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1.) The best time to find a job is when you already have one. Next time, find another job before you quit or make an ultimatum. 2.) Don't spend so much time

by vellum 11y ago

1.) The best time to find a job is when you already have one. Next time, find another job before you quit or make an ultimatum. 2.) Don't spend so much time thinking about why your company is screwing you. People job hop every 2 years, because it's the only way they'll get a 20k raise. Your salary will eventually hit a plateau as you move up, but early in your career, you shouldn't stay too long at one place. 3.) Don't reek of desperation. It's a turn-off to dates and it's a turn-off to interviewers. Ranting with a throwaway account is fine, but don't mention your situation in an interview. 4.) Use your rails skills and scrape indeed's listings for rails jobs in your area. Make a private rails app and filter out all the recruiters and IT staffing firms. Why? A lot of them are just doing arbitrage with the existing listings, and they don't have exclusive access. Do direct applications first, and if you're still not getting hits, then go to recruiters. 5.) Do research on data.jobsintech.io, glassdoor.com, crunchbase.com, and angel.co for company information. Message past devs on linkedin. Oh, and half of all glassdoor reviews are fake and from the HR departments. If they don't talk about negatives or give weak ones, it's usually fake. 6.) If you haven't already, look into your county's social services for any benefits you might qualify for. Your daughter might be eligible for disability benefits, and in the meantime, your family needs to eat.

Mikushi 11y ago
Right, blame the guy for being exploited like so many others. 1/ He did not quit or made any ultimatum. He acted on what was promised, nothing wrong with that. But right you should always lower your head and submit to the startups and their heads. 2/ Typical protection of abusive companies by telling employees who are being openly screwed : "Deal with it". Such a healthy advice, lets not question the ethics and working of most of the tech sector who all have been dipping their toes in shady hiring practices. 3/ Easy to say when you're not living paycheck to paycheck and you see your dream slowly crumble before your eyes because of a company's unacceptable behaviour (acceptable to certain on HN though who probably think the CEO was right). WHile 4 & 5 are valid, your first advices put the entirety of the blame on OP, when in fact that blame lies entirely on the CEO and startup in question. If I were in his position I would have made sure that their name are public and known to prevent others from being exploited.
- AndrewKemendo 11y ago
  While you are right to point out that the OP was being exploited, it also doesn't matter in this case. Nothing you posted will actually help this guy get a job. The reality is, that this is the market that exists. All great and valuable to rally against bad practices and push back where possible. Even better to start your own shop and create a better environment. At the end of the day though, you have to do whatever it takes to make things work - regardless of how fair or equitable things are.
- annnnd 11y ago
  This is not how I understood the parent. He doesn't put blame, he just gives advice (which is great btw).
- johanneskanybal 11y ago
  What this man needs is good career advice and smarten up about life in general not some downward spiral of focusing on being victimized. I symphatize too but that's close to worthless if not straight up harmfull in this situation.
- calibraxis 11y ago
  > If I were in his position I would have made sure that their name are public and known to prevent others from being exploited. I respect and agree with your points, but do not agree 100% with this advice. Exploiters are the default. (Just the higher up you go, the nicer face they show you. Because you can hurt them more.) I only agree with this advice if you can do it without suffering serious blowback. I try to carefully assist non-dev coworkers screwed by their bosses. This includes talking with crying coworkers who swear revenge because their boss humiliated them and thieved money — and they can't just quit because the next company may be even worse. One thing that helps is understanding this is an institutional problem. Not necessarily a "bad boss", nor their fault. Even with completely different people, the overall functioning would be pretty much the same. (That's why I keep recommending books like "Disciplined Minds".) Then we take effective steps to make their resume look good, increase their bargaining power, learning tech/PM/etc skills, start winning internal company politics...
calibraxis 11y ago
Yes, it helps to briefly skim the book "Getting to Yes". (For those who can't spare the funds, it's at libgen.) Fear signals a weak bargaining position, and bosses are trained to take advantage of that instinctively. Really, it's their daily job (an aspect they unfortunately often find fun). One must have backup plans. If you're privileged enough to be a dev, always try to have jobs lined up. (Especially going into a negotiation, where it's an option to follow through on the firing threat.) Show your face at local usergroup meetings if you can. Feel the safety of knowing there's multiple companies who'd hire you the next day. Bosses often don't give a shit about your productivity per se. They do fear losing perceived "irreplaceable" devs... but you generally have to be one of their first hires, or somehow release some big projects alone which other devs would rather not maintain. [Edit] Professional mask: see "Disciplined Minds: A Critical Look at Salaried Professionals and the Soul-Battering System that Shapes their Lives" https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Disciplined_Minds https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Disciplined_Minds
- throwaway5752 11y ago
  Bosses are just people, and taking a bad attitude with them is likely to get one back whether they are good are bad people. It's just elementary game theory to take good attitude with them and it's healthier for you.

by vellum 11y ago

Mikushi 11y ago

Right, blame the guy for being exploited like so many others. 1/ He did not quit or made any ultimatum. He acted on what was promised, nothing wrong with that. But right you should always lower your head and submit to the startups and their heads. 2/ Typical protection of abusive companies by telling employees who are being openly screwed : "Deal with it". Such a healthy advice, lets not question the ethics and working of most of the tech sector who all have been dipping their toes in shady hiring practices. 3/ Easy to say when you're not living paycheck to paycheck and you see your dream slowly crumble before your eyes because of a company's unacceptable behaviour (acceptable to certain on HN though who probably think the CEO was right). WHile 4 & 5 are valid, your first advices put the entirety of the blame on OP, when in fact that blame lies entirely on the CEO and startup in question. If I were in his position I would have made sure that their name are public and known to prevent others from being exploited.

AndrewKemendo 11y ago
While you are right to point out that the OP was being exploited, it also doesn't matter in this case. Nothing you posted will actually help this guy get a job. The reality is, that this is the market that exists. All great and valuable to rally against bad practices and push back where possible. Even better to start your own shop and create a better environment. At the end of the day though, you have to do whatever it takes to make things work - regardless of how fair or equitable things are.
annnnd 11y ago
This is not how I understood the parent. He doesn't put blame, he just gives advice (which is great btw).
johanneskanybal 11y ago
What this man needs is good career advice and smarten up about life in general not some downward spiral of focusing on being victimized. I symphatize too but that's close to worthless if not straight up harmfull in this situation.
calibraxis 11y ago
> If I were in his position I would have made sure that their name are public and known to prevent others from being exploited. I respect and agree with your points, but do not agree 100% with this advice. Exploiters are the default. (Just the higher up you go, the nicer face they show you. Because you can hurt them more.) I only agree with this advice if you can do it without suffering serious blowback. I try to carefully assist non-dev coworkers screwed by their bosses. This includes talking with crying coworkers who swear revenge because their boss humiliated them and thieved money — and they can't just quit because the next company may be even worse. One thing that helps is understanding this is an institutional problem. Not necessarily a "bad boss", nor their fault. Even with completely different people, the overall functioning would be pretty much the same. (That's why I keep recommending books like "Disciplined Minds".) Then we take effective steps to make their resume look good, increase their bargaining power, learning tech/PM/etc skills, start winning internal company politics...

calibraxis 11y ago

Yes, it helps to briefly skim the book "Getting to Yes". (For those who can't spare the funds, it's at libgen.) Fear signals a weak bargaining position, and bosses are trained to take advantage of that instinctively. Really, it's their daily job (an aspect they unfortunately often find fun). One must have backup plans. If you're privileged enough to be a dev, always try to have jobs lined up. (Especially going into a negotiation, where it's an option to follow through on the firing threat.) Show your face at local usergroup meetings if you can. Feel the safety of knowing there's multiple companies who'd hire you the next day. Bosses often don't give a shit about your productivity per se. They do fear losing perceived "irreplaceable" devs... but you generally have to be one of their first hires, or somehow release some big projects alone which other devs would rather not maintain. [Edit] Professional mask: see "Disciplined Minds: A Critical Look at Salaried Professionals and the Soul-Battering System that Shapes their Lives" https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Disciplined_Minds https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Disciplined_Minds

throwaway5752 11y ago
Bosses are just people, and taking a bad attitude with them is likely to get one back whether they are good are bad people. It's just elementary game theory to take good attitude with them and it's healthier for you.