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Comment by noahc | Hacker News Reader

I think you're going about it all wrong. If a job is listed on a job aggregator website, I assume its garbage. Here's what I would do. Pick n (5? 10? 15?) companies you'd like to work for. Then research them all until you know everything about the company. Find out what their founder, CEO, designers are complaining about. Look over their website and find three or four problems.

E-mail them saying, "I'm interested in your company, and I'd love to work for you. In the mean time you can check me out here, here and here. I found x, y, z. Here's how I'd fix them. If you'd like to talk further I'm available on Skype, email, and my phone number is x. Call anytime."

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What makes you think all job listings are garbage? I've found a few really promising ones. I imagine it's the same ratio that employers get when they receive tons of garbage resumes and a few gems here and there.

I like your proactive approach very much, but the search space (all companies in my region) seems rather large. With job listings, I at least know they are hiring, what technologies they use, and what's expected of the role. I'd be down to do it your way if there were an easy way to browse through interesting tech-related companies in NYC, that I know are hiring.

>What makes you think all job listings are garbage?

Statistically they are, unless it's an exceptional company, but that's really just cargo cult rationalization at that point. You don't reliably get into great companies by going through monster.com

>I'd be down to do it your way if there were an easy way to browse through interesting tech-related companies in NYC, that I know are hiring.

I think you're missing the point. The point is to stop being a consumer and instead be a part of the scene and breathe what's going on in the industry. You should know what the great companies in your area of preference/expertise are before you ever need a job.

I look at it as how is my time best spent. I could send a default resume/cover letter to 100 companies in the time it takes me to send 2-3 well crafted cover letters to companies I'd actually like to work for.

It's the "Penis Craig's list Effect" (Credit: Ramit Sethi). Basically you can send a picture of your penis (resume) and sound like a desperate creeper(cover letter) to 100 women on crags list. Or you can figure out what you think 2-3 women actually want and write something specifically for them.

Funded tech companies probably won't pass up a proactive, solid programmer that shows some competency through a blog, side projects, weekend projects, etc, etc.

Wow, you're lucky, NYC has so many amazing tech companies to work for an a really vibrant community. As Alnayyir said start breathing the tech scene and get out there.

I feel fortunate to be in Baltimore and part of our local Rails group (monthly pub nights) and our hackerspace (total playground) because I've met people at numerous other tech companies and if I ever want to go looking for a job I know I have a network to call upon.

Go live it!

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