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One thing that's really cool about being a software developer (and I promise I'll relate this to the article in a sec...) is that you can practice your craft by
by nathanb 13y ago
One thing that's really cool about being a software developer (and I promise I'll relate this to the article in a sec...) is that you can practice your craft by yourself, with freely-available tools, and then point at something cool that you have done. This is advice that I give to software developers seeking jobs -- spend some time on your job search, but also spend some time contributing to open source projects or creating cool things of your own, which you can then point to as a demonstration of your craft.
This seems like a great opportunity for those in other professions to do the same. Laid off from your Industrial Systems Engineering job and looking for work? Help a homeless shelter optimize their processes. Accountant? Donate some time to a local thrift store to help get their books in order.
I think this could really hit the mutual-benefit sweet spot: it helps you get a job, and it helps an organization trying to benefit the community as well.
- ecoffey 13y agoIt would also probably help you feel more confident when interviewing for jobs. You know you have valuable skills that can make a difference to an organization
- deleted 13y ago[deleted]
- huherto 13y agoThis is one of those little gems that you sometimes find in HN. It is not a world changing idea but it can really make a difference in people that are struggling to find a job. It would be very interesting to see a list of things that people have built or done just to learn and show up their work in different professions.
- nknighthb 13y agoI've actually tried to do stuff like this before. Offers of skilled assistance from individuals seem to be refused or ignored. You're welcome to fill some soup bowls, though!
- tbrownaw 13y agoDo you know if this is because they don't know how to handle that, or because it would step on people's toes (giving volunteers power over presumably-paid staff), or because they're afraid of legal issues (suppose the volunteer bookkeeper gets something wrong), or some other reason?
- nknighthb 13y agoNo, I don't. Mostly I was outright ignored, where it was active refusal it wasn't exactly a detailed explanation, just some polite version of "Thanks, but we're not interested.". I'm not particularly motivated to press matters when someone refuses help.
- prawn 13y agoTried something similar, and received a similar response. Lost interest and moved on to other things.
- notatoad 13y agoI think it's because they don't have any way to vet your credentials. You say you're an efficiency expert and offer to re-work the food bank's delivery process, what if you're incompetent and make things worse? They don't have the time or resources to fix people's fuck ups. The food bank has a pretty solid level of confidence in your ability to pack boxes though.
- nknighthb 13y agoHow would they accomplish anything, then? At its simplest, somebody has to deal with the money, how do they vet that person? In theory, all the ways an employer vets someone are open to them. Review a resumé, contact references, ask other people who might know the reputation. If this is really what's stopping them, then it might be time for someone more motivated than I to set up a non-profit to deal specifically with this sort of problem for other non-profits.
- moneyrich2 13y agoThis is right on point, what we should do is ask them to make videos of what and how they did, and get them to other soup kitchens, why help only one when they could easily help hundreds with a few youtube videos. I would even be interested in watching them
- drinkzima 13y agoThe Taproot Foundation is exactly that mission, donation of pro bono work: http://www.taprootfoundation.org/ http://www.taprootfoundation.org/