
Ask HN: How to Change Industries? - cowile2
I left my job as a systems programmer at a large defense contractor back in February. After two years, I knew it wasn&#x27;t where I wanted to be, and an ongoing merger squeezing budgets and creating a toxic environment forced my hand.<p>Approaching the six month mark, I feel down about my prospects. I have found plenty of interviews, but the only offers come from big contractors like I am trying to escape.<p>I recently got several onsite interviews[0] with startups in the Bay Area and elsewhere. Frustratingly, even when companies thought I was technically excellent and a good cultural fit, they rejected in favor of candidates with closer matching professional experience.<p>How can I find work in a new industry?<p>[0] Triplebyte referral link: https:&#x2F;&#x2F;triplebyte.com&#x2F;iv&#x2F;K1tBqiw&#x2F;cp&#x2F;out_a. The overall experience was amazing even if it didn&#x27;t work out, and I would appreciate the referral money if anyone is looking.
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weiming
> even when companies thought I was technically excellent and a good cultural
> fit, they rejected in favor of candidates with closer matching professional
> experience

This sounds like companies giving less than honest feedback. We would never
pass up on a technically strong candidate, regardless of their background.

I'd brush up on algo/data structures and give it another try.

~~~
cowile2
I have thought of that possibility, but find two things strange about it.

1\. Half a dozen companies being dishonest in exactly the same way is tough to
believe. It's too much coincidence. I don't see a reason for dishonesty in
that area. Technically insufficient solutions should be easy to explain as a
rejection reason.

2\. Having attended the interviews in question, I rarely choked on that kind
of question and earned plenty of praise from interviewers with little
assistance. I'm not long out of school and typically have a knack for those
kinds of problems. While I can't see how strict the standards are and what the
other candidates are like, I'm not seeing the negative feedback that indicates
improvement needed.

