Hacker News Reader

Hacker News

Comment by jasode | Hacker News Reader

Parent Full thread

jasode

>We need some startups in the proof of skill space [...]

If you're unaware, you can search google for "HackerRank Codility Devskiller leetcode"[0]

If you're already aware of those, do you have something in mind that the existing skill evaluators don't do?

[0] https://www.google.com/search?q=HackerRank+Codility+Devskill...

View on HN

I have enjoyed all of those and the Stockfighter attempt in this space as well. They all seem to have hit a hard obstacle in convincing the general, non-FAANG hiring market that they can provide "better" candidates that any old staffing agency. I have definitely had hiring managers in non-software companies tell me that they will just pick from three resumes from a staffing agency of a standard enterprise developer job without much actual consideration of the candidate's resume or portfolio of previous work.

I do suspect there exists a category of higher-end headhunter agencies with a stable of high-quality, proofed candidates that those agencies can more successfully place than other attempts. Just an anecdote, but I have seen in my area some things that look more like a "small team" placements where that team has some history of helping companies radically improve their software quickly. I am specifically thinking about an actual team that gets hired as a group but into fulltime roles at a company as a unit. This seems to be a prequel to an acquisition of the company that hired them being the end goal. Then that entire team seems to repeat the process elsewhere . . .

I know about those, but those are about passing the algorithmic interview/conducting the tech interview.

I am thinking more about how one might demonstrate expertise in the kinds of things one shows off in blogs, such as expertise in Spring with respect to financial systems.

No ideas presently, just something I would like to see.

I do; write your CV, provide references. Build a portfolio website and/or blog and just write about things you have and are working on, issues you ran into, etc.

I think most developers find their jobs interesting and have a lot to talk about, even if simultaneously they don't believe what they do is much to talk about.

Note to self: Do some writing again. i started a portfolio site on Github years ago and started to just word vomit about my earlier projects and jobs (internships, school projects). It adds up over time.

But do companies care about that stuff? Nowadays, it seems everyone is just interested in your ability to solve leetcode problems on a whiteboard, plus some system design. After that, just make sure you're not an asshole, and voila, you're in.

I've long been in finance tech (i-banks, hedge funds) and still am in the industry (though trying desperately to get out). At the start of my career, I made some effort to learn the business domain. After a while, it became apparent that very few people (including hiring managers) cared, and that it was a total waste of time as far as furthering my career - even if I wanted to stay in finance tech. Better to just study leetcode.

I guess it depends on whether your problem is getting interviews or getting through interviews.

All the leetcode in the world doesn't make them call you in, but it certainly helps you pass.

Reply on news.ycombinator.com