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

Hacker News Discussion ↗

Overall Theme

  • Thread is a large “who wants to be hired” roll call: individuals across seniority levels advertising availability for employment or freelance work.
  • Content is almost entirely self-descriptions: skills, locations, preferred work arrangements, and domains of interest.

Roles and Seniority

  • Strong representation of:
    • Backend, full‑stack, and frontend web engineers.
    • Platform/SRE/DevOps, cloud infrastructure, and Kubernetes specialists.
    • Data scientists, ML/AI/LLM engineers, and MLOps practitioners.
    • Embedded, firmware, FPGA, and robotics engineers.
    • Mobile developers (iOS, Android, React Native, Flutter).
    • Product designers (UI/UX), product managers, and technical writers.
    • Security engineers (offensive, defensive, appsec) and network automation engineers.
    • Engineering managers, CTO/Head of Engineering, and strategy/architecture consultants.
    • QA automation engineers and manual testers.
  • Experience ranges from recent grads and bootcampers to 20+ year veterans and ex‑FAANG/large‑enterprise staff.

Technologies and Domains

  • Common stacks: Python, JavaScript/TypeScript (React/Next), Java, C#, Go, Rust, Ruby/Rails, PHP/Laravel, C/C++.
  • Infrastructure: AWS, GCP, Azure, Kubernetes, Docker, Terraform, CI/CD, observability stacks.
  • Data/ML: PyTorch, TensorFlow, scikit‑learn, LLMs, RAG systems, optimization/OR tools, SQL/NoSQL/graph/vector DBs.
  • Specialized areas include:
    • HPC, compilers, systems programming, cryptography.
    • Game engines and graphics (OpenGL, Metal, VR/AR).
    • Embedded/IoT, industrial automation, networking, and telecom.
    • Bioinformatics, healthcare analytics, fintech, climate, robotics, and devtools.

Remote, Location, and Relocation

  • Remote work is the dominant preference; many specify “remote only.”
  • Posters are globally distributed: North America, Europe (including UK, EU, Nordics), Latin America, Africa, Middle East, and Asia-Pacific.
  • Relocation stances vary:
    • Many explicitly say “no relocation.”
    • Others are open “for the right role,” specific regions, or with sponsorship.
    • A few are targeting particular geographies (e.g., move from US to Europe, or within specific countries).

Engagement Models and Preferences

  • Mix of people seeking:
    • Full‑time employment.
    • Contract/freelance/consulting, including fractional and advisory roles.
    • Co‑founder or early‑stage startup opportunities.
  • Several emphasize:
    • Interest in mission‑driven or socially positive sectors.
    • Preference for small/medium companies or early‑stage startups.
    • Strong product focus, ownership, mentorship, and healthy team culture.