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The more I think about it the more I agree that what I said isn't accurate, actually. Agents can spam too and get paid for placing "someone", not one person. Al

The more I think about it the more I agree that what I said isn't accurate, actually. Agents can spam too and get paid for placing "someone", not one person. Also, if everyone had an agent, we're basically at the same place. So I don't think this is the solution. Also I generally agree with what you're saying about recruiters. Still trying to think of solutions. The problem needing to be solved is it's very hard for lots of engineers at various points in time to find work. It's a real problem because of how it affects those people in that situation. I didn't see the problem until I decided to quit my job this year, at the height of the layoffs. I used to be able to get offers for every one out of three interviews. That isn't the case anymore. At all. Farrrr from it. There IS indeed a problem but I don't think the solution is becoming an agent. I'm still going to keep it open to get more inspiration and testing.

gregjor 3y ago
I understand in some sense that the job market really tightened up. I've survived a few downturns in my long programming career (40 years now). I have a son facing a terrible job market. By "in some sense" I mean that senior people with lots of experience and professional contacts aren't having the same problems finding jobs. Recruiters and agents will only take on candidates they believe they can place. If they can't put a candidate (or freelancer) into a job quickly they lose money. That means recruiters will focus their efforts on the highest-quality candidates they can find (which individual candidates will perceive as "ghosting"), and agents will only represent people they can consistently keep busy. Analogously, Hollywood and sports agents don't represent everyone who wants to act or play basketball, they represent people who already have careers, and a few people who look very likely to succeed. In this market that means, unfortunately, that people with less experience and fewer marketable skills, fewer professional contacts, will struggle to get jobs. And those same junior people got laid off at higher rates. That increases competition for fewer jobs (for the time being, anyway, mainly because of interest rates), which will affect both the juniors and the people a little farther along who have to compete with a large number of less senior people looking for jobs who may cost less. Disclaimer: 10X Management, an agency for tech freelancers, represents me. My opinions, not theirs.

gregjor 3y ago

I understand in some sense that the job market really tightened up. I've survived a few downturns in my long programming career (40 years now). I have a son facing a terrible job market. By "in some sense" I mean that senior people with lots of experience and professional contacts aren't having the same problems finding jobs. Recruiters and agents will only take on candidates they believe they can place. If they can't put a candidate (or freelancer) into a job quickly they lose money. That means recruiters will focus their efforts on the highest-quality candidates they can find (which individual candidates will perceive as "ghosting"), and agents will only represent people they can consistently keep busy. Analogously, Hollywood and sports agents don't represent everyone who wants to act or play basketball, they represent people who already have careers, and a few people who look very likely to succeed. In this market that means, unfortunately, that people with less experience and fewer marketable skills, fewer professional contacts, will struggle to get jobs. And those same junior people got laid off at higher rates. That increases competition for fewer jobs (for the time being, anyway, mainly because of interest rates), which will affect both the juniors and the people a little farther along who have to compete with a large number of less senior people looking for jobs who may cost less. Disclaimer: 10X Management, an agency for tech freelancers, represents me. My opinions, not theirs.