

Ask HN: How did you got your job recently? - iworkforthem

I kept reading all these threads that seems to imply that there are plenty of developer jobs available? Is this really the case?
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serichsen
I did not make three grammatical mistakes in three sentences.

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btilly
Yes, it is the case. If you have established skills, a lot of places will hire
you in a heartbeat.

Note, though, that that if is a big if. It is always difficult to get your
foot in the door because everyone knows that it takes a lot of energy to get a
new programmer up to speed on programming and your environment, and there is a
high possibility of it not working out.

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iworkforthem
Getting a visa is still poses a big problem?

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btilly
Possibly. Depends where you are coming from and where you want to go to.

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jcblitz
If anyone has gone through a recruiter, can you comment here on your
experience with them? Was it a cold call (you or them) or did you already know
that particular recruiter?

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bartonfink
I have never been placed through a recruiter, but I just had a fun experience
with one that bears sharing. A while back, a woman named Gina Storey from
EdgeLink called me about a job that involved an AJAX library I have fairly
strong experience with (Ext-JS). It was a short-term contract without health
insurance, and as I have a child on the way, I wasn't particularly interested
in giving up the insurance from my current job. I told her that I'd be much
more interested in it as a side-gig in addition to my day job, but she said
that none of her clients have ever been interested in such an arrangement and
asked how much money it would take for me to give up my insurance. I gave her
an "f off" figure and we left it at that.

Soon after, I got an invitation to complete a survey regarding my experience
and what they could do better. I haven't had that much fun filling out a
survey in years. I told them that, in the 3 months since that conversation, I
had started checking craigslist ads once a week for additional side work and
had found 4 clients who paid me for exactly the sort of after-hours work that
Gina said "nobody was intersted in." With an average of 30 minutes searching a
week, I found a paying client every 3 weeks and they were getting 0% of the
money I was making just because she was unwilling to pursue the work
arrangement I was interested in. I cc'ed her manager (he had contacted me
previously) on the e-mail and made it clear I couldn't recommend them to
anyone I knew largely because of her unwillingness to compromise on what she
thought her customers wanted.

In general, I don't mind recruiters in the same way that I don't mind
garbagemen, stevedores and pharmaceutical reps - they're easily ignored and
have little impact on my professional life. However, this was an opportunity
that I couldn't pass up on. I still smile to think about it.

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cmontgomeryb
Honestly, you came off much worse in that story than Gina.

According to your story, she said "none of her clients have ever been
interested in such an arrangement" - not that NOBODY IN THE WORLD was
interested.

Going to her manager was VERY low, I actually feel bad for the recruiter for
the way you handled this.

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bartonfink
I make it a point not to lie or exaggerate on my resume. This puts the burden
on me to do things that are actually worth telling the truth about.

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sandyc
Nepotism and word of mouth

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naithemilkman
Highly personalised cold email

