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0 pointsBeetleB3y ago0 comments

Of course you would. That is exactly the problem.

0 comments

Why is that a problem?

Imagine you keep applying for jobs and you get none because all the existing employees are recommending their friends who are inferior to you in skills, but the company is prioritizing referrals.

This is, and has always been, a real problem: That your ability to get good positions is limited not by your skill set but by your ability to network.

deadbeefinmoon3y ago

You only need a laptop to set up a company in this field. If there are separate networks of different ethnities (or whatever you mean by diversity) their companies should be able to win over the ones who are not hiring based on pure skill and abilities. Does this happen?

BeetleBOP3y ago

1. I didn't make any mention of diversity.

2. The notion that companies will win purely due to skill is questionable. I would highly recommend listening to "How I Built This". Skill is a significant factor, but companies that win do not always do so based on skill.

p1esk3y ago

Generally if you have good skills people will want to network with you, unless you're anti-social or have some other personality issues. Keep in mind that technical skills are just one component in a good coworker.

bheadmaster3y ago

This comment reveals another problem - if a person is not interested in networking for the sake of it, they're slapped with the "anti-social" or "personality disorder" labels.

Anecdotally, some of the best engineers I've worked with despise the networking culture and prefer to keep to themselves, while some of the most "social" and "networking" people were grifters who didn't have much skill, but knew how to appear like they do.

BeetleBOP3y ago

> Generally if you have good skills people will want to network with you, unless you're anti-social or have some other personality issues.

Not really. In my experience that is the exception rather than the rule. Especially because most people will have no way to know you have good skills if they don't already know you.

ipaddr3y ago

Generally programmers don't and do not seek to network. If you are actively networking and not writing code you might be in it for the wrong reasons.

1 more reply

p1esk3y ago

I am more productive (and generally happier) when working with people I like, and can relate to. Communication is better too, which is pretty important.

j / k navigate · click thread line to collapse

0 comments

atmosx3y ago

Why is that a problem?

BeetleBOP3y ago

Imagine you keep applying for jobs and you get none because all the existing employees are recommending their friends who are inferior to you in skills, but the company is prioritizing referrals.

This is, and has always been, a real problem: That your ability to get good positions is limited not by your skill set but by your ability to network.

deadbeefinmoon3y ago

BeetleBOP3y ago

1. I didn't make any mention of diversity.

p1esk3y ago

bheadmaster3y ago

This comment reveals another problem - if a person is not interested in networking for the sake of it, they're slapped with the "anti-social" or "personality disorder" labels.

BeetleBOP3y ago

> Generally if you have good skills people will want to network with you, unless you're anti-social or have some other personality issues.

Not really. In my experience that is the exception rather than the rule. Especially because most people will have no way to know you have good skills if they don't already know you.

ipaddr3y ago

Generally programmers don't and do not seek to network. If you are actively networking and not writing code you might be in it for the wrong reasons.

1 more reply

p1esk3y ago

I am more productive (and generally happier) when working with people I like, and can relate to. Communication is better too, which is pretty important.

j / k navigate · click thread line to collapse