What are the minimum requirements to get a job in?

[Steven D'Aprano]

On Fri, 14 Dec 2012 19:45:40 -0500, Roy Smith wrote:

>> If somebody can to me with prior experience at Google or Facebook, my
>> first thought would be "Ah, couldn't cut it with the big boys huh? If
>> you are good enough for Google, what the hell are you doing coming to
>> us?"
> 
> Wow, you must have a really low opinion of yourself.  Part of being at a
> startup is believing in yourself.

What makes you think I work for a startup? It might astonish some people 
in the IT industry, but not every company is under three years old and 
still burning through some VC's money.

As for the attitude "believe in yourself", that's a big part of why 50% 
of startups fail within four years and over 70% within ten years. That's 
new business in general, by the way. I expect that startups in the tech 
industry will be less successful.

To paraphrase Terry Pratchett:

"If you trust in yourself, and believe in your dreams, and follow your 
star... you'll be beaten by people who work hard and learn things."

Rather than "believe in yourself", I prefer "Know Thyself". A man's got 
to know his limitations. That applies for the company you work for too.


> Going around thinking, "he/she's too
> good for us" is not an effective way to screen potential candidates if
> you're trying to build a successful business.

Perhaps we have a different perspective, but I don't think it is wise to 
hire somebody who is likely to leave for greener pastures just as you are 
starting to rely on them.



-- 
Steven