try their free offer.

------
xianshou
Have you gotten any face-to-face interviews, or even been in touch personally
with any recruiters? The initial hurdle is often the highest because of the
minuscule signal-to-noise ratio in job applications. If you have any friends
working at companies you might like, or even friends who can refer you
personally, make use of them. Due to the sheer volume of applicants for all
manner of tech jobs, the harsh truth is this: submitting an online application
without a personal connection, no matter the quality of your work, is
essentially throwing your resume into the incinerator.

If you have absolutely no personal connections in tech that you can leverage,
apply to Hired ([https://hired.com/](https://hired.com/)) or Triplebyte
([https://triplebyte.com/](https://triplebyte.com/)) and prove your worth to
them however you can. Once you're on the platform as a quality developer, the
rest will handle itself.

------
evilduck
Maybe consider looking for cofounder roles. Calling yourself a Product
Designer and then listing mobile development, SQL, node and python as skills
doesn't really align for companies and recruiters. Nobody hires for
"everything" and especially not someone billing themselves as a designer.
Companies beyond 1 room start ups aren't letting their designers touch their
database, and nobody expects the API developer to create design mock ups and
copy of product pages. This screams "novice" or "doesn't play well with
others".

Know your boundaries and pick a couple things you really are good at and sell
yourself on those alone, be humble about the rest if asked and choose a better
fitting title if you're not applying for a product design or product team
position. If I need to hire a developer and I know the role includes
provisioning servers and optimizing code to scale better, I'm going to send
resumes titled "product designer" to the trash.

------
akulbe
My apologies if this has been covered already. I know the job search is
important, and I don't want to minimize that. I just want you to consider some
things you may have stopped thinking about, in your discouragement.

Try to get good sleep. This will help you think more clearly.

Try to get regular exercise. This will also help you feel better, and think
more clearly.

Read also. You cannot be looking for work constantly and not give yourself
some kind of mental/emotional break.

As far as the job search is concerned, I'd recommend you talk to you people
you know, where you are. Ask them if their companies are hiring. Generally,
the likelihood of getting a job is better when you have a contact that already
works there.

Go to meetups. Make contacts with others in your profession.

Freelance until you can get a regular job.

These are just some ideas. I know there are factors in your situation that
none of us understand. I wish you luck. If you ever want to talk, my info is
in my profile.

------
amingilani
I can't tell why you were rejected, but I can offer you something to help bide
the time: freelance work.

I was in a bit of a hole financially and getting a full time job would have
killed my startup ambitions, so after failing to get any clients on sites like
Upwork I applied to Toptal: [https://www.toptal.com/#contract-just-respected-
software-arc...](https://www.toptal.com/#contract-just-respected-software-
architects)

They screen their freelancers which means they've got fewer but higher quality
workers. Your skills are similar to mine, so you should be fine to get in.
Just don't give up, I failed the first time around but then I brushed up on my
code solving abilities and got. Didn't take me a week to find my first client
and I couldn't be happier with him or him with me.

I found an old HN discussion about Toptal after I got in, and realized it was
mostly people screaming about not being able to get in, or considering
themselves above solving code challenges. Just don't let that hold you back.

\------------------------------------

That aside, I do have tips on your job hunt!

Right before I got into toptal, I began having conversations about employment
through the HN hiring posts, but I had a better process than (I suspect) most.

1\. I copied all the posts from Who's Hiring into a spreadsheet 2\. through
them all by hand and wrote a single paragraph about why I think I wanted to
work for their company 3\. I extracted email addresses into another field 4\.
I composed an email about how awesome I am 5\. I combined all of these through
a Mail Merge and sent out 10 emails a day, keeping track of them through
Streak's pipelines.

I recommend this project. After this, I know I applied to exactly 53 companies
(felt like millions) and received no replies from 27, and was rejected by 21
because of visa issues.

Streak's Career Search Pipelines are awesome. :)

------
AngeloAnolin
First 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.

------
ezhome
Hi Olivier - I work in recruiting for ezhome.com and we have a 100%
distributed engineering team
([https://www.ezhome.com/careers/positions](https://www.ezhome.com/careers/positions)).
I'm not sure if we have the right fit for you because we're looking for
relatively sr. talent at the moment, but I still wanted to get in touch.

I second what fecak and others have said which is it's much, much better to be
very specific about what you want and spend much more time on a few
applications than generally put your info everywhere. You also need to be
specific and tailored about your skills and the role you're looking for
because it's hard for companies to know what to do with generalists.

And don't lose hope!

------
Rumudiez
From a critical point of view, it's funny that you seem to have made
designerjobs.co entirely by yourself but are struggling to find a job.

From your brief website I have no clue what you did on any of those projects.
I actually missed the list the first time I glanced at the page. What did you
actually do? Project management? Make the coffee?

Anyone with a little experience can list a dozen projects they've contributed
to, so recruiters and interviewers need to know that your contributions are
meaningful.

Make it scan-friendly. Don't expect people to actually read your writing or
devote time to researching you unless you have your own Wikipedia page (that
you didn't make yourself).

------
digitalengineer
If you are really desperate, you could try to A/B test the process. Optimize a
site/profile for one application at a time. If they're looking for a front-end
programmer, be that 100% and casually mention you also have experience in the
other fields. Backend? Be that. Write the bio for that, show examples of that,
quotes od clients regarding that... Right now you try to check all the boxes
and you're getting compared to people who fit the job 100%. Just my 2 cents.
By the way, your site feels rather un-personal and cold. How about adding at
least a picture, a short bio, a bit of design and emotion?

------
fundingshovel
The title made me hope he had written a bot to literally to a million jobs.

~~~
MrQuincle
For a second I thought he indeedd built a tool to apply to a million jobs at
once. That would have been impressive.

~~~
oliv__
FWIW, the title was edited by a moderator. The original title was: What's
wrong with me.

I do agree though that that would have been a nice feat.

------
mikebelanger
Have you thought about Canada? In particular, Montreal has a vibrant tech
scene, and they have a connection to French culture that might work in your
favour. Canada needs lots of working-age people!

~~~
ar15saveslives
Pretty bad advice for a developer.

~~~
mikebelanger
How so?

------
patgenzler
First, get your portfolio in order. Things you've built, along with clean and
professional github repositories. Second, identify small companies that hire
remote engineers. Weworkremotely.com, remoteok.io, etc. Note: small company,
hires remote. Third, reach out to the founders or hiring managers directly and
tell them exactly what you posted here minus the frustration part. Show them
what you've built along with code. Finally, follow up with them relentlessly
until you hear back from them. Good luck.

------
Meph504
I would highly consider revising your js/time.js if you want to be consider
for a javascript development position, there are some painful issues here.

[http://o23.io/js/time.js](http://o23.io/js/time.js)

please see

[https://developer.mozilla.org/en-
US/docs/Web/JavaScript/Refe...](https://developer.mozilla.org/en-
US/docs/Web/JavaScript/Reference/Global_Objects/Date/toLocaleTimeString)

~~~
oliv__
I am aware of _toLocaleTimeString()_ but I chose to do it manually because I
wanted to display time in this particular format, regardless of the user's
locale, and because of oddities like this one for Safari users:
[http://stackoverflow.com/questions/5471508/javascript-on-
mac...](http://stackoverflow.com/questions/5471508/javascript-on-mac-safari-
tolocaletimestring-oddities)

~~~
Meph504
when you pass the local "en-us" that means you use that, and not the user's
locale.

the formatting you desired, can also be easily defined with the options
argument. see
([https://jsfiddle.net/prn4823b/1/](https://jsfiddle.net/prn4823b/1/))

but these methods, are pretty new, so say we disregard them for a minute.

The serious issue to take note of here, is that you are defining everything,
in a function you are calling every second.

you don't need a new date object every second, you don't need to redefine
those arrays, you also instead of doing one conditional for amPm, and hour
formatting, are doing each in their own ternary.

I'm not trying to be hyper critical, but I did to you, just like I do with
most candidates that apply with me, and seeing this, it would make me doubt
your statements about javascript.

I would also argue, that showing the time here is a bit odd, as typically for
something like this, it would be the time of the contents last update, not
their own time, they have a clock already.

Best of luck with getting a gig.

~~~
oliv__
You're right. Your code is much cleaner.

Otherwise the time itself is just something I liked having there; my OS has a
clock too, I'm aware of that.

------
danenania
How have you been finding companies to apply to? Honestly, you should have no
trouble at all getting a job in NYC with your skills, so there must be a
glitch happening somewhere in the process.

I'd suggest hired.com and angellist for a start. You could also make sure your
LinkedIn is up-to-date and set your location to NYC to get on recruiters'
radar.

Do you need visa sponsorship and relocation? Maybe that could be narrowing the
pool a bit, but I think you should still have plenty of options. Don't get
discouraged!

------
hollaur
Your work is pretty great. I especially love your job board. I'd remove your
age from your website to avoid ageism. And I'd start emailing people a lot.
Send like 50 emails a week to people you don't know but ADD VALUE to them
first. Here's a good post by Paul Jarvis: [http://lifehacker.com/an-
experienced-freelancers-guide-to-fi...](http://lifehacker.com/an-experienced-
freelancers-guide-to-finding-clients-1610357303)

------
moron4hire
The problem is that 80% of jobs are filled internally or by referral, leaving
the other 20% to be split up by recruiters and cold applications. So yes, if
you're just filling out application forms, you're very unlikely to get a job.
You need to go out to meetups and start networking with people already in the
field. They will know about jobs before they are listed publicly and will also
get to know you. It sounds really shitty, because it kind of is, but that is
how it works.

------
the-dude
Your target audience ( recruiters ) may not like the style of your website.

Although I have no doubt that your are unique, you might consider it styling
it a bit more close to the norm.

~~~
treerock
I was pleasantly surprised to find a clean, functional and good looking
website. Can't speak for recruiters, but I like the style.

~~~
dougb5
I had the same positive reaction and I'm a little baffled by the reception
here. The portfolio sites are information tools, not marketing sites, and they
look crisp and efficient and a pleasure to use.

------
codeisawesome
Hey man, don't apply from a distance, and worst of all over web forms / email.
Go talk to real people (meetups and conferences), give them free, useful
advice from your expertise that you think might help their business (e.g. your
website/api has such-and-such issues). If a company you like has open source
repositories, attack the issue queue with PRs.

You'll be hired :) Take heart.

------
popara
And you are young (only two three years out of college). Any recruiter will
see in you just a potential for junior hire. Maybe something that you are not
aiming at.

Focus on figuring out what you want, not just that you have those skills, but
where you are passionate to use them.

Put your photo on website.

Have fun, and nothing is wrong with you - maybe you are ugly duckling figuring
out other species of water dwelling birds ;)

------
JSeymourATL
> I've been "selling" myself as a Product Designer...

Instead of selling, focus on creating WANT for potential buyers. On this
subject, Oren Klaff is brilliant > [http://artofvalue.com/learning-art-frame-
control/](http://artofvalue.com/learning-art-frame-control/)

------
coleifer
Last resort: the pity play. Some chivalrous HN startup guy will offer you
something. Like 10% stake to build his vision...

~~~
js8
I downvoted you because this guy just asked for advice. And judging from other
comments, he got a pretty good one. No need to be snarky about that.

------
ovi256
If you're in Paris, go meet people from recruiting agencies like Mobiskill or
Urban Linker. It's literally their job to know the market and find
opportunities for you. In one or two emails you would be getting great advice
about market positioning as well, as they know what's in demand and what's
not.

------
fredgrott
something that I found out.. UI-Design-Kits are in high demand...yes the price
is low $14 per unit but give the tricks of automation one can easily pump out
about 15 products to get a good side income going..online stores that allow
you to sell them are themeforest, materialup, etc..yes I am making some coin
already

------
DrNuke
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.

------
siddg
If youre applying to a million jobs, reading this post might help you.

[https://medium.com/@sid.gopin/how-to-apply-for-startup-
jobs-...](https://medium.com/@sid.gopin/how-to-apply-for-startup-jobs-
effectively-6074b90bbbb0)

------
dtnewman
A lot of the other comments are focusing on the content and style of your
website. Here's the thing: Most employers are never going to look at that.
Unless you are showcasing something truly incredible, even the ones who are
actually interested may take a quick glance and then move on.

What actually matters is your resume. That's the document that every single
person is going to look at. Not everyone is going to read it over carefully,
but everyone who is even remotely interested in you is going to look at it and
for most of them, that's the document that matters most. I haven't seen your
formatted resume, so I can't give you specific feedback, but maybe these tips
will help others reading these comments:

* If you have fewer than 10 years of experience, keep it to one page (exceptions are academia and possibly roles in Europe). I know people with 40 years of experience who use one page. If they can squeeze it in, so can you.

* Keep the page clean and minimal. Black type on a white background with _plenty_ of white space. It should look clean.

* No pictures or graphics. A lot of people will be turned off by this. Virtually no one will be turned off by black and white, text only.

* While we're at it, no funky fonts. Serif, sans-serif, it's not gonna matter much. But don't try to get cute.

* No typos or grammatical errors. 80% of people seem to have them. But this is a one page document and if you can't show that you can write one page without typos or other errors, what does that say about your attention to detail?

* Have someone proofread it anytime you make more than minor edits.

* I personally think that a statement of purpose line at the top can only hurt you by putting you in a box and rarely helps you. I've never looked at a well formatted resume and said "why doesn't this have a statement of purpose?". Just highlight your experience, contact info, etc and that's it.

* If you want, you can have _one line_ at the bottom that talks about your hobbies that aren't directly relevant to your job. Sometimes your love of golf will be a good talking point for interviewers. But limit it to one line (or better yet, don't put hobbies in at all).

* PDF format! This means that it'll look the same on everyone's computer. I made this mistake in college when I sent out my resume as a word document. It looked great on my mac but I realized later than on Windows, the text went one line over the first page which looked terrible. That's when I started using PDFs and PDFs only for my resume (I format it using LaTeX but using Word or similar is fine as long as you save to PDF).

I've seen a lot of resumes for developers and you know what sticks out? A
clean, well written resume with no typos. Because it's much rarer than you'd
think. Most have typos. Some are too cluttered. Many list experience that I
don't give a damn about. If you went to a college, then I don't really care
about your high school experience. I also don't care about your babysitting
experience if you are applying to be a developer. If you need to show work
history then keep the irrelevant parts as short as possible.

But the main point is this: Well written resumes stand out because they are
rarer than you would think. I used to think the opposite; that most people
write good resumes and maybe you need to try something bold to stick out. But
when I got to the other side of the table where I was looking over others'
resumes, this turned out not to be the case. The resumes that tried to hard to
stick out looked tacky to me. And finding a well written resume with
consistent formatting, a nice layout and no errors seems to be rare, at least
among junior hires.

OK, so now you've got a great resume. You send it to a thousand websites.
Well, here's the bad news. No one is going to read it. I'm sorry, and it
sucks, but it's the truth. But the good news is that today, there are many
ways to contact hiring managers directly. You can message them via LinkedIn.
You can go onto company websites and find email addresses. At small companies,
those messages will often find their way to the CEO. You wanna really make
sure it gets to the right person? Print it out and mail it in with a short
cover letter. No one gets snail mail anymore so it's almost guaranteed they
will have a look. Submitting a resume online for a large company is kind of
like throwing your resume in the garbage and hoping someone will pick it up,
unfortunately.

Finally, talk to recruiters. Email them out of the blue. These are the only
people who are incentivized to scrutinize your resume more carefully. They
will give you frank and honest feedback on your resume because that's what
they do. As an employed developer you will get reached out to by recruiters
all the time and will become annoyed by some of them (and possibly angry at
some of the less ethical ones). But at your stage, you may need to reach out
to them. And the good ones will actually help you. Their livings depend on
getting your resume into the hands of people who hire.

Anyway, I'm sure there are those who disagree with some of my points above,
but I think this is applicable to the majority of people, especially those
early in their career.

~~~
olkid
> snail mail

Uncommon advice. I like it! I am going to try it. Thank you.

------
SAI_Peregrinus
Your 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.

------
NumberCruncher
@OP: do you really don't see the contradiction between the content and design
of your site?

------
Kinnard
You're clearly talented. Why do you need a job? Why not build your freelance
practice?

------
creo
IMHO You're heading towards niche which is minimalistic and pure static
design. This direction is mostly loved by small-gang startups that doesn't
have enough resources to hire full time webdesigner. I might be plenty wrong.

------
roryisok
preface: take my advice, and everyone elses with a pinch of salt

The programmer in me appreciates the neatness and simplicity of your site, but
recruiters are not programmers. they will see a "plain" website by someone
selling themselves as a "designer".

My advice would be

1\. re-target yourself as a Full Stack Developer. You have the skills for
every level, from client UI right down to server and db stuff.

2\. re-style your website. you don't have to give it a major overhaul, but
maybe just try a few slight variations on that theme. use some fancy CSS3
effects. drop some shadows. use some transitions.

3\. put a photo up there. a photo goes a long way

------
joeclark77
Have you considered learning a valuable skilled trade? There's plenty of
opportunity in construction, welding, plumbing, electrical work, etc.

You could still make mobile apps as a hobby.

------
bobosha
Start attending some local meetups. Also it appears you are more startup
friendly, so apply to startups. There are plenty of startups hiring people
with your skills.

------
Raphmedia
Move to Montréal, plenty of jobs for franco-americans here!

------
inchevd
Consider coming to Berlin, tons of work opportunities here!

------
xophishox
It might just be your market? I got a job in 2 weeks after leaving my last
position, and had quite literally 30+ offers on the table when i accepted this
one.

------
blunte
Human networking is the key to more reliable job finding. Go to meetups, make
connections, let people get to know you and see how your mind works.

------
fagnerbrack
[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hER0Qp6QJNU](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hER0Qp6QJNU)

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user5994461
Please post your anonymized resume online and we'll be able to advise you.

In my experienced, people rarely get rejected -millions- of time for no
reason.

------
mixmastamyk
Ok, 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/](http://davidlynch.org/blog/2011/07/hiring-developers/)). He
probably wasn't the first to mention it but Joel Spolsky's post(s) about
recruiting, where he talks about how one bad hire can seriously injure a
company had a terrible effect; companies now look for _any_ excuse not to hire
you. The vast majority won't invest a nickel into training you either, you're
supposed to hit the ground running.

While there's some truth to the point about bad hires, showing them the door
quickly is one of the responsibilities of management. It happens---deal with
it and move on. The reverse strategy however, avoiding a bad hire at all
costs, (to the extent that you toss aside multiple good candidates in the
process) is a recipe for disaster as well. Unless you've got nine months to
wait for Mr/s. Perfecto to walk in. The result of which has been nothing short
of the so-called "tech-shortage."

The point I'm getting at is that you need to remove all the barriers to
getting hired. Spolsky does have one great post on the subject:
([https://www.joelonsoftware.com/2000/06/03/strategy-letter-
ii...](https://www.joelonsoftware.com/2000/06/03/strategy-letter-iii-let-me-
go-back/)) on how to remove the barriers that prevent people from choosing
your product (in this case you). In short, you knock them down, one by one.

Regarding your website, I liked the starkness and the font, but am a geeky
outlier. (I'm tired of the cookie-cutter websites that everyone agrees are
professionally designed these days. The round photos are especially grating.)
The only thing I didn't really like were the "@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@"'s, removing
them made it feel less cluttered.

The point I'm trying to make though, is that your site is edgy and polarizing
and does not help when you are looking to sell yourself, it cuts your audience
by 50% or more. Just like in the old days you had to support IE6, you'll
probably have to "dumb" the site down to be more accessible to current design
thought.

Next, if you want a job with the title "Product Designer," your last job _must
be_ of the title, "Product Designer", sad but true. This means you need to
convince your _current_ employer to let you move to a new career not the next
one. You do this by being valuable, but not irreplaceable---document your
work. Focus on one thing until you get hired. Front-end dev might be a better
match given your interests, learn Angular and React to a passable degree. This
will open the floodgates to many more jobs.

Finally, figure out how to work in the US without a visa if you can, that's a
huge barrier. Don't mention being based in Paris unless framed as temporary.

There are probably more barriers, which you'll find mentioned through out this
page, knock them down too. And now off to follow some of my own advice ;).

~~~
oliv__
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 definitely puts things into perspective.

I am taking note of all of the other changes you suggested, most of which I
agree with (although I don't really like the idea of "dumbing" down the design
to be more accessible, it feels to me like watering down my own self...)

~~~
mixmastamyk
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.

------
dharma1
Maybe try applying for front end/full stack dev jobs rather than product
design, should be easier with your skill set

------
dvfurlong
Super niche balance of skills, but the kind we are looking for. Unfortunately
in Amsterdam, not NYC/Paris.

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gigatexal
How's your personal network? The best jobs are by knowing a guy (or girl) who
knows a guy (or girl).

------
alanwells
Hi there, fellow designer here who also doesn't like to fit in the narrow box
of most product design roles. I've been doing this generalist thing for 10
years, and I've found that it makes applying for jobs pretty challenging -
most companies are looking to fill a specific role and won't value the breadth
of your interests.

I think there are 3 ways that you can make this generalist path work without
it being career suicide.

1) Start your own profitable small business. It's not easy but if you can get
to the point of personal financial sustainability based on something you've
built, then you can stop worrying about the fact that nobody wants to hire
you. Words of caution here - if you go this route, you will spend most of your
time doing things other than design work and coding. Also, don't consider
"start a business" synonymous with "start a startup". Startups are a very
particular kind of business, but they aren't the only kind, and they have an
extremely high failure rate. If you go this route, I would strongly consider
focusing on building a small, profitable business first before you attempt to
build a hypergrowth startup backed by outside capital. For this path, seek
inspiration from
[https://www.indiehackers.com/businesses](https://www.indiehackers.com/businesses)

2) Commit to the freelance gig path and make it work. This is pretty similar
to #1 except in this case you're doing work for hire instead of building a
product that generates revenue. I've done this path before as well, and found
that the most challenging thing was to get a consistent pipeline of client
projects. I think this is easier than it has been before. If I were doing this
today, I would focus on building a reputation and profile on one of the gig
marketplaces (Gigster seems like the best of the bunch right now) and use that
to help fill the pipeline of projects. If you go this route, your personal
financial planning should include a buffer for weathering weeks or months
without work, as the lumpiness of income from the freelance life is one of the
most challenging parts for someone who is starting fresh and trying to build a
client base.

3) Find a very early stage startup that is so small that they value
generalists over specialists and is working in an area that you're excited
about and has high potential for growth. When you find this company, take
almost any job they will offer you, and start working hard. If the company
grows, there will be opportunities to take on more responsibilities. Over
time, if you can prove your abilities in design and coding with hands on
projects inside the ocompany, there will probably be many ways to contribute
in these areas. You typically won't find companies like this by skimming the
headlines of recent funding announcements - those companies have already made
it far enough that they are usually focused on hiring specialists. Your sweet
spot here will be smaller, scrappier companies that haven't made it that far
yet and need to get a lot done with very little. Searching AngelList for
startups that have raised only seed funding or no outside capital and are OK
with remote work would be a good start here.

------
sooheon
Just curious, did you pay for the Input font licensing?

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imdsm
If I could afford it, I'd hire you.

Sorry I can't afford it.

~~~
gspetr
What would you hire him for?

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scarface74
Have you been working with any recruiters?

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smilesnd
"Currently looking for remote/NYC-based work at your cool startup."

This is the first red flag for me. What you should be looking for is a good
team to join, a place you can grow, and etc. It is okay to state you can only
work either remote or in NYC. I wouldn't say anything about a startup, unless
you only want to work at a startup. Even then I wouldn't state wanting to work
at a startup. It is like flirting with someone. You don't just tell them you
like them. Describe yourself and your work ethics to make yourself sound like
a great candidate for a startup.

///////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////

"I'm a 23 year old Franco-American"

I would drop the age. It is unneeded information, and their is such a thing as
age-discrimination. If you told me someone had 3 years of work experience I
would be like "great". Then if you told me he was 23 I would be like "hmmm".
It sucks but it is how it is.

/////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////

"I'm passionate about all things visual and get a kick out of crafting
thoughtful digital experiences that delight their users."

Why are you passionate about visual things? Why do you enjoy making digital
experience for people? How do you accomplish this? This sentence that is
suppose to describe you actually doesn't accomplish that.

/////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////

"I favor clean, minimal design and like to design right from the browser: HTML
and CSS are my best friends."

Does designing directly from the browser make you hardcore? Why do you favor
clean, minimal design? Same as above this sentence doesn't accomplish
anything.

////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////

Latest work section.

I would add some info to this section. Why you made it? Challenges you over
came while doing it. What you learn, or what you experience while creating it.
Right now it just looks like random projects someone throw together in a week.

////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////

Experience section.

This sections feels like you trying to hide your lack of experience. Either
state how many months you worked at each place, or state why you weren't there
for longer then a year. My rule of thumb is if you weren't there longer then 2
years then you drop in months. Either I was there for 19 months or I was there
from Jan 2016 - May 2016. Also the job title doesn't tell me anything you
actually did. Give at least a short description of your duties, or why you
accepted the job. What tools or languages you used while there.

////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////

I dream of section

I would change the name of this section. I would assume you would dream of
joining a team or working on this or that or something. I am not a frontend
designer so I really don't know what requirements someone in this field
actually needs. "Mesmerizing Colors and Beautiful Typography" seems like
something you should show on your website, so it doesn't need to be listed.
Ditto for "Witty Copy" which I had to google and still don't fully understand
what it is.

////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////

These are just my thoughts from looking at your site. When I start looking for
work I get a group of friends together and we hammer out my resume. They read
it and any time they ask me a question I know that is a red flag. A resume is
to inform someone of your ability and strength. Every word should have a
purpose and leave the person reading it not questioning anything. Everything
on the resume should be truthful, serve a purpose, and be prosaic.

Best of luck to you.

------
throwaway369741
I'm in exact position as of you. Though I am looking for Product Management
position.

Small Context:- Apart from things you listed above, I have experience in
Ethical hacking and data analytics as well. Built many products, some good ,
some bad. Helped many people (freely) to build their product and their
internal engineering infrastructure for facilitating other developers to
contribute smoothly. On Business side, I'm strong in crafting various
monetization strategies and know that I'm pretty good at predicting the market
trend and reflecting things in my product roadmap. So, I figured it our that
best way to keep me motivated and contribute in a significant way WAS to get
into product management. Be it as general product management or Technical one.
I just don't have superficial knowledge, like know the interface of products
and stuff... but literally enjoy to dwell into the core implementation of
products/softwares which enables me to think from top of the stack to all the
way to below underlying NAND registers. It's not like I had mastered every
layer in between but I have enough enthusiasm to understand the WHY behind
everything. This applies to both my technical and non-technical stuff.

BUT being said that, I have noticed that people generally don't believe in
what we write on our resume/website. Because they feel that this guy is
certainly bluffing. One thing I noticed though, whenever I meet someone in
person, they instantly notice the difference. And they tend to seek knowledge
from us. But again here my shyness kicks in I can't ask them for job directly.
Can't even start a conversation, feels really odd. If you can try some offline
aproach and are good with initiating conversation with people, you might find
yourself better opportunities.

Why I failed in my startup? Answer - I specifically lack in Sales. I'm
introvert. And my major failure is that I didn't hired or had resources to
hire a proper sales team. Ideally, I'm fully aware and believe that founders
should be a good salesman as well, but I'm now learning to do that.

My Advice for you- Brainstorm a little bit, imagine a situation where one
founder gave you full liberty to help him for his product. Where will you will
help him the most and at the same time will also enjoy for yourself. For me,
it was Product management. I somehow feel the same for you BUT please spend
some time to think on it. Once, your somewhat zeroed on your position, second
step is to check the job descriptions of that position. Check 2 things there,
1) Does those job responsibilities excites you? 2) Do you have most of the
"requirements" mention there. By requirements I want you to focus on the
"skills / knowledge areas" mentioned there. If these 2 things resonate with
you, you'll instantly know that where you fit the most. If somewhere things
like "experience years" seems to be a hurdle, don't get discouraged. Still
reach out to the recruiter and help them understand that you really know your
shit and well experienced to handle the job swiftly.

Other Stuff-

Let me share one irony with you. While working on my startup, I gave chance to
people just because they had enthusiasm and adaptability. They had literally
zero knowledge in computer world. I on-boarded them, taught them programming
right from some basic concepts of versioning to all the way to deploying and
managing servers using docker or even VM based approach. Many of them got a
job somewhere after working with me. But I feel pained about the same thing, I
had not yet came across same people like me who believe in giving chances to
people based on their enthusiasm and willingness. But I still believe that I
need to find more of such people, who truly believe in a caliber of person.
For them, a person is more important than the piece of paper.

NOTE: If some people are interested to atleast talk with me, please mail me at
away8600@gmail.com

OP - If you feel, please get in touch with me at away8600@gmail.com ... We'll
plan something. Since we both have nearly same attitude and way-of-life ....
we'll try to figure out something concrete.

------
tnones
Well.

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.

Personally your website also doesn't impress me, nor do any of the projects
shown. They all have the same blank slate look of plain sans-serif fonts on
white backgrounds with little or no colors and virtually no iconography. That
might be good to sell consumer goods, but it doesn't demonstrate your skill
and it contradicts that you're "passionate about all things visual". There are
no illustrations, no flourishes, the artistry and aesthetics are absent.

In fact, what seems to be your "showpiece" for product design is IMO a self-
sabotaging demo. Instead of showing off the creative process and focusing on
the creative possibility space, it's a long-winded and visually dull story of
navel gazing about details, interspersed with random code screenshots and
programmer art. The end result, buried at the very bottom instead of pulled
out at the start, is an ugly neon monospace table view with only an out of
place Mario coin for graphics.

The golden rule is show, don't tell, and to not force people to do the heavy
lifting for you. Also, drop phrases like wanting to work "at your cool
startup", it screams try-hard. You don't want to join the startup because _it_
is cool, you want the startup to hire you because _you_ are cool.

Don't talk about writing witty copy or designing mesmerizing colors and
dazzling typography, just make me laugh, mesmerize me, dazzle me.

~~~
rajathagasthya
> 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.

Slightly off topic, but is being a generalist considered a bad thing?

~~~
hkmurakami
Generalists don't get hired to traditional "jobs" within orgs. Being a
generalist is great if you're starting projects or companies yourself, or have
personal connections to people who start such things and are looking for 1-3
generalist types when they first start hiring.

But companies hire specialists, plain and simple.

~~~
collyw
Bollocks. Full Stack Developer is just a formal title for generalist.

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brilliantcode
It really breaks my heart to see posts like this. I've been there but don't
give up. If you are applying to that many jobs and not seeing any changes,
there's a good chance that you have a problem that can be fixed.

~~~
mixmastamyk
On the other hand there's a lot of incredible advice here, plenty of which
others (including myself) will find useful.

------
ebbv
I like your minimalist web site but if you are looking for designer positions
you might want to make your web site a bit more along the lines of what the
companies you're applying for consider good style.

If you are applying for developer positions you might want to highlight more
of your developer skills.

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kapauldo
Im hiring, how can i get in touch with you?

