Ask HN: Open-source submission rather than a resume for job applicants? | Hacker News Reader

Ask HN: Open-source submission rather than a resume for job applicants?

10 pointslox4 comments

Sparked by the recent 37signals post on not using tests for hiring I've been thinking about ways to incorporate open-source work as part of a requirement for hiring.

Interested in everyones thoughts on how they would respond to the following hiring technique:

To apply for an engineering role, find an open source project on github, get a patch accepted for a feature request or significant bug fix. It has to be of useful scope, with a unit test. Object-oriented code only.

Send us the diff, a brief work history, a reference and why you want to work for us.

If we like it, come work with us for a day, paid at market rates. If you like us, and we like you, we'll make you an offer the following day.

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When I knew I would be looking at the job market, I ended up making my own Open Source project as a kind of resume.

It was something to show off my code, my architecture, and my attention to UX. Did it get me a job? No, not directly (although it did get me a number of possible offers). It was something that I could feel confident passing on to potential employers, though, and I can only feel that it helped my case.

Of course, I wouldn't suggest that everyone start their own medium-large open source project, but I agree that being able to show code is vital, and Open Source projects are the best way to do this.

Absolutely. I'm amazed at how many developers don't have some sort of code to show that they can code.

The thing I like about asking for open-sourced work is that it's not wasted effort like tests. You write something inherently useful and it either gets you that job, or helps for the next job you apply for, as happened to you.

I do this as a rule. Chances are the companies I'd work best at won't be the type to value a resume.

I'm going to be looking for a job very soon, so I built:

https://github.com/plusjade/jekyll-bootstrap

and

https://github.com/plusjade/narly

I always get "it depends on the company" from naysayers - but I guess that's the point. I believe in Open Source so I'd need to work for a company that has the same values.

I'd do it, but then I hate interviews so much that I have been thinking of starting a business just so I don't have to interview for a position.

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