logoalt Hacker News

cal_denttoday at 12:16 AM3 repliesview on HN

FWIW one of the things about advice on job hunting (and a lot of other things in life tbh) is that no one ever seems to acknowledge that, more often than we like to think, it's just luck.

Yes reaching out to your network is good, putting yourself out there through direct contact where possible is good (early in my career two jobs which were real stepping stones came from emailing a head of and ceo directly after a conference), spending time trying to find your edge relatively to others is good. But there are so many points in the whole process where it's simply luck of the draw that spray and pray within reason isn't a completely ridiculous route.

Unless you're already in a role, try what you have to. It's no fun in it but things are always easier once you don't have anything to fall back too.


Replies

jamesfinlaysontoday at 4:59 AM

> it's just luck

So true. Looking back, I got my current job because the preferred candidate dropped out and apparently there was no other preferred candidate, the one before that I bombed the interview but I guess they saw potential etc.

joquarkytoday at 5:29 AM

It's definitely luck.

The advice helps you cast a wider net to catch that luck.

I just wish there were more job search advice for weird people. My net is tattered and falling apart after two years of fishing.

csomartoday at 10:21 AM

> it's just luck

No one will admit that because everyone likes to pretend that they "earned" it. Everything about you, your circumstances and surroundings is stochastic.