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Ask HN: Would you hire me?

7 points by marco-fiset ↗ HN
I guess this is a rather common situation, but I decided to post this to HN anyway.

I'm looking to switch jobs because I don't like what I do. I'm stuck with old technologies and there is no hope for that to change. People here just don't care because that's what they always did and they don't want to learn anything new. To them, software development is just a job like any other. To me it's a whole lot more than that: it's a passion. Probably like a lot of people here, actually.

I want to work remotely. I currently live in QC, Canada and I don't want to relocate, mostly because I have a fairly established life here with my wife and our two children. I know that will limit the possibilities, but it is the only strict requirement. I understand the risk of hiring someone who does not have a lot of experience (I have 2 years), but I only need one chance to show what I’m worth.

I am a very fast learner and I can pick up new languages/tools/frameworks in a very short amount of time. I want to work for a company that values knowledge and understanding of general concepts (OOP, Design Patterns, etc) rather than specific technologies. I know my way around C#, PHP, Javascript and more recently I did some Ruby, which I like a lot. I don’t mind what technology you work with. What matters to me is that you master it and use it well.

I want to be part of something important. I want to make a difference. I feel like I have not unleashed my full potential yet, and this is hurting me emotionally. I can do more. I know I am better than what I do at my current job. I want to work with motivated and smart people. But first and foremost, I want to love my job and have fun doing it!

Would you hire me?

Find me on GitHub : https://github.com/marco-fiset/

I am looking for constructive criticism and advice from people that understand what I live and that went through a similar situation. You can contact me at my username (replace '-' with '.') over that google mail service.

12 comments

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danso
If you're working at a company with old technologies and no real passion for software dev, then you probably don't have a ton that you can easily show? Have you considered trying out some of the challenges on challengepost, just as a way to produce something user-facing and practice the new things you're learning?
marco-fiset
I did not know about challengepost. It looks pretty cool, thanks!
rcirka
As a lead developer that is involved in new hires, I can give you my perspective.

We generally don't hire remote workers. If I did consider hiring for a remote position, it would only be for senior developers. It is difficult to mentor a junior developer that works remotely.

As far as wanting to work for a company that values general programming concepts, well, let me just say this. In reality, it can take years to fully master a framework. It's not just programming, but patterns and architecture. Even the quickest learner can not learn these over night. I wouldn't ever hire someone who just knows a little of every language, it comes across as a jack of all trades. I don't look for people that can just hack stuff together, I want someone who is specialized in a technology and can implement specifications on a product quickly and cleanly.

I don't wish to discourage you, there are probably jobs at there that fit your criteria. It depends on your goals. If you want to just have fun, you will have to sacrifice on pay. If you want make good money, you will need to specialize on a specific platform (ie php/mysql or .net/mssql) and know it inside and out.

marco-fiset
That's exactly the kind of answer I was looking for! Thank you for the feedback.

You mention that mentoring would be difficult, I have to disagree. Mentoring is mostly about answering questions, pointing to the right direction, reviewing code, etc. IMO, distance is not an obstable to any of these things. Communication is just so easy these days with all the tools available.

[dead] eswangren
As someone who has been in this situation, I have to disagree with you. There is simply no replacement for being able speak in person at a moment's notice. Working remotely changes the dynamic of communication entirely. What if I just want to grab a conference room and whiteboard some ideas? Email and IM's are a lackluster alternative. I would never recommend hiring a junior to work remotely.
gesman
Create a good linked-in profile, populate it with buzzwords. Even if you came along some tool or technology briefly. Recruiters do buzzword search and then contact person.

Don't mention about "limited experience, but fast learner" or "emotional hurts". Present yourself as a happy person wherever you are, and say that you're happy and not really looking for job but maybe opened to new opportunities and growth potentials.

I getting pestered with offers for local and relocations from recruiters who found me on linkedin.

Corps that are ok with remote workers are spoiled by cheap mediocre indian workers and are not interested with expensive but good-hearted remote north american workers. The one who do - would hire you for very specific skill or experience (I worked for 6 years remotely like that).

Advice for the time being: do fun project (or even launch a little online service or business or product) using language/framework/technology that you'd want to learn. Add it to your resume.

Be found.

marco-fiset
The problem is, how do I get that specific experience that is required to work remotely? I don't have that much time to dedicate to side projects (I usually spend 4-8 hours per week with programming, sometimes less). IMO, time I spend at work is wasted, because it is so unrelated to the technologies I want to work with. To me, it does not count as additionnal experience. I want to find a job that will allow me to learn on the go, as I would do with a side-project anyway.
gesman
Go to bed at 9pm, wake up at 6 and work 1.5 hours before work.

And then you have weekends.

Project idea: Create URL shortener in Ruby on Rails that works like tiny.cc (very useful).

Then write in your resume that you have 1.5 yrs experience in Ruby on Rails. This is hot shit right now.

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auctiontheory
Your writing is much too focused on what you want, and not on what you have to offer the employer.

The paragraph beginning "I'm looking to switch jobs ..." makes you sound like a complainer. Yes, we have all felt that way at times, but it's not a winning way to present yourself. Never use your resume/cover letter to criticize other people, especially your current employer.

Can you see how the paragraph beginning "I am a very fast learner ..." is all about you and your requirements?

The paragraph beginning "I want to be part of ..." makes me especially wary. None of it is "wrong," but it doesn't offer any benefit to the employer, and comes across as unfocused and high maintenance. (Sorry - I assume you want the unvarnished truth.)

DO read Ask The Headhunter.

[dead] eswangren
Another senior engineer here who weighs in on hiring decisions.

Based upon your self description, no, I would not. You sound to me like a beginner-intermediate level programmer who loves what he is doing, but is under the impression that cool new languages and frameworks are the most exciting thing he can experience. They are not. Note that this is still my impression even after reading your "I'm a fast learner..." paragraph.

You may very well be highly gifted, but how can I know that? Nowhere in your description do you discuss what sort of problems you have solved or and what sort of problems you would like to solve. Solving problems is #1. What language/framework/API you use to do it should flow naturally from the problem domain.

I don't care if you know C/C#/Ruby/whatever. Sure, knowing the technology stack that we are using (or plan to use) is a big bonus, but it is not up there at the top of my list of hiring criteria. I want to know if you can solve problems. I want to know how you think. Any engineer worth their salt can learn the latest language or framework, that doesn't interest me. What does interest me is know that, if we have a difficult problem to solve, I am going to be able to get you next to a whiteboard to help me figure it out.

Don't take this as an insult; everyone starts somewhere. This stage is a natural progression in your development as an engineer. I was there once, as was everyone else. However, per your own description, you sound like a glue programmer to me, not an engineer. I want to know if I can rely on you to solve hard problems, regardless of whether the best language for the job is C or JavaScript.

EDIT: Just saw your comment here:

    *IMO, time I spend at work is wasted, because it is so unrelated to the technologies I want to work with*
Well, that is exactly the reason I would not hire you as-is. That is the impression I had initially and that sentence only reinforces that impression, regardless of your statement in the "I am a fast learner..." paragraph.