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No great advice other than to look for tech roles in non–tech companies. The FAANG gang will never see your resume or application as their automated screeners
by epc 6y ago
No great advice other than to look for tech roles in non–tech companies.
The FAANG gang will never see your resume or application as their automated screeners will silently reject you. Startups will advise you that you cannot possibly understand the complexity of the problem space they are solving because no one in the history of the industry has ever tried building complex software, which is why they are writing their own version of make in two week sprints.
I wish I had better advice but after seven years of trying I’ve moved on and out of the industry.
- bogomipz 6y ago>"Startups will advise you that you cannot possibly understand the complexity of the problem space they are solving because no one in the history of the industry has ever tried building complex software, which is why they are writing their own version of make in two week sprints." While this is indeed a sad state of affairs your articulation of it made me laugh out loud. Thanks for that.
- dominotw 6y ago> . Startups will advise you that you cannot possibly understand the complexity of the problem space they are solving because no one in the history of the industry has ever tried building complex software, which is why they are writing their own version of make in two week sprints. This describes every project here https://github.com/uber https://github.com/uber
- mabbo 6y ago> The FAANG gang will never see your resume or application as their automated screeners will silently reject you I'm an interviewer at a FAANG company. I've interviewed plenty of candidates who were over 30, over 40, and never once seen anyone rejected based on age. I've worked with guys hired in their 40s, generally very solid devs. The key thing I have seen is that if you've been in the industry for 20+ years, we expect you to be at a senior level. If decades of experience doesn't make you any better than a college grad, what have you been doing for 20 years? I'd love to have a senior dev with 20 years experience join my team.
- solresol 6y agoLet me tell you one day about the interview questions I got at a FAANG last year which were supposed to determine whether I was operating at a senior level...
- texasbigdata 6y agoWe're in a pandemic. tell us today
- eastendguy 6y agoThanks for being honest. I get your point. But in other words, you reject equally qualified candidates just because they are older. So the old guy has to be _better_ then the young guy to get hired. That pretty much confirms what the OP said.
- scarface74 6y agoI just got finished posting about ageism not being as big of a deal as people say it is. But, after reading this, I can see how it’s more nuanced. If your experience doesn’t match what it “should” be for your age, yeah I could see discrimination happening.
- tinyhouse 6y agoI wouldn't call it discrimination. If a company is looking for a principal engineer let's say (very senior in the FAANGs I know). They want to see you have experience showing operating at a principal level based on their expectations. If you worked for 20 years at the same company as a software engineer and never got promoted let's say, you wouldn't be considered. (maybe you're amazing and they are making a mistake, but unless someone at the company who worked with you can recommend you, they will prefer to focus on candidates that look more promising on paper. They cannot interview everyone)
- scarface74 6y ago
- afpx 6y agoSame. Mid-40’s. At a certain point, I just realized that no one seemed to want me anymore. I mean, I helped take three companies, with multiple complex software systems, to acquisitions. But, you know, that just doesn’t matter. At 39, I was hammered with job offers. But, now, I just get endless interviews. Luckily, I saved a lot. So, I’m able to do something new. But, a lot of my colleagues are on a sad and downward path. I really hope you youngsters are saving.
- TuringNYC 6y ago>> I helped take three companies, with multiple complex software systems, to acquisitions Firstly, congrats on that accomplishment. Curious why you arent specifically looking for companies who need this very valuable experience (or are you?) If I had a company in this stage, i'd want to specifically find experience such as yours.
- afpx 6y agoI’d love to. I mean, I still enjoy doing the work. But, I wouldn’t even know where to find such a job, nor how to convince someone that I’m qualified.
- TuringNYC 6y agoYou need to work with a recruiter who specializes in these. They will be happy to have found you. DM me and I can tell you how to get noticed.
- hx2a 6y ago> So, I’m able to do something new. What are you doing now? Where do you see good opportunities for people with good tech skills that don't fit the mold of what FAANG recruiters are looking for?
- afpx 6y agoI am starting an educational media company for kids. And, I’m working on a video game, but who isn’t? ;)
- nonines 6y agoThanks for the reply. So what did you do? How did you move on and out?
- epc 6y agoI occasionally do some consulting but mostly manage a small portfolio of investments I made over the years which spins off enough income to be financially ok. I don't have a CS degree, which is an immediate filter. I don't have any patents (due to a corporate edict). I made a small but apparently vocal group of enemies in a previous role (which I've written about previously but…never be the apex point of contact/control for a new technology in a F100 company if you can avoid it). On all the credential axes that recruiters / companies evaluate I'm a paper tiger. To anyone offering advice to me personally: it’s been seven years since I worked FTE. Almost all companies (US at least) will not consider you for employment if you have not worked in the past three months, let alone six months or seven years. I know what your policies are, I'm just telling you what your practices are in reality. I'm not looking for work. I am fine where I am. The industry is happy to pay to relearn the lessons I and others have learned instead of just…you know…paying people who’ve already had the experience. And I'm at peace with that at this point.
- pdubs1 6y agoMy anecdote: (Note: I also do not have a CS degree) - 3 months w/o job-- Succeeded: Quit remote SWE job in Feb. Now in May, landed a job offer. Starting in June. That's 3 months without work. - 13 months w/o job-- Succeeded: At past job: Laid off after just 4 months as a data analyst/programmer, ending in March. Traveled. Coded up a full stack app, which I published the following April. Landed a SWE job that May. That was 13 months without a job. So, take this stuff with a grain of salt. I think a lot of folks who are complaining about not landing work are the ones who are not committed to building their skills, building projects, and perhaps don't even have a portfolio or open source code. Software engineering, despite the high demand, is competitive. A person can't rest on their laurels for much time and expect to succeed in this industry.
- deleted 6y ago[deleted]
- register 6y agoI am 48 and passed the screening at a FAANG last year. The interview didn't go well but I was interviewed.
- overcast 6y agoI feel like my inbox is constantly full of recruiters directly from the big tech companies, and I'm nothing special at now 40.
- jki275 6y agoSame for me, I’m 44 and the recruiters never stop messaging me.
- deleted 6y ago[deleted]