Hacker News Comments on
College Grad Job Hunter: Insider Techniques and Tactics for Finding A Top-Paying Entry-level Job
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All the comments and stories posted to Hacker News that reference this book.I got my first job in the tech industry by writing a thank you letter.Many years ago I met the CEO of a tech company at a networking event for recent college grads that they hosted. Like a job fair but with a twist. Having read Brian D. Krueger's excellent "College Grad Job Hunter" [1], I had business cards prepared. This was long before Moo.com so they were printed out on my Deskjet on Avery pre-perforated card stock. I went with my ill-fitting suit and mismatched shoes/belt, and I was talking to someone from a small tech company and I got a tap on the shoulder, "Our CEO would like to get a picture with you." Having miniscule networking mojo and knowledge, I actually followed the PR person without excusing myself. We took the photo, and I asked if I could give him my business card. He said yes, and he gave me his.
The next day, I wrote him a letter. I honestly wrote how I liked that this networking event was not the usual deal but more like a classy cocktail event and a great opportunity to meet other companies in a less-networky, relaxed atmosphere. I thanked him and the company for hosting it.
I ended up later getting hired by his company (I was invited to apply, someone called me) and worked there for many years, as I learned the art and trade of software development, starting from nothing and someone who managed to bluff their way through the interviews.
[1] https://www.amazon.com/College-Grad-Job-Hunter-Entry-level/d... (highly recommend this, written from the perspective of the hiring manager)
⬐ ChristianBundyWhy didn't you excuse yourself?⬐ wallflower⬐ tzaholaIt was a "deer in the headlights" moment. What happened, happened and I am not proud of it. When I heard "The CEO wants a photo with you", I was completely pattern interrupted with the current thread of what I was doing talking to whoever it was (keyword: CEO and keyword: you) and just System.exit(1)'d (e.g. left with the PR person). I didn't realize that I'd not excused myself properly until after the photo op was done.As a tangent, on the topic of social niceties and navigating a party situation: If you ever need to get out of the awkward "I've been talking with this one person and I really want to exit the conversation", you never want to say "It was nice meeting you.". What you want to say is this: "I'd like to go meet those people over there. Come with me." This is genius (and I learned this from a social genius) because it gives the person a choice. If they don't want to go with you, you are golden. If they go with you, you've developed your own little temporary group of 2.
⬐ pitt1980That's a good tip, thanks for sharing.⬐ solotronicsreally useful advice. I usually exit with "very cool, thanks!" and just walk off if I can't get out of a conversation. Probably not the most elegant.Why did the CEO want a photo with you?⬐ wallflowerI don't know. A fateful mystery. I was selected by the PR person. Her choice changed my life, as I would never had thought of approaching the CEO. I was fortunate, and I would never have made some long-term friends without working at that company.⬐ joncraneIt wasn't the CEO who wanted the picture, it was the PR person. So s/he suggests it to the CEO and he said "sure."But when it came time to make it happen, the way to get the person on board as quickly as possible is to say "the CEO over there wants to take a picture with you."