I Interview Once a Year (Even When I'm Not Job Hunting | Hacker News Reader

I Interview Once a Year (Even When I'm Not Job Hunting

fbritoferreira.com

Recently, my direct manager asked me, "Why did your LinkedIn status change to 'open to work'?" It’s a fair question, and one that I’d like to address. Every so often, about once a year, I go on what I call an "interview spree." This practice isn’t because I’m actively looking to leave my current role, but rather, it’s designed to help me understand the current job market and assess where I stand within it.

aka “Why I waste the time of companies who are hiring”.

As if companies weren't doing it to prospective hires including but not limited to * Fake job postings[1] * Unpaid take-home assignments that take days to finish to only then never hear back from a company[2] * Ridiculously gruelling interview loops

Don't get me even started that the cost of a wasted hour is MUCH more devastating to someone unemployed vs your multi-billion fortune 500 corp.

------------

[1] https://www.cbsnews.com/news/fake-job-listing-ghost-jobs-cbs...

[2] https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=36446770

If we could somehow connect the people who are interviewing but not interested in being hired with the companies who are advertising openings but have no interest in hiring, that would be great for the rest of us.

But that’s not what happens. Instead people looking for work waste time applying to jobs that don’t exist, and companies waste time interviewing people who have no interest in taking the job… time which they could otherwise have spent interviewing someone who was looking for work.

i.e. the author is a selfish jerk who’s making it harder for people to find jobs. This is true even though there are companies advertising fake jobs.

I'm not being a jerk if a company takes the time to reach out to me and invite me for an interview. That doesn't take away opportunities from others applying and getting the job. It just means that I also have the option to accept the job if I choose to.

Reply on news.ycombinator.com