Hacker News Reader

Comment by DanielBMarkham | Hacker News Reader

Rob -- you're like Superman. Could Superman have a resume? Seems like you'd just give them a card that said "I'm f*cking CmdrTaco, damnit!"

(The reference here is to a famous fake letter said to be from Sean Connery to Steve Jobs http://www.exophrine.com/2011/06/sean-connery-to-steve-jobs-...)

Seriously, it brings up a good point. If you have lots of name recognition, what's the best way to look for work? I'd suggest networking, but it's entirely possible to be hugely famous without a deep contact list. I'm not sure Rob has this problem, but if he did, it would be a difficult one to address.

View on HN

Actual famous people have agents. For mere mortals who are very well known in a niche, put out the word that you are looking for work and work will find you. Resumes are not an accelerant for this process, since as soon as you're a resume you're competing with other resumes. Everyone in the market has a resume, but rather less people have a career that needs no introduction. I would not suggest downgrading yourself from that status (exception: post-offer pro-forma resume for HR after you have agreement in principle from decisionmaker).

put out the word that you are looking for work and work will find you.

Just curious to know, I am normal person or a mere mortal as you described.

How do I get hired without the normal Resume, Recruiter, HR, Interview process?

Start talking to people in the area you are interested in. Find the person is initiating the hiring process (not HR.) Find out what the need is and if you can fulfill that need. A resume should come towards the end of the interviewing process when a job has been extended. The resume is a marketing document, like a relevant piece of marketing material that a competent sales person will leave with a prospect after the prospect has agreed to make a commitment. A resume should never (general case) lead the discussion of employment.

Here's what I sent to the Khan Academy for a job: http://davidchouinard.com/khanacademy/

In my experience, anything that gets around the formal hiring process is a win. Finding a way around the application process is the application process.

No idea why you're getting downvoted. (ex-Khan Academy intern here, good luck!)

Agree. I would add (if I understand your point and I think I do) that putting a resume out is somewhat deprecating to a famous person. If Rob doesn't land a job, as happens with unsold real estate, potential employers (aware of the public search) will wonder why he hasn't been snapped up by someone else quickly. By going public you run this risk. But doing the search in private (or as they say "quietly shopping") you avoid some (but not all) of the risk. If nothing materializes you can go public later.

"you're competing with other resumes"

Very true. One of the best ways to not be compared is to approach things in a way that there is no competition. Approach employers when they are not advertising. I did this once and got a job that in no way I was qualified for resume wise. Once a job is advertised or with a headhunter you're being compared to someone else. (Same with dating most of us would rather not have to compete head to head with 20 other people and hope to be chosen the best of the lot.)

At the same time though, having your resumé sit at the top of Hacker News for a few hours simply because you decided to write a new one has got to be good, regardless of what's even on it. Think of each upvote as a personal recommendation.

I greatly prefer Norvig's resume:

http://norvig.com/resume.html

Tons of amazing feats with lots of details while still feeling normal and pleasant.

I enjoyed that Norvig listed being co-recipient (along with 6 billion others) of Time's Person of the Year award in 2006!

That's funny, Norvig's papers on Scheme-on-Java are co-written by Tim Hickey. Including "SILK: a playful blend of Scheme and Java".

The link in Daniel's exophrine URL is very not work safe, due to the pics in the sidebar (a topless woman, in my case).

I'm not a prude, I just want to help prevent people from getting in trouble if they're browsing from work.

(Note: the letter is fake http://daringfireball.net/linked/2011/06/23/connery-jobs)

Edited to fix. Damn it, I rather liked the thought that Connery would write that. It fits the legend of both men very well. My comment works either way, fortunately.

Um, of James Bond maybe. Sean Connery has a reputation for being a very nice guy.

A very nice guy that supports hitting women ;) http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3FgMLROTqJ0

An important corollary would be his views on a woman slapping a man. There was a time when slaps directed at either gender were both acceptable.

As the stylish Mr. Noël Coward (a friend of Mr. Connery) once said: "Women should be struck regularly. Like gongs."

Just because I am friends with someone does not mean we share the same views.

> If you have lots of name recognition, what's the best way to look for work?

Well, you could just submit your resume to Hacker News, and it would get upvoted a lot.

Not really a fan of this, but made me think of Matt Mullenweg's business card: http://paulstamatiou.com/im-2-on-google

The card reads: 1. Go to Google. 2. Type 'Matt.' 3. Click 'I feel lucky.'

Edit: Added what the card reads instead of just the article link.

http://www.wherethehellismatt.com/

By the time I type "Matt", the "I'm feeling lucky" button disappears and, thanks to instant search, is replaced by a screenful (on a netbook screen) of ads for mattress discounters.

Reply on news.ycombinator.com