The Hacker Fair: Where Job-Hunting Developers Get A Chance Show Off Their Skills | Hacker News Reader

The Hacker Fair: Where Job-Hunting Developers Get A Chance Show Off Their Skills

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The job fair is being held at the Hacker Dojo hackerspace, which is one block north of the YC offices.

Date: Jan 16 @ 10:00am

Location: http://bit.ly/hacker-dojo-map

Bring your laptop & side projects to show them off!

This is an interesting concept, and I like the role reversal.

However (and this is devils advocate for sure), what is preventing these companies from seeing your ideas (who then ask you about implementation details), and then walking away with those instead of wanting to hire you? It's almost as bad as giving away your idea.

Its also sends a message "I'm not a competitive job seeker who can shine in a crowd" and you are putting yourself out on the corner so-to-speak. It could convey desperation or over-availability.

If you have a long employment track record and think it would be fun that's one thing - but in the end I still think the advantage lies with the companies, and almost even more so. It's marketed for the young-start-up, possibly unemployed segment, "the hacker fair." Its an identity that, while very technically advanced, can convey young, unemployed code-monkeys that could be taken advantage of as long as they feel important in a position they are given.

I'm all about getting buddies jobs - and a showing off their proud work. That part is awesome. But something about this set up motivated me to respond in this way.

I think in a more demanding job market, we're probably not going to have much choice. Hackers in general are going to need to be able to demo their "portfolio" to break into places where they don't have strong personal network connections.

As someone who has for the first time been in the position of hiring, I would have completely gone to something like this to try and land candidates.

Of course, my first inclination is to hire people I've worked with or know to be smart (and this is what I did), but for someone who was willing to put themselves out there like this, I would have gone outside my network.

Heck, I feel like some kind of slacker admitting I don't have a blog/web app of my own to show people now.

You also have a full time job doing something else.

usually those with a full time job are the most likely candidates to be hired somewhere else. The Hacker Fair is not necessarily for the jobless, it's for people who want to interview the companies who will be hiring them. Seems like the advantage is still in the job seeker's hand instead of the other way around.

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