Ask HN: Why can't I get dev jobs anymore?

13 points by dialupmodem 9 years ago | 8 comments

I'm 31 and have been in software since I was 18. After leaving my last job, I feel like I have woken up and suddenly everyone wants to be a "coder" and consequently I have to do a bunch of social engineering to prove that I am not an imposter just to get a job. Ironically, this new social proof that is now required to get a job as a developer proves absolutely nothing about development knowledge or ability, but in fact makes it easier for complete beginners to fool their way into a paycheck.

I look around and see complete newcomers to the industry walk out of dev bootcamps and straight into decently paid jobs because they know how to "code" and have a github profile, a twitter account, and stickers on their laptop.

The best of these people speak loud and speak often out of their vast 2 years of experience coding React apps, and have contributed nothing but unpolished junk code that barely works and is riddled with unresolved issues.

Is this really what things have come to? I have to be a "code rockstar" to get a job? Competence be damned?

rajeshmr 9 years ago |

I must admit I had similar if not the same feelings about the trends in tech these days. Everyone is a geek who can write a piece of code and write a patch. I see entitlement attitude in most young software engineers and utter disrepect for people who took time to refine their craft. But this is something we cannot do anything about so why worry ? If its bothering you, you should try to explain it to them.

And let's be honest here, regarding your "code rockstar" comment - it's getting harder to demonstrate ability in the age of over sharing and over communication. Internet can be a place with too much noise.

But Internet has also enabled us and empowered us so much. Instead of fighting the culture of show-offs, why not contribute your experiences on a blog ? The positive ones ? Build an online reputation and take advantage of the same infrastructure that many abuse ?

If you are really good at what you do, people will notice you. You don't have to show off and make loud noises. Just showcase your sincere works and get on the flow. You may never know what wonders could touch your life.

rhaworth 9 years ago |

OP, this is where everything is headed.

Gone are the days of handing over a solid resume and quietly clocking out at 5pm. All that extra stuff like github and personal branding is the new language of the age. Without participating you look like a cave man to employers.

A fresh out of boot camp novice coder that is at least putting himself out there on social media has a huge advantage over an invisible genius because he is with the times. He's speaking modern english.

A terrible singer on youtube will get hired before the person with a golden voice that is still making 8tracks. Because people don't buy 8track cassettes anymore (quiet, hipsters. I realize my analogy sucks). They watch youtube.

Why are you so resistant to just doing what it takes to communicate in a way that is understood in this internet age?

dkarapetyan 9 years ago |

How do you suppose people should respond to your rant? There is a lot of resentment and entitlement in your voice. That will not get you far in life.

gigatexal 9 years ago | |

Yeah a bit bitter for sure. Just do what everyone else does: contribute to open source, create a blog, have a portfolio of stuff worth showing on GitHub, get a decent resume. Etc. And social engineering? You mean networking or the most effective way to get a job?

_qc3o 9 years ago | | |

I honestly don't think you have to do any of those things. You don't need to blog or contribute to OSS or write code on the weekends. I've never had a hiring manager care about any of it. Most just care that you can get along with other people and solve problems relevant to the job. Which is really another way of saying they want well adjusted people.

You can do all those things as well but most people won't care. Blogging and pushing code to GitHub has helped me become a better programmer but it has not directly helped me get jobs.

CyberFonic 9 years ago |

There is an implicit question that begs answers. Are the people making the hiring decisions so incompetent that a person with minimal knowledge and experience is able to bamboozle them into getting a job whilst a more competent person with a good track record gets overlooked? I often wonder whether it is a pay peanuts ... situation.

forgottenacc57 9 years ago |

The stuff you refer to is what employers use as a proxy for showing that you do more than go to work and switch off.

rajeshmr 9 years ago | |

This is a problem mate. People would like to have life outside of work too. Why should one always work beyond work time ? Sure, updating your skills is important and there are other ways to improve than committing 1-2 hours everyday to some side project. The balance is tipped towards younger engineers cos they have more time than someone who is in a relationship or married or having kids.

EDIT : It is rather appalling sometimes when you think about the unreasonable expectations the companies have on developers / professionals. To be available at all times to resolve any issues. 24x7 culture. We have to be sure what we are being sold about.