Software Engineers REAL problem with AI and Jobs

Internet of Bugs
19 Mar 202413:29

Summary

TLDRCarl, a 35-year software veteran, discusses the impact of AI on the job market for developers. He refutes the notion that AI will replace software engineers and addresses the issue of AI tools flooding job applications, leading to difficulty in getting resumes noticed. Carl suggests that human contact, networking at meetups, and engaging with recruiters directly are more effective strategies in the current job market. He advises job seekers to learn about in-demand skills from recruiters and possibly develop side projects to showcase these skills.

Takeaways

  • ๐Ÿค– AI's impact on the job market for developers is significant, but not as a direct replacement for software engineers.
  • ๐Ÿ“ˆ The use of AI tools for resume customization and job application has led to an oversaturated applicant pool, making it difficult for employers to find suitable candidates.
  • ๐Ÿ’ก AI screening tools can inadvertently filter out qualified candidates whose resumes don't match the desired keyword frequency or order.
  • ๐Ÿ”„ The selling of AI services to both companies and applicants has created a cycle where both sides are less satisfied but feel compelled to continue using these services.
  • ๐Ÿ’ผ The traditional method of job hunting, which involves human interaction, is suggested as a more effective approach in the current AI-dominated market.
  • ๐Ÿ“ข Networking through meetups, job fairs, and conferences can help bypass AI filters and establish valuable connections with potential employers.
  • ๐Ÿ“ž Cold calling recruiters can provide insights into the in-demand skills and technologies, offering a chance to stand out in the job market.
  • ๐Ÿ” Researching recruiting firms and understanding their specializations can help target job searches more effectively.
  • ๐Ÿšซ Avoid giving recruiters blanket permission to submit your application, as this can lead to conflicts and missed opportunities.
  • ๐Ÿ› ๏ธ Learning about the skills that are currently in high demand can guide personal development and project work to enhance employability.
  • ๐ŸŒ The internet, including AI and software development, is full of opportunities despite the challenges posed by AI in the hiring process.

Q & A

  • What main issue does the video address regarding AI's impact on job hunting?

    -The video discusses how AI tools, used both by job applicants to auto-customize resumes and by employers for screening, have flooded the job market with applications, making it difficult for genuine candidates to stand out.

  • Why does the speaker believe that AI will not replace software engineers, despite common beliefs?

    -The speaker, Carl, argues that the notion of AI replacing all software engineers is exaggerated. He believes this based on his 35 years of experience in the software industry and the content of his previous videos.

  • How do AI tools used by job applicants affect the job application process?

    -AI tools allow applicants to auto-customize their resumes with job posting keywords, auto-generate cover letters, and auto-submit applications, leading to employers being inundated with applications and making the process inefficient.

  • What problem arises from employers using AI to screen applications?

    -The use of AI by employers for screening leads to many applications being filtered out if they don't match the exact keywords or criteria set by the AI, regardless of the applicant's true qualifications.

  • Why does Carl suggest that the only winners in the current situation are AI service providers?

    -Carl believes that AI service providers benefit from selling services to both companies and job seekers, exploiting both sides for profit without genuinely improving the hiring process or job search experience.

  • What does Carl predict about the future of job hunting and AI?

    -Carl does not claim to know exactly how the situation will evolve but suggests that a return to more traditional, human-centric methods of job hunting might be necessary as a counter to the problems introduced by AI.

  • What strategies does Carl recommend for finding a job in the current market?

    -Carl recommends networking through meetups, job fairs, and contacting recruiters directly as more effective strategies for job hunting, emphasizing the importance of human interaction over relying solely on online applications.

  • Why might recruiters play a crucial role in the job hunting process now?

    -Recruiters, especially those who understand the specific needs and buzzwords of the tech industry, can provide valuable insights into what skills are in demand and help applicants find opportunities that match their skillsets.

  • What caveats does Carl mention regarding his advice on job hunting?

    -Carl mentions that his advice is based on the US job market and may not be applicable everywhere. Additionally, his strategies might not be as effective for remote jobs due to the challenges of establishing personal connections at a distance.

  • What is Carl's view on the future necessity of software developers, despite AI advancements?

    -Carl believes that there will always be a need for software development and opportunities for companies to profit from software, indicating that AI will not replace programmers in the foreseeable future.

Outlines

00:00

๐Ÿค– AI's Impact on the Job Market for Developers

Carl, a software professional with 35 years of experience, discusses the impact of AI on the job market for developers. He refutes the idea that AI will replace all software engineers and highlights the real issue: the overuse of AI tools in job applications, leading to employers being overwhelmed with automated applications. He explains that AI is being used both to flood job postings with applications and to screen resumes, which is detrimental to both job seekers and employers. Carl suggests that the traditional method of job hunting, which involves human interaction, is more effective in the current AI-dominated job market.

05:01

๐Ÿค Building Relationships in the Industry

Carl emphasizes the importance of building relationships with others in the software engineering field. He suggests that attending meetups, job fairs, and conferences can be beneficial as it allows for networking and meeting potential future colleagues. He also discusses the role of recruiters, advising job seekers to contact them directly to understand the skills in demand and to establish a connection. Carl stresses that recruiters can provide valuable insights into the job market and can be a useful resource for finding opportunities that match one's skillset.

10:02

๐Ÿ“ž Direct Approach to Recruiters

Carl provides advice on how to approach recruiters directly. He recommends using the phone to make initial contact, as it shows recruiters that they are dealing with a real person rather than an AI bot. He suggests that job seekers should research recruiting firms, look at the jobs they are hiring for, and then call to inquire about positions that match their skills. Carl also advises on how to handle the conversation with recruiters, explaining that they can provide information on in-demand skills and that job seekers should avoid giving recruiters blanket permission to submit their applications.

Mindmap

Keywords

๐Ÿ’กAI

Artificial Intelligence (AI) refers to the simulation of human intelligence in machines that are programmed to think and learn like humans. In the context of the video, AI is discussed as a factor impacting the job market for developers by automating resume submissions and screening processes, leading to a saturated job market and difficulty for developers in getting their resumes noticed.

๐Ÿ’กJob Market

The job market refers to the availability of jobs and the dynamics between employers and job seekers. In this video, the job market for developers is highlighted as being affected by AI, with an overabundance of automated applications leading to challenges for both employers and job seekers.

๐Ÿ’กResume Auto-Customization

Resume auto-customization is the process of using software tools to tailor resumes to match the specific keywords in job postings. This technique is mentioned in the video as a widespread practice that contributes to the problem of employers receiving a high volume of similar applications.

๐Ÿ’กCover Letters

Cover letters are formal, written communications that accompany resumes when applying for jobs. They are intended to provide additional information about the applicant's suitability for the position. In the video, the speaker criticizes AI-generated cover letters that mimic human application, contributing to the issue of job application saturation.

๐Ÿ’กJob Postings

Job postings are advertisements or announcements that describe a job opening and the requirements for the position. They are a critical part of the recruitment process. The video discusses how AI tools are impacting the way job postings are responded to, with automated applications leading to a less effective hiring process.

๐Ÿ’กHiring Process

The hiring process involves a series of steps that employers take to review job applications, screen candidates, and ultimately make hiring decisions. In the video, the speaker argues that AI is disrupting the traditional hiring process by causing a flood of automated applications and screening, which is making it difficult for human interaction and assessment.

๐Ÿ’กRecruiters

Recruiters are professionals who help organizations find suitable candidates for job openings. They often act as intermediaries between employers and job seekers. In the video, the speaker suggests that despite the negative impact of AI on the job market, recruiters can still be a valuable resource for developers looking for jobs.

๐Ÿ’กMeetups

Meetups are informal gatherings of people with shared interests, often focused on specific industries or professions. In the context of the video, meetups are suggested as a way for developers to network and make personal connections, which can be beneficial in finding job opportunities that bypass AI screening tools.

๐Ÿ’กNetworking

Networking refers to the act of building and maintaining professional relationships. It is a crucial aspect of career development and job searching. In the video, the speaker emphasizes the importance of networking in the current AI-influenced job market, as it allows developers to connect with potential employers and colleagues outside of automated application processes.

๐Ÿ’กRemote Jobs

Remote jobs are positions that allow employees to work from locations other than a central office, typically from home or co-working spaces. The video discusses the challenges of finding remote jobs in the context of AI's impact on the hiring process, as AI tools can make it harder to establish personal connections necessary for these positions.

๐Ÿ’กHybrid Jobs

Hybrid jobs refer to positions that combine both remote work and in-person work. In the video, the speaker suggests that hybrid jobs might be a better option for developers in the current AI-influenced job market, as they offer more opportunities for human interaction and can help job seekers avoid some of the pitfalls of purely remote positions.

๐Ÿ’กBuzzwords

Buzzwords are popular or trendy terms that are often used in specific industries or professional contexts. In the video, buzzwords are discussed as keywords that job seekers include in their resumes and cover letters to match job postings and pass AI screening processes.

Highlights

AI's impact on the job market for developers is a hot topic, with claims that AI will replace software engineers.

Carl, a 35-year software professional, disagrees with the idea that AI will replace developers and has made videos discussing this.

The real problem AI is causing in job hunting is the automation of resume and job application processes, leading to inundation of employers with applicants.

Developers are more likely to use AI tools to gain an advantage, which exacerbates the issue of automated job applications.

Employers are also using AI to screen applicants, which can filter out human resumes that don't match AI-generated criteria.

AI services are being sold to both companies and applicants, creating a cycle where both sides are unhappy and hiring rates decrease.

Carl suggests that the traditional way of job hunting, which involves human interaction, is more effective in the current AI-dominated market.

LinkedIn and other job platforms were initially useful, but Carl believes their effectiveness has decreased due to AI interference.

Carl emphasizes the importance of meeting humans who make hiring decisions, as they have not been replaced by AI.

He advises attending meetups, job fairs, and conferences to connect with people in the industry and potential future co-workers.

Recruiters can be a valuable resource, and Carl suggests reaching out to them directly to understand the current market needs.

When talking to recruiters, Carl recommends explaining your skills in a way that non-technical people can understand.

Carl advises against giving recruiters blanket permission to submit you for any job, and to maintain control over your job search.

He suggests using conversations with recruiters to identify valuable skills and potentially learn new ones to increase marketability.

Carl's advice is specific to the US market and may not apply to other regions.

His strategies may not be as effective for remote jobs due to the difficulty of making personal connections over long distances.

Carl concludes by encouraging developers not to lose hope as AI will not replace all programming jobs in the near future.

Transcripts

play00:00

Welcome to the Internet of Bugs.

play00:01

And if this looks familiar, you've

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come to the right video.

play00:04

My name is Carl.

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I've spent 35 years as a software

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professional.

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And this video is about how AI is

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really impacting

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the job market for developers .

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The hype on YouTube these days is

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that AI

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is going to replace all the

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software engineers.

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I think that's crap, and I've done

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several videos about it,

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and I've got more in the works.

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So subscribe if you want to see

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those.

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But that's not what we're going to

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talk about today.

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Now today, we're talking about what

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AI is actually doing

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to cause a problem with and what

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you might do about it.

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The problem with job hunting these

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days

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is the number of people that are

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using tools

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to auto-customize their resumes,

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to match the keywords of the job

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postings,

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auto-generate cover letters that

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make it seem like

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there's a person doing the applying,

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and then auto-submit their job

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applications.

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And that means that as soon as a

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job posting opens up,

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a whole bunch of automated tools

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spam the heck out of it,

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and employers end up being

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completely inundated

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with applicants, covers letters and

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redsmays.

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This is happening for all kinds of

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positions,

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but it seems especially bad for

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developer ones,

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probably because developers are

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more willing

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than other professions to turn to

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AI tools

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to try to get an advantage.

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And it only takes a few hundred

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people running

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auto-applying bots targeting

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keywords relevant to you

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to ruin the whole thing for

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everyone in your space.

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I'll put some links down in the

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description

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with more details about this.

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But the short version is it's a

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mess right now,

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and it's taking time for the

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industry to react

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and figure out what to do about it.

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If that wasn't bad enough, to make

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things even worse,

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more and more employers are using

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AI

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to try to screen the applicants

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and the resumes that come in.

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So AI is screwing up your ability

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to get your resume in front of the

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right person twice.

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Once, by flooding all of their

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screens

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with resumes of other people,

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and again, by filtering out your

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resume

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because it doesn't have all the

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desired keywords

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in the right order with the right

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frequency

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like it would if you paid for the

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AI service.

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This is the real impact of AI.

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AI services are sold to companies

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as a solution

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to a problem like screening

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applicants

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to make sure they have the right

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keywords.

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And then AI is sold to applicants

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as a solution to submitting jobs

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to make sure their resumes and

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cover letters

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are customized to get past the AI

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screeners.

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Both sides are less happy, hiring

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those way, way down.

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But neither side can stop paying

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or they'll get swamped or blocked

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by the AI

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on the other side of the

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conversation.

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The only people that are better off

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in this situation

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are the companies providing AI

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services.

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It's a giant scam to extract money

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from everyone involved

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and the only way to win is not to

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play.

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What that means for you is that at

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least the moment,

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the way that job hunting has worked

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for the last 10 to 15 years is not

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working anymore.

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It's gonna be slower, it's gonna

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require you to be patient.

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I'm sorry about that,

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but this is just the world the AI

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companies have made for us

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and we just have to put jobs in it.

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Now, I'm not gonna lie

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and say I know exactly how this is

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gonna shake out.

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I don't, companies need to hire

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and so something is gonna have to

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happen,

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but I don't think anyone right now

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knows exactly what that's gonna be.

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But I have a guess at how things

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might work,

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at least in the short term,

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based on how we used to do things.

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So back in the long, long ago,

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back before LinkedIn was really a

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thing,

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we used to get jobs the old

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fashioned way

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by actually talking to people.

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I know that sounds scary,

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but sometimes it's just what it

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takes

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to get around the AI scammers.

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I joined LinkedIn in 2004.

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I think I got my first job through

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LinkedIn in 2011

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and I've gotten a bunch of jobs

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that way since then,

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but at least for the time being,

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I think that's run its course.

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But it turns out I got a lot of

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jobs

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and a lot of other people got a lot

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of jobs

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back before LinkedIn

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and even before the internet was

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really a thing.

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So let's talk about how that used

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to go.

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The way to get a job has always

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eventually involved

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talking to a human because at least

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so far,

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it's always been the humans

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that made the final hiring

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decisions.

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All LinkedIn, Monster, indeed, and

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the like really did

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was to provide a convenient

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intermediate step

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for you to figure out which humans

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to talk to

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and for those humans to figure out

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which applicants to talk to.

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In other words, you talking to an

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actual human

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is gonna be even more important now

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because on both sides of the

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initial contact these days,

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it's just a bunch of AIs wasting

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everyone's time and money.

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So the next question is,

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how do you get in contact with the

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right humans?

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Before we start a couple of quick

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caveats,

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first off, I'm gonna be talking

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about the US market.

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That's where I live and that's what

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I know.

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That's what I'm gonna be talking

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about.

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It may or may not be at all useful

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to those of you that are not in the

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US.

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I'm sorry about that.

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I just don't have any experience

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outside the US

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and I don't wanna pretend that I do

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and I don't want you to follow it

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my advice

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if it turns out that I'm completely

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wrong

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about the way things work in your

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country.

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It might work, humans have some

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things in common,

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but I have absolutely no idea

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if it might be relevant to you non-US

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folks or not.

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Second caveat is that what I'm

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gonna talk about

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is not going to work nearly as well

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for remote jobs.

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Remote jobs inherently have the

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problem

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that it's harder to make a person

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to person contact

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over long distances so the AI job

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services

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can mess everything up a lot easier.

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That said, you may be able to

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apply some of these strategies

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for your remote work and I wish you

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the best of luck.

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If you only want remote jobs though,

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I'd recommend you jump over the

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next chapter

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and go to the chapter about voice

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calls.

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Okay, strategy number one is to

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find the places

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where the people that you want to

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talk to physically are

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and go to those places.

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A great source for this is meetup.com,

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although there may be other sites

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or organizations

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in your area.

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I ran a local meetup group here in

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Austin, Texas,

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where I lived for seven years until

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COVID killed it off,

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although it had been dropping off

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over some time before that.

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Early on, we had a lot of recruiters

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that would show up to the meetings,

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just hoping to meet people.

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That eventually stopped,

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but my guess is more and more of

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that's gonna happen again.

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So look at where the meetup groups

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are in your area.

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Look at the organizations and the

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job fairs

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and the conferences and the other

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groups of folks

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that do the kinds of tech that you

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do

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and find where they get together

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and try to meet up with them.

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Those meetup groups are starting to

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have face-to-face

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get-togethers again.

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Finally, just in time to be useful

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for this.

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Now, there's a perception amongst

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people

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that are newer to the industry,

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that there's a lot of competition

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between people that do the same job.

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There is sometimes a little of that,

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but in my experience,

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I found that most places that hire

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software engineers

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hire teams and knowing the other

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folks in your area

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that you might be on a team with is

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very useful.

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That way, if someone ends up

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needing a new member

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to their team and there's someone

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there that you've met,

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that might give you a leg up.

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So don't think of the other folks

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at the meetups as competition.

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Think of them as potential future

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co-workers.

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The other thing that happens around

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meetups

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is that when a group of people

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that have a particular skill set

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get together,

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recruiters that want to find people

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with that skill tend to follow.

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That has not been nearly as true

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lately

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because most of that stuff moved to

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the internet

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and especially since the pandemic,

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all of that stuff stopped

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completely.

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My guess is a lot of that's gonna

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start back up.

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And the reason that I think that is

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because I'm guessing that in most

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HR departments

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and in most recruiting firms,

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there are people who are old enough

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that they remember how we used to

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do it.

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And when they realize the new

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internet way is falling apart,

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some of them are gonna say,

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"Let's go back to trying the old way,

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at least for the time being,

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till we figure something else out."

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Next thing, this is gonna sound

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weird, but hear me out.

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You can call recruiters yourself.

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I know that over the last couple of

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decades,

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recruiters have gotten a bad rap

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for sending you email out of the

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blue

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or calling out of the blue or bugging

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you.

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And especially for contacting you

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about jobs

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that don't actually have much to do

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with your actual skills at all.

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It's often become a joke about

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getting called by a recruiter.

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But there are a lot of recruiters

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out there

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that actually do a really good job.

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And especially if you're unemployed,

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you don't really have much to lose.

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There are bad recruiters and you

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should avoid the ones

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that appear to be just spamming out

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a bunch of requests

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without mentioning what the job is

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or what skills it needs.

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But there are a lot of recruiters

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out there

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that you can actually learn a lot

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from.

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Although earlier I said call, email

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might work too.

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But in my experience,

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actually getting someone on the

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actual phone will work better

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because they'll know that they're

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dealing with a real person

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and not just another time-wasting

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AI bot.

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If you need to use just email for

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some reason,

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try to target it as a specific

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recruiter's work address

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instead of just a generic email

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address for a company.

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Most recruiters that I know,

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and I've known a lot of them over

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the decades,

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are people that like talking to

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people.

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And they especially like talking to

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people

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that understand the kinds of

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technologies

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that they are recruiting people to

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work on.

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Keep in mind that often recruiters

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know

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that they're looking for someone

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with a particular buzzwords,

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but they're not developers.

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And they don't necessarily have a

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good understanding

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of what those buzzwords mean

play07:02

or how to use them in a sentence or

play07:04

that kind of thing.

play07:05

And they know that makes them sound

play07:06

stupid and they hate that.

play07:07

So being able to have a

play07:08

conversation with a recruiter

play07:09

about what a particular buzzword in

play07:11

your field means

play07:12

is usually valuable information to

play07:14

them.

play07:14

And in return, you can usually get

play07:16

information

play07:16

about what kinds of skills,

play07:17

what kinds of buzzwords are

play07:18

particularly hot at the moment

play07:19

in this particular area,

play07:21

and what kinds of things someone in

play07:22

your position

play07:23

might be able to do to stand out at

play07:24

the particular moment.

play07:25

Remember that although you might

play07:26

know a lot more than them

play07:28

about what tech is good or bad or

play07:29

popular or not,

play07:30

they know a lot more than you

play07:32

about what skills companies are

play07:33

actually wanting

play07:33

to pay for at the moment

play07:35

and what they're having difficulty

play07:36

finding.

play07:37

And that's very valuable

play07:38

information for you.

play07:39

So how do you cold call a recruiter?

play07:41

I would say start with Googling

play07:42

recruiting firms

play07:43

in your area or an area that you'd

play07:44

like to work

play07:45

and then look at their websites.

play07:46

Most recruiting websites have jobs

play07:48

posted on them.

play07:49

They're usually not anywhere close

play07:50

to all the jobs they're currently

play07:51

looking for.

play07:52

But by looking at what kinds of

play07:53

jobs

play07:53

that recruiting firm is looking for,

play07:54

you can find whether or not that

play07:56

recruiting firm deals

play07:56

in the kind of tech or development

play07:58

that you're skilled at.

play07:59

Then most of the websites have a

play08:00

phone number

play08:01

or fill out this form and we'll

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give you a call kind of pages.

play08:04

I would say you're probably better

play08:05

off

play08:05

calling the phone number than just

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filling out the form

play08:07

or at least that's been my

play08:08

experience.

play08:09

You won't necessarily get to talk

play08:10

to a recruiter immediately.

play08:11

Sometimes you end up getting voicemail

play08:12

and you end up leaving a message

play08:13

and that's fine.

play08:14

Just tell them who you are, how

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they can contact you

play08:16

and what kind of work you're

play08:16

looking for.

play08:17

At least in my experience,

play08:18

most recruiters like talking on the

play08:19

phone.

play08:20

It's not the kind of job that a

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person would likely choose

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to do if they didn't like talking

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on the phone.

play08:24

So a lot of recruiters would rather

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respond to a voicemail

play08:26

than respond to a web form.

play08:27

Plus, if they hear your voice on

play08:29

the phone,

play08:29

they know you're not just some spam

play08:30

bot

play08:31

that filled out contact form on

play08:32

their website.

play08:32

A voice on their voicemail isn't

play08:33

guaranteed not to be a bot,

play08:35

but the odds are they aren't

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getting AI generated voicemails,

play08:38

at least not yet.

play08:39

When you actually talk to them,

play08:40

tell them it's your developer

play08:41

and give them a really brief

play08:42

description of what you do.

play08:43

Like, "I'm a full stack developer,"

play08:45

"I'm a javascript developer,"

play08:46

"I'm a front end developer," whatever.

play08:47

And then tell them that you'd like

play08:48

to know

play08:48

what kinds of skills and jobs in

play08:49

your area

play08:50

they are looking to fill.

play08:51

As you have that conversation,

play08:52

they will probably start asking you

play08:53

more

play08:53

about your background and what

play08:55

kinds of job you're looking for.

play08:56

That's cool.

play08:57

Take that opportunity to talk about

play08:59

your experience.

play09:00

Let them ask questions,

play09:01

but talk to them as if you were

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talking to a sibling

play09:03

or a friend who's not into

play09:04

computers

play09:04

or at least not into computers the

play09:05

way you are.

play09:06

And when you talk about what you

play09:07

did someplace

play09:08

or what side project you're working

play09:09

on,

play09:09

mention the technologies and

play09:10

mention the buzzwords,

play09:11

but describe what you did not in

play09:13

terms of references

play09:14

to a bunch of other buzzwords,

play09:15

but in terms of how a non-professional

play09:16

would describe it.

play09:17

And generally they will find that

play09:18

very helpful.

play09:19

It's probably not the case

play09:21

that the first recruiting firm you

play09:22

call

play09:23

will happen to have a job

play09:24

that exactly matches the kind of

play09:25

stuff you do.

play09:26

That would just be too big a

play09:27

coincidence.

play09:27

But at least once you get put in

play09:29

their database

play09:30

or once you get fresh in their mind,

play09:31

they're a lot more likely to be

play09:32

talking to a client

play09:34

and see a position and think,

play09:35

"Hey, maybe that person I talked to

play09:36

the other day

play09:37

might be a good fit for that."

play09:38

It's also useful to talk to more

play09:39

than one recruiting firm

play09:40

at a time, although there is an

play09:42

issue.

play09:42

Know that recruiters get paid

play09:43

usually based on a fraction

play09:45

of the salary that they place a

play09:46

person at.

play09:47

So if you have two recruiters that

play09:48

both put you

play09:49

in the same job, only one of them

play09:51

is gonna get paid for it

play09:52

and the other one's gonna get

play09:53

annoyed.

play09:53

It's not unusual for recruiters to

play09:55

be searching

play09:55

for a position and talk to someone

play09:57

and find out that person has

play09:58

already been submitted

play09:58

to that position by a different

play10:00

recruiter.

play10:00

That's just the price of doing

play10:01

business

play10:01

and they might be disappointed,

play10:02

but they don't generally get upset

play10:03

about that.

play10:04

What they get upset about is when

play10:06

they think they have

play10:06

the right to represent you for a

play10:08

given job.

play10:09

And then they learn that you

play10:10

actually got submitted

play10:11

to that job by somebody else.

play10:12

Just make it clear to them that you

play10:13

were calling

play10:14

around trying to find jobs and that

play10:15

you'd be happy

play10:16

to talk to the recruiter about a

play10:17

specific job.

play10:18

And if they have one, please to let

play10:20

you know

play10:20

if something comes up, they match

play10:21

your skills,

play10:21

but don't give them blanket

play10:22

permissions

play10:23

to be completely in charge of

play10:24

finding a job for you.

play10:25

In those conversations, a lot of

play10:26

times,

play10:27

what you can find out is what

play10:28

technologies,

play10:28

what frameworks, what buzzwords,

play10:30

that recruiter

play10:31

is currently having trouble finding

play10:32

people for.

play10:33

And that gives you an idea of what

play10:34

kinds of things

play10:35

might be worth learning, what kinds

play10:37

of side projects

play10:38

you might want to work on and what

play10:39

kinds of technologies

play10:40

you might want to steer your

play10:41

current job toward

play10:42

and what kinds of things are marketable

play10:43

and what's really useful

play10:45

information to have.

play10:46

Because if it turns out there's a

play10:47

specific skill

play10:47

that a lot of jobs are looking for

play10:49

that they haven't found any

play10:50

candidates that have,

play10:51

that's an indication that you can

play10:52

read up on that

play10:52

and play around with it a little

play10:53

and maybe do a little side project

play10:55

on it.

play10:55

And then the next time you talk to

play10:56

someone,

play10:57

you can be able to go, "Oh. Well,

play10:58

I haven't actually done that for

play11:00

work,

play11:00

but I did do a side project with it.

play11:01

Let me tell you about that."

play11:02

And if they're having trouble

play11:03

finding someone

play11:04

who's got that buzzword and they're

play11:05

experienced

play11:06

and they'll probably be willing to

play11:07

put you

play11:07

in front of the client,

play11:08

even if it's not a tech you've

play11:09

worked with professionally,

play11:10

but just when you worked with on

play11:11

the side.

play11:11

Unfortunately, this isn't a fast

play11:13

solution.

play11:14

It's worked for me for years,

play11:15

but it's not nearly as efficient

play11:17

as the LinkedIn pipeline was back

play11:18

before the AI people ruined it.

play11:20

So that's my advice. To recap.

play11:21

One, feel free to submit your

play11:23

resume to jobs online,

play11:24

but don't expect it to get you

play11:25

anywhere.

play11:26

Two, you're probably better off

play11:27

looking for a hybrid

play11:28

or on-site jobs in your area,

play11:29

rather than purely remote jobs.

play11:31

Although people's circumstances are

play11:32

different

play11:32

and sometimes you don't have a

play11:33

choice.

play11:34

Three, find places like meetups or

play11:36

job fairs

play11:36

or trade shows in your area

play11:37

that are relevant to your job

play11:38

experience

play11:39

and go to them and talk to people.

play11:40

Making actual human contact becomes

play11:42

much more powerful

play11:43

in a world of money sucking time-wasting

play11:45

AI services.

play11:45

Four, contact recruiting firms or

play11:47

firms

play11:48

that recruit in either the area of

play11:49

the country

play11:50

or the area of technology that you

play11:51

are in

play11:52

and call them and ask them what

play11:53

kinds of skills

play11:53

they currently have clients looking

play11:54

for.

play11:55

There's no guarantee they'll have

play11:56

stuff for you,

play11:57

but they're in a better position to

play11:58

know than you are,

play11:59

if all you're doing is doom-scrolling

play12:01

job listings

play12:01

and even if they don't have a job

play12:03

for you now,

play12:03

knowing recruiters often turns out

play12:05

to be useful later.

play12:06

Five, never give a recruiter

play12:08

blanket permission

play12:09

to submit you just anywhere they

play12:10

want to on your behalf.

play12:11

Make sure and tell them that you'd

play12:12

be happy

play12:13

to talk to them about particular

play12:14

specific positions

play12:15

if they have something that might

play12:17

be a fit for you

play12:17

and that they wanted to submit you

play12:18

for.

play12:19

Tell them that you're calling

play12:20

around

play12:20

and talking to other companies and

play12:22

other people

play12:22

and that you wouldn't want to have

play12:24

them waste their time

play12:25

submitting you to someplace

play12:26

that you've already been in contact

play12:27

with.

play12:28

Six, use those conversations with

play12:30

recruiters

play12:30

to find out what skills are

play12:31

valuable in your area

play12:32

of the country or area of

play12:33

technology

play12:34

and take that as a sign that it

play12:35

might be useful

play12:36

to read up on that, to learn more

play12:37

about that

play12:38

and maybe do a side project on that

play12:39

because if they're having trouble

play12:41

finding people who do that,

play12:42

that's an indication that there's

play12:43

an opportunity there

play12:44

that you might be able to take

play12:45

advantage of.

play12:45

So I wish you luck, I know it's

play12:47

hard,

play12:48

but just keep in mind that there's

play12:49

a ton of software

play12:50

in the world and there are a ton of

play12:51

opportunities

play12:52

for companies and investors to make

play12:54

money with software,

play12:55

so there will always be a need for

play12:56

software

play12:56

to get created and written.

play12:57

If you're afraid that all this is

play12:58

pointless

play12:59

because AIs will be taking all the

play13:00

coding jobs

play13:01

in addition to ruining all the

play13:02

hiring processes.

play13:03

Well, then One, I have no idea why

play13:05

you watched

play13:05

this video to the end.

play13:06

And two, on this screen now should

play13:09

be a playlist of videos

play13:10

about why my experience tells me AI

play13:12

cannot

play13:12

and will not be replacing all the

play13:14

programmers

play13:14

in the foreseeable future.

play13:15

So that's what I have for you in

play13:16

this video.

play13:17

If you have questions that you'd

play13:18

like to hear

play13:18

an experienced developer's

play13:20

perspective on,

play13:20

please leave them in the comments

play13:21

below.

play13:22

Subscribe if you wanna see more

play13:23

and most of all, never forget that

play13:25

the Internet

play13:25

is full of bugs. Let's be careful

play13:27

out there.

play13:27

Thanks for watching.

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