
Ask HN: Has anyone ever got contacted from the “Who Wants to be Hired?” posts? - kylebenzle
I got a minor in CS, MS in genetics and have been looking for an industry job for about a year now. I got an interview for a minimum wage Jr. Dev but didn&#x27;t get the job. Post every time to the Who Wants to be Hired but never heard anything.
======
austincheney
I posted in the December thread and was contacted several times over the next
6 weeks. Here is my learning from this:

* Be unique. As a JavaScript developer I mentioned that I will not work on Angular, React, or other big frameworks. This immediately tells 90% of hiring companies to not waste their time with me and I am also not competing with many other people.

* Be patient. I grew impatient and jumped on an opportunity outside of software.

* Be careful what you wish for. The same failings and faults that apply everywhere else in software hiring will happen here too. Always be skeptical of the process, and ask good questions.

* Keep your experience in mind. Mostly what software companies are looking for is experience. Education is a nice to have, but it isn't required to be a developer. Education is never a certification no matter how much you wish it were or how expensive it was. If you have no experience you should expect to start as a junior developer.

* You don't need to be hired to obtain experience. Nothing is preventing you from writing open source software personal project and making mistakes that you are learning from. As somebody with a masters degree you are in a stronger position for advancing quickly compared to most other developers. After 20 years of writing software I am convinced that there are only 2 difference between a novice developer and an expert: writing skills and an advanced appreciation for data structures. Those are both skills that take practice to develop and the results a self-evident when reviewing code.

~~~
Nextgrid
Just curious, what's the vanilla JS niche? Is there any particular reason a
company would go with it instead of frameworks like React, etc (not saying I
agree with those decisions, just an observation based what's happening on the
job market)? Do you do server-side or client-side JS?

~~~
austincheney
I can not speak for other peoples' opinions. Here is the reason I would pitch
it in one word: scale.

An application written with original logic directly to the requirements
provided will be smaller, execute faster, and require less overhead to
maintain than something written with a giant framework provided your
developers know what they are doing. One of the biggest selling points to
using a large framework is precisely because many developers don't know what
they are doing and many businesses are not willing to invest the money in
training and documentation.

There are also specific demands that require original code that a framework is
not ideal for. One of the employers that contacted me from HN was wanting me
to write and maintain a Jabber based chat client that runs the browser with
high concurrency like a high volume IRC room. Performance was critical and so
they didn't want to deal with the overhead of a large framework.

Also, large frameworks are generally there to supplement developers'
insecurity with the DOM and general architecture in the browser. That doesn't
solve for writing a Node.js application.

As for myself I do both client-side and Node.js work. I enjoy working with
Node more because that space is less opinionated. Developers' have all kinds
of irrational opinions that they are willing to bet their careers on when it
comes to working in the browser. Compared to most of that foolishness I am a
10x developer, and its not because I'm great at writing software.

What is super frustrating though is talking through these concerns during a
job interview and dazzling the interviewers virtually ensuring my selection
for the position. This is super frustrating because it isn't my intent. I am
not trying to impress anybody when I go down that risky path of laying all my
cards on the table. I am trying to voice my concerns as directly as possible
to ward off a future bad relationship. Then once I get hired and go to work on
the team sure enough all my apprehensions that I attempted to illuminate
during the interviews are present ensuring that everyday at work will be a
slow death trying to sprint though an ocean of tar.

~~~
cwackerfuss
Not sure what type of sites you're building on the web, but building
nontrivial feature-rich web applications does not scale well with vanilla JS.
Frameworks like React and Angular give you the power to manage state, respond
to state updates with performant and predictable UI rerendering, and share
components and logic in an opinionated way that buys engineering teams
consistency and speed of development. Maybe the 10% of companies that aren't
deterred by this opinion simply don't have websites that necessitate a "web
application," but having an applicant say this would personally have me
looking the other way 100% of the time.

~~~
username90
> Maybe the 10% of companies that aren't deterred by this opinion simply don't
> have websites that necessitate a "web application,"

The further your features get from a static html page the less JS frameworks
helps. For example you can pretty easily write super mario in vanilla JS using
normal html elements for rendering, doing that in JS frameworks would not be
very fun at all. However if all you want to do is display data from servers or
let the user fill in forms then JS frameworks are pretty good.

~~~
7777fps
Super mario is orders of magnitude simpler than most web applications. Almost
the entire state is encoded in the current frame and there are only three
instructions.

~~~
username90
Change it to mario maker where you can create and upload levels and look at
and play others levels directly in the browser and it is still easier to
implement in vanilla JS than for example react. Honestly if these things are
not enough to constitute a complex web app then I don't see how the demand for
people able to write complex web apps can be that large, since almost nothing
I use are complex in that case.

------
thewarrior
I posted once and someone at a much better company than I’d otherwise get
hired at saw the post and decided to refer me on a whim. That put me on an
upward career trajectory and I now work at a FANG. I’m grateful for this
community and also reminded of how much of a role luck plays in everything.

As for OP my suggestion is that the people who read Who wants to be hired are
MUCH more clued in on tech than the average recruiter. If you’ve written blog
posts or done anything cool or noteworthy put them in the post. They might
make a difference.

~~~
xenihn
What did you do to prep for the interview process? I'm assuming you weren't
already prepping nor ready for FAANG, but maybe I'm wrong :)

~~~
thewarrior
Luck was on my side :)

I also had help from a friend who was a top ranked competitive programmer. We
went over problems together. To anyone with a competitive programming
background most FANG interview questions are absurdly easy.

You often see people asking “So I’m supposed to come up with these 3 tricks to
solve these problems in 5 minutes and write the code in 20 minutes under
pressure ?”. Competitive programmers have trained themselves to do exactly
this and they do this consistently on questions way more difficult than the
average FANG interview. The value of this skill in day to day development is
debatable but it’s definitely something to sharpen your mind. It’s something
one can learn to do with reasonable effort and is not impossibly hard as some
like to claim.

I also winnowed down on what to prepare by eliminating types of questions not
generally asked or too difficult by scanning lists of common questions asked.
Although I had only a few weeks to prepare. If you have more time the second
step may not be as necessary.

If you have one month to prepare use the Elements of Programming Interviews
book. If you have more time check out Udi Manbers book on designing algorithms
using induction. It goes into the why and the how.

In recent times I’ve observed that the system design interview increasingly
plays the deciding role as most candidates can now solve the DS/Algo questions
being asked.

~~~
xemdetia
I would say that it depends on the role when it comes to system design and may
be reflective of your level of experience. Certain roles require you to know
how to run _something_ in a production context because otherwise the dev will
make bonehead decisions. It's important to interview for that aspect as well
for growth as there are some people that enjoy working on problems but just
are awful at maintainable system design or conversely consuming large complex
base systems. Anyone who 'develops for cloud' generally needs more system
design skills just to understand how to work and build in cloud compared to a
developer where everything is provided for them when it comes to actually
delivering the code. This is a large change as well for people playing
containers, kubernetes, and so forth where a lack of system design
fundamentals can be a direct impediment to actually doing something of use
given the constraints.

~~~
digianarchist
What resources do people recommend for getting good with systems design
questions?

------
mtmail
Related discussion with 300 comments, summary is positive "Ask HN: Has anyone
ever been hired from “Who wants to be hired?” threads?"
[https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=20330818](https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=20330818)

------
keenmaster
You are getting your _PhD_ in genetics. That really seems like your passion. I
looked at your website and it's clear that you have been involved in some cool
research. Maybe it's a blessing you didn't get that junior dev job. Is that
really the path you want to take? Will that leverage your skills and
interests? I think you're better off using the Advanced Search function on
LinkedIn Jobs to mass apply to recently posted jobs in your niche. Bonus
points for having a coffee chat with the person who posted the job. Also, make
a list of all the people who can vouch for your work, especially people that
you've done research for/with. Analyze their LinkedIn, find jobs at companies
that they've worked with in the past, and ask if they can introduce you to
someone at the company who can discuss the job with you.

~~~
mixmastamyk
Some of us like to eat while following our passions. ;-)

------
allovernow
Yes. I had a pretty strong resume and a couple startups reached out to me
through the contact information I posted. Also this is not the first time
someone has asked.

But remember that you're probably competing with above average developers and
as someone with little experience you may be overshadowed. Don't let that
discourage you but be grounded in your aspirations.

------
timfrietas
Yes. I only posted once, but did get a few replies.

I will say that more than one of them was by people who were not hiring
managers but rank-and-file employees fishing for referral bonuses.

The number of _good_ leads I got was effectively zero.

------
RickS
I was contacted by – and took – an awesome job in Seattle via one of those
threads. So glad I got out of SF.

~~~
compscistd
What did you not like about SF? I dream about moving to a much larger city
(from a boring midwestern one), just don’t know where.

~~~
eastbayjake
Not OP but:

\- incredibly expensive

\- political gridlock preventing the city and region from taking action on
common sense livability issues like:

    
    
       - housing supply and affordability
       
       - homelessness
       
       - drug abuse
       
       - transportation
       
       - sanitation (see: "San Francisco Poop Heatmap")
    

\- persistent drought and wildfires

All of the above create a city with a transient population that can only
afford to stick around for a few years, which leads everyone to treat the city
as a temporary playground.

I made a lot of fond memories of San Francisco, but it's always been a gold
rush town: young men come seeking fortune and adventure, but they tend to
leave a few years later with their pockets empty... if they're lucky, perhaps
a little wiser for the wear.

~~~
asdff
What is Seattle doing differently than SF in these issues, other than the lack
of wildfires?

~~~
RickS
I'm guessing I'm who you meant to reply to, since I'm the one that mentioned
Seattle.

What we're doing differently:

* Building way more. We had (have?) the most cranes per capita of any US city, and price inflation noticeably slowed – flatlining at times – in response to increased housing availability.

* Building taller: in addition to more development overall, I see more multi-story construction here, anecdotally.

* Investing and policing transit more aggressively. The light rail is much newer and better maintained than BART. Both trains and stations have officers on regular rotation. Stations are clean, and fare enforcement is a thing sometimes. Seattle's major stations (Westlake, Capitol Hill) feel nothing like their SF equivalents (Powell, Mission).

* The harsher climate isn't a thing we're "doing", but it likely makes Seattle a less desirable destination than SF for the chronically homeless, so it feels dishonest not to mention it as a factor.

This isn't to say that we're free from these issues – our problems differ in
degree, but not in kind. But that change in degree has a palpable impact on
everyday life.

Namely:

* It is possible (albeit expensive) for non-millionaires to purchase a home and raise a family here

* Traveling around the city on foot and via public transit is fairly pleasant outside (outside of rush hour)

~~~
mixmastamyk
Thanks. How is WA handling mental illness compared to CA, which dumps them in
the street?

------
misiti3780
My company has hired multiple developers from these HN posts. In fact, it's by
far the most effective method I have been using to find high quality
candidates.

Ping me via email if you want to discuss more.

~~~
misiti3780
In fact, if you live in NC and want a cool job, here you go:

[https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=22466932](https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=22466932)

~~~
samatman
Gotta respect the hustle, but this thread is about "Who wants to be hired",
not its more popular brother "Who is hiring".

I don't think anyone doubts the effectiveness of the latter.

~~~
mixmastamyk
Am gainfully employed but never got a job from either, cargo cult interviews
are the rule here.

------
PragmaticPulp
From the other perspective: I posted a remote job ad in one of those threads
once. I was buried under applications from remote employees.

Some advice: If you want to stand out, make your initial contact as easy and
as complete as possible. The more the person on the other end needs to work to
access your resume, understand who you are, and discover other details, the
less likely you are to get a response.

~~~
mixmastamyk
Yes, what does work to access a resume mean? Log into a site perhaps?

------
mmastrac
We've hired people from both sides - us reaching out and people reaching out
to us. I'll usually Ctrl+F keywords for what we're looking for and email
anyone that looks relevant.

------
javaIsGreat
I've never posted on the "Who wants to be hired" but I've applied to a number
of positions on the "Who's Hiring" and consistently get feedback from those.

If you've been looking for a job for year without any promising job leads, i
would recommend:

-seek some feedback on your resume -speak to some professional developers for some general advice on getting the first job

I'd be happy to help if you want to message me on twitter @jakeduchen

------
lowercased
I did on the 'who wants to freelance?' version once. It was a whole 45 minutes
after I posted - someone one town over noticed my location and we connected. I
ultimately didn't get the gig, but got a nice tour of their facility and some
of the work they were doing. :)

------
csomar
Probably because HN is geared more toward tech/web/ai startups and you have
something else on your Resume. I would try other communities instead. I don't
think you should be looking for a Jr. Web Dev position.

------
rckoepke
I was contacted for a potential internship based on my post in "Who wants to
be Hired?" in Feb 2020. I have prior background in industrial control systems,
and the startup which interviewed me had some overlap as they focus on power
grid. The startup is quite small but profitable, and I felt that it has a
solid strategy+position for sustained growth. In the end, I believe my skills
weren't a total grand slam for what they needed (lots of web dev skills), and
I was also located 2+ hours (each way) and they likely needed someone to come
into the office each day. They were also originally looking for someone
fulltime, not part time or internship.

At the end of the day, I think both sides of the table was wonderfully honest,
flexible and open to finding a potential fit/solution/consensus, but we
couldn't figure out a satisfying way to make the parts fit together.

I've done about a dozen interviews since January (and found several offers),
and several dozen more earlier in life. The interview I found via "Who wants
to be Hired?" really stands out for being the most earnest, open, flexible,
and consensus-focused. It felt like discussing a potential partnership
("Here's where I'm at, whats that look like for you?"), rather than a typical
job interview -- i.e. "This place has been voted top quality of life in
Metropolitan (because we paid for it, but our employees actually end up
working 60 hrs/week most weeks)" and "Yes, I have Django experience (from my
personal project I never quite finished or ever deployed)"

------
dustingetz
Whoshiring worked for me back in like 2014-2016 when I was the "only" React.js
freelancer with deep experience. (Not sure when whoshiring started but
somewhere in there.) It stopped working in ~2017-2019 once everyone had that
and I don't think I was ever contacted again (by a serious opportunity).
Trolling public forums is so low effort that anyone can do it and it's a race
to the bottom unless you stand out in some clear way.

------
rasikjain
Yes, I got contacted by HN hiring threads multiple times. I ended up taking
few gigs and it turned out to be good. The quality of the jobs and
requirements we get from HN is good when compared to other job boards.
Experience definitely matters for a good role. I see lot of requirements are
related to javascript frameworks (e.g React). In your case I would show some
links to your profile (i.e Github, linkedin or your own website). Good luck
with your search. You can also reach out to people from "Who is Hiring"
thread.

Here is list of compiled remote job boards.

[https://github.com/lukasz-madon/awesome-remote-job/#job-
boar...](https://github.com/lukasz-madon/awesome-remote-job/#job-boards)

------
throwaway17_17
Has anyone had success posting on the “who wants to be hired thread” looking
for work but not having a traditional software background? I’m just wondering
if there is any real way for this to be effective when lacking the ‘normal’
key signals for software jobs.

------
proverbialbunny
If you're getting a PhD you might want to consider a Data Science / research
role, or at least an analyst role. If you wanted a job as a Software Engineer,
why stay in school so long? Many SE roles don't even need a bachelors degree
(though, ofc, companies want people with a BS).

I've never worked with a PhD software engineer, but as a data scientist, most
of the people I work with have a PhD or masters. I'm the odd one out not
having a degree.

And to answer your question, when I post in the Who Wants to be Hired threads
I always get responses, but I've got 10+ years of industry experience, so it
makes sense.

------
rch
Yep. I moved from Boulder to NYC based on an offer I got from my only post.

I've also worked in a couple of companies that need computational biology,
biostats, etc., and I don't think any of them would be likely to reach out to
people on HN.

------
neom
I have- however, both of them called me the wrong name; so I didn't reply.

------
nonbirithm
I got hired on my first internship after I graduated college from HN, in 2017.
I was jobless at the time and living with my parents in the hope I would be
able to get a good opportunity. I ended up being hired on a small internship
role developing a Rails app, which wasn't enough to sustain me so I still
relied on my parents for rent. After that I got lucky on one of my other
applications and got hired by a much bigger org, such that I can now pay for
my own rent.

------
DrNuke
Got a few leads in the past year from two personal submissions to the
freelancer seeking work topic. They ended in nothing massive (or life
changing, as some are reporting on here, well done to you!) because onsite
still seems a pre-requisite for anything non-software and, more than that,
real life teams cannot outsource IP trust or strategic responsibility for
heavy-impact r&d decisions.

------
ceceron
As for the question in the topic: yes, I have been contacted.

Do you have any experience outside the university degrees? It is difficult to
hire someone who has a very diverse skill set with no particular experience.
You should probably focus on building a portfolio - work on some open source
projects or create something on your own... Otherwise, it will be tough :)

------
mixmastamyk
Once I was in dire straits, in great need of honest work, and had lots of
skills and experience.

Got one reply from someone building a surveillance apparatus for authoritarian
countries. I had to say no. :(

------
scythe
I think that most employers look at that MS in genetics and assume you're
looking for related work. The problem with that is that biotech employers
don't read Hacker News nearly as much as software employers. You need to look
for other venues.

------
dntbnmpls
Those posts are generally for people with dev experience or BS/MS/PhD in CS.
Pretty much a strong resume though there are exceptions.

> I got a minor in CS, MS in genetics and have been looking for an industry
> job for about a year now.

If you have a MS in genetics why are you applying for jr. dev jobs which
primarily targets towards CS majors fresh out of school? You are at a distinct
disadvantage with a minor in CS.

With your background in genetics, why are you seeking out dev positions at
all? Shouldn't you be seeking lab/research positions and use your CS minor to
differentiate yourself from other people with MS in genetics?

Anyways good luck with your job search, but I really don't think the "Who
Wants to be Hired" is what you are looking for. Your best bet is through your
alma mater/networks, professors, job fairs, etc.

~~~
PeterisP
It probably depends on where you are, but I wouldn't be surprised if OP could
get a jr. dev job that pays better than any biology lab/research position they
would expect even after a PhD and some experience.

------
mc32
Have you looked into the possibility of bioinformatics at smaller biotechs who
aren’t looking for lots of acumen? If not I’d probably look there.

Sometimes you don’t have to hit all the boxes. Knowing R would help.

------
gavinray
I sent you an email and left a message on the number listed on your personal
site you advertised in the other hiring thread.

Would love to help you out (even if its just referrals or advice), I know how
it feels.

------
vladdoster
I have been contacted and even got on-sites with them in the end. I always
post when I see the post. I can follow how useful it is via my website and
google analytics!

------
greendestiny_re
Those threads are a great way to datamine info.

------
jf22
A couple of years ago I was contacted and did some freelance engagement with a
great client.

------
kgabis
I was contacted but I had a different offer by the time it happened. Still
worth it because the position looked interesting.

------
mraza007
I was about to post the same question But I have similar question would love
to hear community opinion on this

------
maximp
I commented on a Who's Hiring thread a year ago, and got an interview out of
it :)

------
true_religion
I hired two people from The Who Wants to be hired posts.

------
nfRfqX5n
i've reached out to someone to hire them for some small freelance work

