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Comment by etchalon | Hacker News Reader

Someone who doesn't have better options?

If you have those sorts of skills with a computer, you will have other options

Really depends on your background doesn't it? You could have convictions, be sanctioned, have visa problems, or all kinds of things that are not easily solvable.

To say nothing of mental health issues.

Or poverty. Or addiction.

Or that entire holy trinity.

Indeed, and this guy's personality seems a little "difficult" which might make the interview process short. I've known people with insane skills who have such weird personalities that they never get hired. Doing remote bug bounty stuff is a blessing for them.

Please let me know when finding a job in software engineering in 2026 is feasible for everyone with ‘computer skills’.

The guy doesn’t just have „computer skills“ if he found this.

Good luck convincing a HR automaton not looking at your resume for the job unposting of that.

Come on, with these skills you could convince someone to give you a job if you’re on the streets otherwise. You might not be a senior engineer in the exact thing you want but you won’t be on the streets.

It's not about your skills. It's about how well you can play the HR metagame. This inversely correlates with actual job skills.

Convincing someone, especially an HR person, has very little to do with computer skills.

We are, quite notably, in a huge hiring crisis where vast numbers of programmers and researchers can't even get interviews. It really is not that simple

Then you pay him since you see the value he’s creating so clearly.

This is a strange argument. I don't have the capital, desire, or skills to employee this guy, or anyone really.

Me not hiring someone doesn't mean the skills aren't valuable.

Good with computers and good with people/job search/finances are not the same thing, and are often inversely correlated.

King Terry was living proof this is not true.

Oh hell, no. Does anyone remember Sandboxescaper/Polarbear? Very skilled researcher, but also crashouts and mental problems.

Had a job at MSFT once, but is now struggling to earn money at all and is posting heart breaking stuff on Twitter. https://x.com/WeirdQuadratic

Hope she finds a way out and a more stable and fun job in the future.

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