Ask HN: Who wants to be hired? (July 2024)

Hacker News Discussion ↗

Overall pattern

  • Thread is a long list of people actively seeking roles, not a back-and-forth debate.
  • Most posts follow a standard template: location, remote/relocation preference, tech stack, brief background, and contact info.
  • A small minority of entries are companies or teams posting open roles.

Roles and seniority

  • Strong skew toward senior and staff-level engineers, architects, SREs, and engineering managers (10–20+ years common).
  • Also present: mid-level full‑stack engineers, data engineers, ML/AI engineers, embedded/firmware engineers, game developers, DevRel, UX/UI and product designers, technical writers, QA/SDET, content/marketing, and product managers.
  • A minority are new grads, bootcamp grads, or career switchers explicitly looking for first or junior roles.

Technologies and domains

  • Web/backend dominate: JavaScript/TypeScript, Node.js, React/Next.js, Vue, Angular, Ruby on Rails, Python (Django/FastAPI/Flask), Go, Java/Spring, C#/.NET, PHP/Laravel.
  • Infrastructure/DevOps/SRE skills are widespread: AWS/GCP/Azure, Kubernetes, Docker, Terraform/CloudFormation, CI/CD, monitoring, Linux/BSD admin.
  • Data/ML/AI: many list Python, PyTorch/TensorFlow, MLOps, data engineering, analytics, and increasing emphasis on LLMs, RAG, LangChain, vector DBs.
  • Systems/embedded: Rust, C/C++, FPGA/HPC, compilers, networking, firmware, IoT, robotics; some with deep OS/kernel experience.
  • Specialized domains mentioned: fintech, health/biotech, adtech, games, robotics, aerospace, sports tech, climate/sustainability, and education.

Remote work and geography

  • Remote work is heavily preferred; many have long remote histories and state “remote only”.
  • Posters span North America, Europe, UK, Latin America, Africa, Middle East, India, and Asia-Pacific.
  • Many are willing to relocate “for the right role”, often constrained to specific regions or visa situations; others are firmly no-relocate.

Engagement types and preferences

  • Mix of desired arrangements: full‑time employment, contract/freelance, fractional CTO/EM, consulting, and advisory roles.
  • Several express preference for small/startup environments, high-ownership roles, or mission-driven work; some explicitly avoid domains like ads, gambling, or crypto.

Meta and sentiment

  • A few posts reflect on the effectiveness of these threads and on difficulties in the current job market (e.g., layoffs, ageism, long searches).
  • Some highlight side projects, open‑source work, or HN-featured posts as signals of capability and initiative.