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So how exactly is anyone supposed to gain new experience? I don't mean to be combative, but so many job recs and interviews expect X years of Y. How do you get

by RogerL 11y ago

So how exactly is anyone supposed to gain new experience? I don't mean to be combative, but so many job recs and interviews expect X years of Y. How do you get that time it? You learn it, right? I didn't used to know Python, but it was obviously useful for my job. So, I installed it and learned it. I was producing useful results for my company very rapidly. Sure, a few years later my skills are more well rounded and 'pythonic', but really, so what? This is how every. single. one. of. us. learns. My job is only interesting to the extent I am learning new things. You are only going to hire drudges if you require the applicant already know everything needed for the job. How boring. Obviously I'm not arguing for hiring a janitor to rewrite Google's deep learning from scratch; some ability is required. But picking up basic skills in a new language? Easy peasy. Nothing to it. That's our job.

deciplex 11y ago
> So how exactly is anyone supposed to gain new experience? By having commits on Github numbering in the middle five digits, of course! The only downside is eventually employers will move on to some other arbitrary bullshit metric, and you'll have to start over.
taneq 11y ago
If you're good at picking things up in a hurry, the best way to gain experience in new skills is to get hired for your existing skill set, either at a very small company or (better yet) a large one with incompetent management. In a small company, everyone wears a bunch of different hats and you will often be asked to do new things outside your official role. In a large company with bad management, staff turnover will ensure that they regularly find themselves short on skills, at which point you can stick your hand up to pick up the slack. Either way, if you consistently deliver the goods then they'll keep coming to you with new challenges.
- avn2109 11y ago
  >> "...(better yet) a large one with incompetent management." Luckily this is >75% of large companies, IMHE.

by RogerL 11y ago

deciplex 11y ago

> So how exactly is anyone supposed to gain new experience? By having commits on Github numbering in the middle five digits, of course! The only downside is eventually employers will move on to some other arbitrary bullshit metric, and you'll have to start over.

taneq 11y ago

If you're good at picking things up in a hurry, the best way to gain experience in new skills is to get hired for your existing skill set, either at a very small company or (better yet) a large one with incompetent management. In a small company, everyone wears a bunch of different hats and you will often be asked to do new things outside your official role. In a large company with bad management, staff turnover will ensure that they regularly find themselves short on skills, at which point you can stick your hand up to pick up the slack. Either way, if you consistently deliver the goods then they'll keep coming to you with new challenges.

avn2109 11y ago
>> "...(better yet) a large one with incompetent management." Luckily this is >75% of large companies, IMHE.