Hacker News Reader

Comment by thinking4real | Hacker News Reader

“Reach out to every friend, old coworker, etc. especially those that are in management now.”

This advice always cracks me up.

Most people don’t have deep networks of people who can hook them up with a senior level engineering position. Like, even the people I know who are quite well connected don’t really have this option.

Sure, everyone has a buddy who’d love to pay them half for twice the work. But we’re talking relatable fields and jobs that are worth it and that’s just not realistic for majority.

Alternatively, if people had social networks with people who have potentials roles for them, who wouldn’t already think in the social media era “oh yeah, i’ll ask the people I know who have an in instead of going to random strangers”

View on HN

>This advice always cracks me up.

And, yet, all three jobs I've had in the last 25 years (including one in 2001), I landed because I knew someone senior at the company pretty well. Not strictly engineering but tech and tech ecosystem companies. Was that lucky and atypical? Perhaps. But those were my experiences.

The last job I got through "normal" channels was from a campus interview at grad school.

> Was that lucky and atypical?

If you started your career 25 years ago, you were present in the field before it massively expanded. Your peers are nothing like my peers (Started 13 years ago), and nothing like the peers of someone who started 3 years ago.

I’m not sure of your point. So a job I got 13 years ago largely through a contact isn’t how things work today? As in my most recent example.

I think he's saying things are more volatile now. When the industry was much smaller, it was easier to make and stay in personal contact with others. Also, it's natural that if you started your career 25 years ago, many people you've met back then (and may have also started back then) are now senior (devs, managers, etc.). A person that started in the industry in the last 5 years may not have many friends in senior positions, and personal connections are more volatile as well (more people, more competition, etc.).

It's my reading!

Certainly "have connections" is generally less actionable advice for a junior person than a senior one. But I think it's more a function of tenure in the industry than how the industry has grown.

To clarify - a random SWE's random peer from 25 years ago is much more like to be in an influential senior position, than a random SWE's random peer from a job 13 years ago, or a random SWE's random peer from a job last year.

Your friends are statistically more likely to be closer to the top of the pyramid than mine, and my friends are closer to the top than a fresh no-name college graduate's.

I think we're in violent agreement though. The reason I know a ton of people in the industry isn't that it was a different industry back when I was starting out--heck, a lot of those people are retired by now. Rather, it's that I'm senior, attend events, interact with other senior people, etc. Nothing to do with the industry changing mostly. But with the fact that as you spend time in an industry you know more and more people.

Connections obviously aren't the only way to land jobs. But, especially in leaner times, having someone you've worked with lay eyes on your resume certainly helps.

All 3 jobs I got were with 0 connections. I still don't really have any connections that would be able to get me a job better than I can get for myself with just applying and interviewing.

So you’re around 45-50 years old, which no offense is quite old if you’re a swe.

I’ve had around 5 jobs, am much younger, and none of them were due to connections (which I have well over 100 professional people who would vouch for me)

I think you’re either in a very fortunate place in society or you’re old enough in this industry to feel the small world effects

Trust me, for the vast majority your situation isn’t normal.

Yes it’s all nice and cozy to take a job somewhere an acquaintance works, but I wouldn’t be in my current high paying position if I relied on my network.

Reply on news.ycombinator.com