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

Hacker News Discussion ↗

Engineers, data scientists, designers, product managers and other specialists from around the world use this monthly Hacker News thread to signal they’re open to new roles, listing locations, tech stacks, availability and preferences for remote or on-site work. The posts highlight strong demand for remote and flexible arrangements, a wide range of experience levels (from students to CTOs), and niche expertise in areas like AI/ML, DevOps, embedded systems and climate tech. A brief side exchange notes that while response rates are opaque, some hiring managers have successfully recruited through this channel despite the volume of applicants.

Overview of the Thread

  • Monthly “Who wants to be hired?” thread where individuals advertise availability.
  • Extremely wide range of seniority, tech stacks, and locations, with a heavy bias toward software engineering and related roles.

Roles and Skill Sets

  • Strong representation of:
    • Full‑stack and backend engineers (JS/TS, Python, Java, Go, Rust, Ruby, C#, PHP, Elixir, etc.).
    • Data/ML/AI engineers and scientists (PyTorch, TensorFlow, LLMs, NLP, computer vision, RAG, MLOps).
    • DevOps/SRE/Platform engineers (Kubernetes, Terraform, AWS/GCP/Azure, CI/CD, observability).
    • Mobile and desktop developers (iOS, Android, React Native, Swift/SwiftUI, Kotlin, C++/Qt).
    • Embedded / firmware / robotics / HPC / scientific computing specialists.
    • Product managers, technical product leaders, fractional CTOs, and engineering managers.
    • Designers: product/UX/UI, SaaS design, data-heavy UI, game and 3D visualization.
    • QA automation, technical writers, support/ops, data analysts, and non‑engineering roles (legal/HR, founder coaching).

Remote Work and Relocation

  • Majority explicitly prefer or require remote work; many have years of remote experience.
  • Some open to hybrid or on‑site if local; a minority explicitly prefer in‑person.
  • Relocation:
    • Many say “no” or “maybe/depends”.
    • Some are actively seeking relocation (e.g., to US, EU, Australia, Sydney, Africa, etc.), often requiring sponsorship.

Industry and Value Preferences

  • Frequent interest in:
    • Startups and early‑stage companies, “0→1” products, and small teams.
    • Mission‑driven work: climate, health, education, social impact, defense, scientific computing.
    • Avoidance of adtech, surveillance, questionable ethics, or low‑impact “BS” data science.
  • Several highlight experience in fintech, trading, healthcare, gaming, devtools, and infrastructure products.

Engagement Models and Compensation

  • Mix of full‑time, contract, part‑time, and fractional roles (e.g., fractional CTO, advisor).
  • A few list explicit rates or salary targets; most defer to discussion.

Meta‑Discussion and Feedback

  • Some ask about “conversion rate” of these threads; one commenter reports successfully hiring via this channel but notes hiring is hard and response volume high.
  • Occasional peer feedback on how to improve posts (clearer resumes, concrete examples, better formatting or lighter sites).
  • A few posts mis‑categorized into the wrong HN thread; others point this out helpfully.