2 ms·

See, I have had the opposite experience in almost all of my jobs. It could be the supply/demand in your locale/field but the shops I've been at have usually al

by bbarn 11y ago

See, I have had the opposite experience in almost all of my jobs. It could be the supply/demand in your locale/field but the shops I've been at have usually always been looking for more good engineers, even if they didn't have an open posting. Point being, as he mentions elsewhere, you should do it in parallel. For every company that isn't, there's probably another that is open to hiring.

atonse 11y ago
I think part of the "shortage" is also that companies are looking for good engineers at a price _they_ are willing to pay, not what the market is necessarily asking for, which is why they have to reject a whole swath of higher quality candidates saying they're too senior. I know a lot of good engineers that just become contractors because that's the only way to transcend the market salaries for programmer employees. There are a half dozen jobs I'd love to apply for but the salaries just don't match what I make as a contractor (even taking many benefits into account).
- bbarn 11y ago
  I agree with you RE: the salary price being a factor, but I think what I'm saying is, there's a lot of companies perpetually hiring good candidates - even if they don't have a desperate need for one enough to be actively recruiting. Employee referrals from good developers are often some of the easiest good hires you can find, and when they fall into your lap if you can afford them, and they fit in, you jump on it. There's a reason so many companies offer referral bonuses. It's downright cheap to give a dev 5K to refer his friend/former coworker compared to paying 18-22% in recruiting fees for a higher risk hire.
developer2 11y ago
10 years ago I contacted a small company (7-8 developers) across the country from the city I was living in, that "wasn't hiring". A week later, after a simple coding exercise and a few interesting hours on the phone, I was scheduling my all-expenses-paid relocation. That relocation was the best decision of my life. And it started with contacting a company that originally indicated they were not hiring. If you're interested, you make contact. Just don't expect that it has to lead somewhere. It never hurts to try.

by bbarn 11y ago

atonse 11y ago

I think part of the "shortage" is also that companies are looking for good engineers at a price _they_ are willing to pay, not what the market is necessarily asking for, which is why they have to reject a whole swath of higher quality candidates saying they're too senior. I know a lot of good engineers that just become contractors because that's the only way to transcend the market salaries for programmer employees. There are a half dozen jobs I'd love to apply for but the salaries just don't match what I make as a contractor (even taking many benefits into account).

bbarn 11y ago
I agree with you RE: the salary price being a factor, but I think what I'm saying is, there's a lot of companies perpetually hiring good candidates - even if they don't have a desperate need for one enough to be actively recruiting. Employee referrals from good developers are often some of the easiest good hires you can find, and when they fall into your lap if you can afford them, and they fit in, you jump on it. There's a reason so many companies offer referral bonuses. It's downright cheap to give a dev 5K to refer his friend/former coworker compared to paying 18-22% in recruiting fees for a higher risk hire.

developer2 11y ago

10 years ago I contacted a small company (7-8 developers) across the country from the city I was living in, that "wasn't hiring". A week later, after a simple coding exercise and a few interesting hours on the phone, I was scheduling my all-expenses-paid relocation. That relocation was the best decision of my life. And it started with contacting a company that originally indicated they were not hiring. If you're interested, you make contact. Just don't expect that it has to lead somewhere. It never hurts to try.