Ask HN: How do you get a job as a software engineer if you've been cancelled?
I don't want to go too much in to things, as it makes me sick to re-hash it and type things up again. Long story short, I was "cancelled". Someone who has hated me for years convincingly mis-attributed decade old chat posts that contain vulgar, unsavory things to me, and convinced my last employer that it was me. Defamation would be one thing, but it has spread beyond it to social media and now my name is forever ruined. I admit, the evidence is convincing to the onlooker. This took place about 6 months ago and I am unable to get a new job since. (They never say the reason for not moving forward, but I know why) Until this, I had no problem switching jobs. Am I going to have to do odd jobs forever, or is there any hope of me returning as as the skilled software engineer I know I am? Would appreciate any and all help.
92 comments
[ 3.7 ms ] story [ 136 ms ] threadIf your name is associated with these incidents and you need a fresh start, why don't you consider that as an option?
Obviously this might not pass the background check phase. But not all businesses do a detailed due diligence
Unless you’re applying for a job that’s high-profile (like VP or C-suite), or in a highly regulated industry, I wouldn’t expect this.
Plus you can probably contact your university registrar with your legal name change and ask them to update the transcript to the new name.
Just switch everything to your other first name.
Also do the same as the big corps, send dcma take down notices to the offending websites.
Team up with other cancelled people.
Get a job in crypto or one of verticals that haven't been destroyed by the woke mob.
Find startups or private companies owned by libertarians or republicans.
Get a new email/Linkedin etc of course, and apply to some contractor positions with a nickname on your resume.
By contractor I mean like things you would find on CareerBuilder or Linkedin Easy Apply.
If you get an offer, then you know that not every company is researching you very deeply.
But if even these guys are denying you, then it is maybe time for a legal name change, which still might not even help because you have to provide this info in a background check (which should only be for criminal things, not behavioral).
Probably you are only applying to small companies?
I would be shocked if you fail this background check. My experience across many such jobs has been that they just check for convictions using your drivers license.
If you get an offer and don't pass the background check, you actually have the right to appeal the decision I think.
But if you aren't getting the offer, your name is too unique, your work history is too uniquely tied to your name, and you need to apply with a nickname that is quite different from your real legal name (which is what my wife does as a cultural Chinese thing.
I see many valid options for you to take: you could be upfront with it in a cover letter, disguise it by using a nickname, move into contracting and do business through an LLC, or come out swinging and make a bigger ruckus in your own favor. Whatever works. I'm preparing to be cancelled, because the truth is an ugly thing, and I want to know what works.
If not, you almost certainly should. It's like a conviction: if I find it when I run the background check, first I'm surprised, and second, the candidate has lost all opportunity to set context. Plus not mentioning it borders on lying.
I don't suspect the best context for you is someone set me up; you should try "I did some dumb things (assuming this wasn't outright criminality), stuff was someone exaggerated, I'm a different person."
How you tell the story might influence people. Have friends/family read whatever you write about it and give you feedback on how it comes across.
The approach I suggested has resulted in the hiring -- including at a place where I worked -- of people with criminal conduct. Which is probably worse than what you did.
Again, if potential employers are finding out about this, you're choosing to either let them find out while reading stuff on the internet, or with you saying "read the stuff on the internet, but first listen: this was 10 years ago, I did something stupid, I've changed, blah blah blah."
If they read it without that context, does a potential employer even know you disagree with what was said? Probably not.
You could also publish another blog about cancel culture and lies (no burden of proof) and impact on real life.
This could turn into you favour.
If you were to Google my real name, nothing would come up that is related to me. Since the 90's I've been careful not to use my real name or images of me on the internet.
I'm sure plenty of people are like this?
im also real curious what this is about? Apply to my company, i have no idea what your talking about or who you are haha
It sounds like it worth a try to just own it though? from skimming the posts here if your truly considering changing your name, it doesn't seem like it would make things that much worse for you.
maybe some mental health/therapy stuff if you can get it. sounds traumatic, working with someone might help get things straightened out, less stress etc?
You’re hinting that it appears that way, but wasn’t actually that way. So what’s your side of the story? Why is your history not what it seems?
I don’t know your details, but if there’s any truth to the accusations, then it might be worth considering owning it. Something like: A long time ago, I made a big mistake by ________, but I’ve learned from it and am committed to ________. Sure, some people won’t forgive you, but some might.
Again, I don’t know the details, but someone denying something is sometimes harder to believe than someone that owns it. But, if it’s all gaslighting is it too difficult to explain how it’s been “all set up against you”?
Some more details might be helpful if you’d like specific advice.
He didn't make the posts. Someone convinced other people that the comments came from an account he controlled.
> I admit, the evidence is convincing to the onlooker.
That’s what I’m confused about. Why is the evidence so convincing? Why wouldn’t a simple rejection suffice?
“I didn’t write those things and was appalled when I read it for the first time not long ago.”
I feel like there are some key missing details to the story.
Even if he himself didn't post the comments, he must have known that it was going on at the time and probably knows the person who did do it.
"I didn't do it - it was someone else under my name" is the equivalent of "the dog ate my homework". I definitely agree with you - there are key missing detail - conveniently so.
If you are ever accused of something, rightly or wrongly, never accede and never give in.
What I recommend is different. Practice your zoom skills, record yourself in mock interviews to see how you look over zoom, and work on that.
Cancel culture is stupid, and we only make it a thing, if we make it a thing. It won't last 2 generations and society will be sick of it and will have moved on.
I strongly encourage you to do so if you can. I really hate people having such practice and thinking they can get away with it.
Otherwise/in the meantime the contracting idea works. Could be through a platform - i.e Upwork or Toptal - and/or behind a company name, etc. I'd also look into foreign opportunities.
This all sucks and I don't know what happened but look forward, some people don't want to give meaning to these things and would give you a chance. Good luck and take care!
If you are the victim of cyber bullying then I would suggest contacting the platform that is housing the libelous posts. I think there are ways on every platform to remove libelous posts. You probably should hire a lawyer to handle this for you that specializes in cyber bullying.
If you were fired over this libel, then you could also sue the company as well and make sure there are press releases that state that you are fighting this as false so that they become higher in the search rankings. Then at least if future employers are looking at this, it will call into question whether or not you are actually guilty.
It's also a reason why I gave my kids very, very generic boring names which would make it very hard to google them.
Sadly, I am the only person with my name in the country. something I used to be proud of actually.
Another option is to bury your name in search results. Create online personas for a bunch of other people with your name. Write a bunch of blog articles using your name. Get all the bad press on page 3+ of Google results.
You could apply for a job with a government - they often have rules preventing them from considering certain information in their hiring processes.
You could also just apply to companies which espouse the values the defamer said you articulated. Depending on your race/gender/any other factors this could land you somewhere you’ll be treated poorly, but a job is a job and someone on one extreme or the other of the political spectrum won’t care how horrible a thing you supposedly said. Of course, that means committing to this option, as the employer will taint your resume and limit future opportunities.
I have used it before and Google responded and removed the links to the offending chat forum. If it doesn't show up in Google it's unlikely any employer will find it.
Also, I'd contact the social media companies directly too. At minimum, you could ask for your name to be removed. Doxxing is usually not allowed on their services. Took much more time and persistence than Google, but I was able to get the chat forum to remove names. Best response if you contact their legal dept., not their customer support. You can find legal contact in Terms of Service, Privacy Statement, financial statements, press releases etc.
It's a chance to simultaneously show/model your real values, and dilute the influence of the accusation.
Also: don't curdle.
https://support.google.com/legal/troubleshooter/1114905?hl=e...
Get cheap SIM cards for verification and create an array of a dozen sockpuppet accounts all over top social media platforms for downvoting or reporting defamatory content and use them to promote content which makes you look normal. Log in to different social media accounts from fast food restaurant WiFi all over town with different user agents and wireless mac addresses.
no one outside the wifi sees his mac address.
The language you are using makes me think you might be getting pinged from hiring processes because you are very angry/anxious about this whole situation and probably not putting your best foot forward.
That combined with the anxiety of the world being on fire may be making things worse in all sorts of ways, both for you and the teams you are interviewing with.
No damage that is solely reputational is permanent, so it seems you are stuck catastrophising. That can put people in survival mode and I know when I’m at work I want to be in a creative mode environment so you may not be coming across as a cultural fit.
I don’t think you’ve come to terms with the situation and I’d recommend you talk to a therapist before resuming your job search.
1. Seek some therapy/mental help. Something I've been lacking and psyched myself out in to thinking I don't deserve it. 2. See if there are any legal avenues/help I can get on contingency, (I am pretty broke at the moment) 3. Maybe just own the situation and try to exude confidence, as hard as that can be. 4. Worst comes to worst, change my name and just try to do contracting work for awhile.
This has been the worst ordeal of my life, and as helpful as this post has been, has just given me more anxiety about the situation at hand. But it's always the darkest before the dawn I suppose. I'm going to shut my laptop and try to meditate for a little bit.
If you were not responsible for the original posts, call it out, show some proof that you aren't the person that others claim you to be, and move on; otherwise, own the situation, accept responsibility for your actions, change your attitude, and get on with your life.