Ask HN: Best underrated way to get a job in tech during a hiring slowdown?
My sister-in-law is graduating at probably the worst time. I've done referrals and helped her build a portfolio, but it's pretty bleak right now.
Any other ideas?
Any other ideas?
They may not pay as much up front but you get your foot in the door and at small organizations you can touch everything.
Don’t be afraid to look at weird industries you might not associate with tech.
[0] : https://www.zdnet.com/article/what-happened-at-the-homebrew-...
https://www.computerhistory.org/revolution/personal-computers/17/312
[2] : a) https://www.acm.org/
b) https://www.ieee.org/
c) start a side project to keep/retain skills aka https://makezine.com/
d) "top 10" professional organizations : https://technologymagazine.com/top10/top-10-technology-associationsBecause she's a she, I strongly recommend looking at large non-tech companies that promote equality. There's probably some equality index or ESG style list to help identify them. I know they exost necaude my company gives a strong preference to female candidates, even internally for promotions and stuff. I can't give my company name but I'm sure there are others out there.
That's the first time I ever tried it and will likely be the last one (since i don't want to go to a different company).
Caveat: this will prob work for a smaller company, not Google-like.
Wrote a small post about it: https://gettjalerts.com/blog/tech-job-video-intro
Edit: okay, yeah. Definitely a joke. Quite funny.
I got my start by bringing tech skills in underserved industries. There is so much need for small custom software to fit local business needs, but most devs prefer bigger, longer projects in established companies. Being a tech wizard in a small business can be super fun.
My brother in $DEITY, it’s been bleak since 2023 at the very least. Two years later it’s no longer just a phase.
Forget underrated, the only thing that works is referrals and word of mouth. As you’re already in the field, your direct contacts are her best option.
* Low barrier of entry jobs, like most web developer jobs. Good luck, it’s a race to the bottom but it’s also where most of the jobs are. The goal here is to pad your resume with nonsense and compete with hundreds of other people that are also padding their resumes.
* Jobs that require licenses and/or certifications. These will be jobs like cloud infrastructure support, cyber defense, routing/switching, project management, and operations. These jobs are harder to qualify for and are fewer than the prior bullet point but are a much safer bet and tend to pay more.
* High talent jobs, which include the gaming industry and more engineering type jobs. These jobs are the fewest and not as secure as the prior category. They also are the most variable in compensation, but they tend to be the most fulfilling for people with high intelligence or high creativity.
Know which way you want to go because the means to achieve these jobs differ radically.