Hacker News Reader

Comment by ptero | Hacker News Reader

Good thoughts, but (not as a criticism of the author), some of the pain points are at least partially self-inflicted:

To minimize post-layoff loneliness (and not only for that!) make sure you have a life outside of work: the people you like to spend some time with and things you like to do. To minimize money-driven stress of the layoff, build up a cash cushion that can last at least 6 months; with unemployment, vacation time and any severance it can probably be stretched for a year.

And #7, "think whether you want to work for that company after getting an offer" seems off the mark. Sure, reject an offer that is not the best and stretch time on a safety offer until you get a better one. But do not go through the motions of getting an offer with a company you have no interest to work for. If you do not want to work for a company at all, do not apply there. My 2c.

View on HN

> But do not go through the motions of getting an offer with a company you have no interest to work for.

Strong disagree. In this economy, you regularly want to hip pocket job offers.

This, and interview practice is a plus too.

There’s some truth to what you’re saying, but it can be taken too far.

If you have the posture of “I’ll take anything I can get” I think that actually puts you at a disadvantage in an interviewing situation.

In my experience employers can tell who is actually trying to evaluate fit themselves, and who is just saying what they think needs to be said.

I find it’s easier for both parties to make an offer, if they know the counterparty has done their due diligence.

For me when accepting an offer I’m also doing the same, evaluating whether I think the company has actually vetted me properly and has reason to think I will be a good fit.

There is so much mystery in the hiring process, I really need the other party to be doing their half of the work. And that means saying no to opportunities that don’t feel right.

That doesn’t mean I walk away from anything that’s not perfect. It just means I am looking out for reasons to say no, in addition to the reasons to say yes. I think interviewers pick up on that and it helps me get offers.

The problem with going through to the offer stage with companies you do not want to work for is that this is likelier to limit your options rather than increase them.

This is not a very strong prior, but re-applying after rejecting an offer can indicate that you are using the company as a fallback and may bolt as soon as you get a chance.

Being unemployed, I can't support this. Keeping an offer on hold blocks the company from making the offer to someone else who actively needs it. Maybe you meant something else, like a handshake agreement with a manager friend who works there that they'll try to make room for you if you ever want to join.

Reply on news.ycombinator.com