How do you look for jobs? | Hacker News Reader

How do you look for jobs?

13 pointsmeat_fist13 comments

Just curious on some discussion about how the HN community goes about searching for a new job. Whether it is via networking, linkdedin or various job boards I was just curious how everyone went about it.

View on HN

1. The best way to get a job is through your own current network. Even if you have never done 'networking,' realize you already have a network. Your classmates from high school and college, parents of your friends, friends of friends, people from your community, your neighbors, your professors, your professors friends, etc. They are all part of your network. See what they are all up to and see if they can recommend you to a job or introduce you to someone who can. Companies love to hire people that they already know. I'd love to see someone argue against this claim. 2. If you exhausted your current network, then maybe you should build your network. Make a list of jobs/companies you'd want to work for, and instead of blindly applying to those jobs, try to meet up with someone who has the job you want, or works at the company you want to work at. It's best to get an intro, but cold-calling also works (although you're probably going to get a lot of no responses, you only need that one person who can help you get a job). Tell them that you want to know more about their job/company, and ask them if they could possibly spare some time to give advice. Offer to buy them coffee. You'd be surprised how many people are willing to help people who want advice. Once you have built a relationship, its much more likely they can recommend or refer you to a job.

Can you get a job by simply applying to a job? Of course, it happens all the time. But networking always improves your odds.

I don't know how others do it, but I would rank it in this order:

Personal network - recruiters - apply directly

You (and others) are welcome to contest this order, as I am typing it in a bit of a rush.

What is your experience with recruiters like? I'm about to move to a new city and got hooked up with a recruiter through a friend. He seems very well connected and professional but I'm a little nervous about putting my job prospects in his hands. Anything I should be wary of?

I'm not the poster you replied to but I've worked with a couple recruiters. A good recruiter is a useful tool in your job hunt. They have a lot more info than you will. At most you'll be looking for work every few years. They're constantly dealing with the recruiting process at different companies. They can help time things to get you multiple offers at the same time. This puts you in a good negotiating position. They can also do the negotiating for you. They usually get paid a percentage based on your salary so it's in their interest to get you a good rate.

You should also continue to look for work on your own. I wouldn't just use a recruiter. Keep them informed about where you're applying. They should always ask before sending your résumé out but this helps them know where to focus their efforts. If you don't like working with them or lose trust in them just stop working with them. Good recruiters get a lot of business from referrals (that's how they got your business) so they want to get a deal that'll make you happy even if it doesn't make them quite as much money as another position would. In my last job hunt I ended up taking the lowest paying offer I received because it was a better fit in other ways. That cost the recruiter money in the short term but I'd recommend him to people I know if they're looking.

I agree with fredophile about meeting a genuine person who also does recruiting.

My personal experience so far has been pretty good. The recruiter works part-time and I can tell that this person is a genuinely good/kind person, which is why I have vested trust with this person.

As far as other recruiters go, I avoid the ones who spam jobs boards.

So far, I have got all my previous jobs through contacts and friends.

However, I am trying to get a remote job now, and since I don't know anyone who works in these organizations, it is turning out to be my first real job search.

Have you tried weworkremotely.com, or searching for "remote" in the monthly HN "Who is Hiring?" threads?

There's also wfh.io

Ah, I haven't heard of this one before. Thanks, I will have a look.

I have looked at weworkremotely. There wasn't a lot related to my skillset, but I am keeping a close look at it. I have gone through the last hiring thread and shot off a few emails yesterday, and I am waiting for the next one on Sunday.

Real life networking will produce you the jobs fastest. When I increased my presence at local events, even events not at all centered around recruiting / hiring, there was a huge increase in job chatter.

What is your best chance if you lack a personal network or your personal network is in no place to help? Assuming there are no local events or they are out of reach (geographically or time-based)

https://news.ycombinator.com/jobs

Reply on news.ycombinator.com