Ask HN: Would engineers be interested in a technical prep consultant? | Hacker News Reader

Ask HN: Would engineers be interested in a technical prep consultant?

8 pointsTechPrepper9 comments

Hi, apologies if this is the wrong thing to post, please delete as needed.

I've been a technical recruiter for 10+ years at major FAANG companies and startups, working on niche specialized roles. I used to come to Hacker News regularly to check "Who Wants To Be Hired," as I always like a more independent hacker mindset in engineers.

Would engineers here on Hacker News be interested in any interview prep consultation? I've been thinking about taking a sabbatical to travel, but I would stay active with work by offering consulting on technical prep and interview help.

I'm more just testing the waters here, but I would be open to doing a few free prep calls with anyone who has interviews lined up. The only ask is I would want updates on how thing went, and what you think the helpw as worth.

View on HN

Through luck and happenstance, I have rarely needed to look for a job before; I have always come across new opportunities through my network. Usually it has been a recommendation/referral + one or two interviews and then I have received an offer. This has worked for 20 years, but after a relocation I have been searching for my next thing recently, the traditional way. I am now in the situation where I am someone "off the street" instead of someone warmly recommended by a current or former employee. At least where I am looking, the market is definitely not great, and even getting a first reply at all is rare.

During my professional life I have interviewed hundreds of people. Among other things, I have built teams from the ground up, I have managed people remotely across three continents and I sometimes meet up with people I "managed" 15+ years ago who claim that that team was one of the best they ever worked in. But when I sit on the OTHER side of the table, it is evident I am really, really, REALLY rusty: it happens at least a couple of times per interview that my mind basically blanks when I get a question that I should be able to answer. Naturally, as soon as I step out of the interview, my helpful brain provides me with the answers.

I was just thinking, on my morning walk today, that I should be looking for someone who may want to inflict a couple of mock interviews upon me...

Absolutely not. Why would I ever want to hire a recruiter for anything? When every recruiter thinks it's perfectly okay to ghost candidates and post fake job ads, especially "big tech" recruiters, that's not the stellar reputational background you seem to think it is.

I have a hard time believing you are a recruiter for any FAANG company. They have internal recruiters. Are you a “recruiter” who farms out contractors to BigTech companies?

That's a weird assumption. I'm from the Bay. Worked at 2 FAANG and a major startup that went public.

No worries if you don't believe me.

I don’t doubt that you have worked for a FAANG (congratulations so have hundreds of thousands of others including me). I doubt they are reaching out to you for recruiting help.

> I have a hard time believing you are a recruiter for any FAANG company.

You just said you don't believe this person, now you are criticizing them for apparently being braggy about it (which they weren't).

They want to offer services for free and you are saying "No, no one wants that here.". Who are you to talk for others? If you don't like the free offer, just move on.

There was nothing bad about the original post.

No I never said he hadn’t worked for a FAANG. I’m saying that the idea that he is a recruiter for one is not believable. They don’t use outside recruiters for full time employee roles. They may for contractors.

There's platforms like Hellointerview and interviewing.io which could work well for your skills

Have you used those? Are they actually good?

Reply on news.ycombinator.com