4 ms·

Driver's license. Maybe it sounds obvious, but if you don't have a license, you are crippling yourself. Even if you don't have a car, not having a license mea

by GuB-42 4y ago

Driver's license. Maybe it sounds obvious, but if you don't have a license, you are crippling yourself. Even if you don't have a car, not having a license means you don't even have the option of renting one. Also, is is so "obvious" that if an employer notices that you don't have it, he will wonder why. Are you too stupid to drive? Crippled in some way? Economic problems? Have some criminal history? Alcoholic? You may have a legitimate reason, but it is still a red flag and you may need to clear yourself. Second and just as obvious is a degree. Not so important if you have experience (though some large companies care), but a degree may be the key to a good first job that may launch the rest of your career. I have never felt the need for any technical certification, not personally, the few I needed were paid by my employer for a specific mission, and done during work hours. Didn't get much use after that. Since I am not an English speaker, I probably could want something like a decent TOEIC score if I wanted to work in a large company in an English speaking country, but I am net even sure.

deadbunny 4y ago
Don't think I've ever had any employers asking if I have a driving license (in the UK) unless driving was required for the role. And the same for degrees, this seems to be very US centric IME. Not having a degree hasn't stopped me getting jobs in top salary brackets based purely on my experience, hell I even have a very odd work history and didn't move into tech till my 30's. Same for certs, requirements for certs in job ads definitely seem to be a US thing. And for me if I'm reviewing CVs I see certs as a mild redflag as I've come across far, far to many people who have certs but couldn't work their way out of a soggy paper bag.
tikhonj 4y ago
I don't know about other industries, but driver's licenses have never come up at all in tech. Treating it as a red flag is obviously facile, but, honestly, no worse than nonsense I have seen in tech hiring... but it's just not something that comes up. College degrees can definitely matter, unfortunately, but they're not strictly required. I've seen teams and managers who were pretty snobbish about which university somebody went to—to the point where not having a degree would have been better than going to an unknown or poorly regarded school. It's an absurd idea and, thankfully, seems to be getting less common in tech, but I saw some of it first-hand. (From what I've heard, it's still a real problem in law where a bunch of firms in the US are virtually T14 or bust.)
matsemann 4y ago
Is this some American car culture thing? Never heard someone mentioning it as an issue. If anything, in my circles owning a car is frowned upon.
- mandmandam 4y ago
  It's an American thing. You're expected to drive from 16 on. Public transport is generally inferior to other developed countries, and carries an abhorrent level of cultural baggage. Being told someone rides the bus is seen as an insult (!) over most of the country. Up until very recently, the big costs of running a car - 'gas', insurance, the car itself - were relatively cheaper in America than nearly anywhere else. Maybe now that Merkins are paying more for petrol their culture will adapt. However, cynicism would suggest a more Mad Max destination for us. We'll pry the guzzoline from their bullet-ridden bodies.
- gcheong 4y ago
  Yes. I grew up in a fairly small town. If you wanted to get anywhere you basically needed to drive. Even today there is little public transportation in that area and only between a few key places. Once I got my driver’s license I was expected to drive me and my younger sister to high school. But with responsibilities come privileges as I had use of a car for going out with friends, dating, getting to jobs, etc. For much of the geographic US it’s really the only practical form of transportation. That said my wife has managed to get by all her life without having a driver’s license so it can be done and employers never ask about it unless it’s actually needed for a job.
frakkingcylons 4y ago
I have no earthly idea what you are talking about wrt drivers licenses. It’d be a mere curiosity at first but nothing beyond that.
ksm1717 4y ago
A drivers license and a degree.. who would have thought of those
xmodem 4y ago
This is probably the dumbest answer in this entire thread. Firstly, unless the role requires driving for some reason, anti-discrimination laws in many countries will make discrimination based on lack of a license illegal. Secondly, as someone with impaired vision who cannot get a drivers license, it's morally wrong, and your enumeration of associations someone might jump to are pretty fucking offensive. Also, WRT TOEIC, while you might need something like that for visa/immigration purposes, i've never heard of a company looking at a piece of paper rather than just conducting the interview in English.
biztos 4y ago
> Are you too stupid to drive? Crippled in some way? Economic problems? Have some criminal history? Alcoholic? I recently got my driver’s license, first one, at an age far far above the norm for America, even if you factor in New York. In a long and so far pretty successful career in tech, this has come up exactly once in a professional context, and it was my fault because I was asking about the lack of public transit options during an interview. CEO asked “why don’t you just get a license?” My colleagues usually find out sooner or later that I don’t (didn’t) drive, because I’m very social. Most people are fascinated by the possibility. At the very least it’s a conversation starter. I regret not getting the license sooner, but the kind of ignorant and malicious questions listed above have never, ever featured in my unusually long pre-DL experience.
- oneepic 4y ago
  Same boat. I also recently got my 1st license, relatively late. I will miss being able to break the ice by bringing up my learner's permits across multiple US states.
klabb3 4y ago
> Crippled in some way? Thank you for your application. We have decided to pursue other candidates due to our recruiter getting "low key cripple vibes" from you. Don't take it personally though, and good luck in the future.
jpambrun 4y ago
I am 38, have a PhD in EE, but no drivers license. I am not disabled or stupid. I have a successful career and no one ever enquired about it. I live a mid size city with ample public transportation; if anything having a car is the suboptimal/stupid choice. Your assumptions are ridiculous.
spacechild1 4y ago
> Also, is is so "obvious" that if an employer notices that you don't have it, he will wonder why. Are you too stupid to drive? I assume you're from the US :-D Sorry, but this is one of the dumbest things I've read on the internet lately
spondyl 4y ago
Ironically I worked for Mercedes-Benz without a drivers license. One of the perks was that you could lease a vehicle at a high discount, which I never did of course.

by GuB-42 4y ago

deadbunny 4y ago

Don't think I've ever had any employers asking if I have a driving license (in the UK) unless driving was required for the role. And the same for degrees, this seems to be very US centric IME. Not having a degree hasn't stopped me getting jobs in top salary brackets based purely on my experience, hell I even have a very odd work history and didn't move into tech till my 30's. Same for certs, requirements for certs in job ads definitely seem to be a US thing. And for me if I'm reviewing CVs I see certs as a mild redflag as I've come across far, far to many people who have certs but couldn't work their way out of a soggy paper bag.

tikhonj 4y ago

I don't know about other industries, but driver's licenses have never come up at all in tech. Treating it as a red flag is obviously facile, but, honestly, no worse than nonsense I have seen in tech hiring... but it's just not something that comes up. College degrees can definitely matter, unfortunately, but they're not strictly required. I've seen teams and managers who were pretty snobbish about which university somebody went to—to the point where not having a degree would have been better than going to an unknown or poorly regarded school. It's an absurd idea and, thankfully, seems to be getting less common in tech, but I saw some of it first-hand. (From what I've heard, it's still a real problem in law where a bunch of firms in the US are virtually T14 or bust.)

matsemann 4y ago

Is this some American car culture thing? Never heard someone mentioning it as an issue. If anything, in my circles owning a car is frowned upon.

mandmandam 4y ago
It's an American thing. You're expected to drive from 16 on. Public transport is generally inferior to other developed countries, and carries an abhorrent level of cultural baggage. Being told someone rides the bus is seen as an insult (!) over most of the country. Up until very recently, the big costs of running a car - 'gas', insurance, the car itself - were relatively cheaper in America than nearly anywhere else. Maybe now that Merkins are paying more for petrol their culture will adapt. However, cynicism would suggest a more Mad Max destination for us. We'll pry the guzzoline from their bullet-ridden bodies.
gcheong 4y ago
Yes. I grew up in a fairly small town. If you wanted to get anywhere you basically needed to drive. Even today there is little public transportation in that area and only between a few key places. Once I got my driver’s license I was expected to drive me and my younger sister to high school. But with responsibilities come privileges as I had use of a car for going out with friends, dating, getting to jobs, etc. For much of the geographic US it’s really the only practical form of transportation. That said my wife has managed to get by all her life without having a driver’s license so it can be done and employers never ask about it unless it’s actually needed for a job.

frakkingcylons 4y ago

I have no earthly idea what you are talking about wrt drivers licenses. It’d be a mere curiosity at first but nothing beyond that.

ksm1717 4y ago

A drivers license and a degree.. who would have thought of those

xmodem 4y ago

This is probably the dumbest answer in this entire thread. Firstly, unless the role requires driving for some reason, anti-discrimination laws in many countries will make discrimination based on lack of a license illegal. Secondly, as someone with impaired vision who cannot get a drivers license, it's morally wrong, and your enumeration of associations someone might jump to are pretty fucking offensive. Also, WRT TOEIC, while you might need something like that for visa/immigration purposes, i've never heard of a company looking at a piece of paper rather than just conducting the interview in English.

biztos 4y ago

> Are you too stupid to drive? Crippled in some way? Economic problems? Have some criminal history? Alcoholic? I recently got my driver’s license, first one, at an age far far above the norm for America, even if you factor in New York. In a long and so far pretty successful career in tech, this has come up exactly once in a professional context, and it was my fault because I was asking about the lack of public transit options during an interview. CEO asked “why don’t you just get a license?” My colleagues usually find out sooner or later that I don’t (didn’t) drive, because I’m very social. Most people are fascinated by the possibility. At the very least it’s a conversation starter. I regret not getting the license sooner, but the kind of ignorant and malicious questions listed above have never, ever featured in my unusually long pre-DL experience.

oneepic 4y ago
Same boat. I also recently got my 1st license, relatively late. I will miss being able to break the ice by bringing up my learner's permits across multiple US states.

klabb3 4y ago

> Crippled in some way? Thank you for your application. We have decided to pursue other candidates due to our recruiter getting "low key cripple vibes" from you. Don't take it personally though, and good luck in the future.

jpambrun 4y ago

I am 38, have a PhD in EE, but no drivers license. I am not disabled or stupid. I have a successful career and no one ever enquired about it. I live a mid size city with ample public transportation; if anything having a car is the suboptimal/stupid choice. Your assumptions are ridiculous.

spacechild1 4y ago

> Also, is is so "obvious" that if an employer notices that you don't have it, he will wonder why. Are you too stupid to drive? I assume you're from the US :-D Sorry, but this is one of the dumbest things I've read on the internet lately

spondyl 4y ago

Ironically I worked for Mercedes-Benz without a drivers license. One of the perks was that you could lease a vehicle at a high discount, which I never did of course.