Ask HN: Not getting Jobs, Should I switch Technology? | Hacker News Reader

Ask HN: Not getting Jobs, Should I switch Technology?

2 pointscodesternews4 comments

I am very good developer in my technology. For Past 2 months I am trying to switch the Jobs but I am not getting enough Calls from recuiters. The market of my current technology seems to stagnant.

Most of my company friends working in frontend are able to switch in good companies and easily. Should I start learning frontend my own. I have no production experience in the frontend. But I know some of JS and react.

Should I start looking job in my current technology or start leaning frontend technologies? I am very depressed for the same reason. Please give some advice

Thanks

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Your technical skills are not your only skills. You have problems solving skills, learning skills, and so on. You don't have to necessarily know a technology to get a job using it, you just need to convince the company that you can pick it up quickly.

If you build a 1-week frontend project and say "I know React!" that's unconvincing. If you say "I can learn new tech quickly, here's a thing I built after having just learned React, and at my last job I did X quickly with Y"... that's more convincing.

More here: https://codewithoutrules.com/2017/07/16/which-programming-sk...

Thanks a lot for the suggestion. It is very easy to say companies just need problem-solving and should not look for technologies. It might be right for freshers.

But current in situation and interviews are totally different.

1) After some experience companies expectation changes and they want you to be proficient in the requirement they have else they hire some other guy who might have experience in that area.

2) After some experience, it gets hard to find jobs. I am getting good salary in my current job but do not know how switch the job as my company is very unstable and might get bankrupt in few months.

I might be wrong but its my opinion. I do not know how to get out of this trap and switch technologies. Any help would be appreciated.

I just got a job with a technology stack I knew very little of (scientific computing and image processing). It's definitely possible.

I'm not saying companies don't want people to know specific technologies, nor am I saying you shouldn't learn them. Just that most programmers undervalue a whole bunch of skills that companies actually do need... and if you present yourself right the company will say "oh huh that sounds useful" even if they didn't think about in the first place.

Good template: "I identified problem X, solved it with technology Z, and saved the company Y money/year". Demonstrates not just doing what you're told, but a specific skill (identifying problems) and resulting consequences.

Another good template: "I identified problem X, investigated, chose technology X, with result Y." Demonstrates you're a quick learner, identify problems, not limited to current tech stack.

I would definitely recommend that you give new technologies a try but not for sole reason of getting a job. Build something that you might find useful and do it for the pleasure of learning.

You can share your experience through a blog and who knows it might even end up on the first page HN.

Also don't forget to get some exercise to get your spirits up!

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