Ask HN: How to Change Industries?

6 points by cowile2 6 years ago | 2 comments

I left my job as a systems programmer at a large defense contractor back in February. After two years, I knew it wasn't where I wanted to be, and an ongoing merger squeezing budgets and creating a toxic environment forced my hand.

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.

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.

How can I find work in a new industry?

[0] Triplebyte referral link: https://triplebyte.com/iv/K1tBqiw/cp/out_a. The overall experience was amazing even if it didn't work out, and I would appreciate the referral money if anyone is looking.

weiming 6 years ago |

> 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 6 years ago | |

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.