[flipper]

Yeah, if I was an employer (and I have been from time to time) I'd probably read this, smile wryly, and move on. But someone else might not.

I don't have a problem with the guy asserting that he can pick up new technologies quickly, as long as he expects he will only be offered entry-level positions. You do not write Python the way Shakespeare wrote prose after six months.

I do however have problem with him not providing anything to back up his assertion. But he probably figures in a tight job market he needs to find a way to stand out, and this is it.

[zavulon]

> Yeah, if I was an employer (and I have been from time to time) I'd probably read this, smile wryly, and move on.

I am an employer and that's exactly what I did. This is amusing, but I would never want a person like this to work for me. He's basically saying "I know nothing and proud of it... but I can learn! I can pick things up fast! Hire me! Why wouldn't anyone hire me dammit?"

[loup-vaillant]

> He's basically saying "I know nothing and proud of it…"

No he isn't. He just deliberately, explicitly refused to tell. I'd say this is a weak evidence that he indeed doesn't know anything. However, he clearly demonstrated writing skills. This piece is engaging and to the point. The ideas exposed are clear. Both emotions and facts are effectively communicated. To me, that's mildly strong evidence that he does know something.

As for why no one would hire him, I think he knows: because no one hired him yet. After the first month of job-searching (during which he made some obvious mistakes or just didn't have luck), he has to disprove the premise that there is no actual reason for his not being hired yet. As time passes, this effect becomes stronger and stronger. Some comments here that blame him actually ignore this, and if most employers do the same, they actually trigger the effect they ignore.

Ask yourself: say you see 2 applicants, one who currently has a job, and one who hasn't for several months. Which one will you most probably want to hire? Add in a few cognitive biases (they're not easy to overcome), and your decision may be based on this fact alone.

[haploid]

> Ask yourself: say you see 2 applicants, one who currently has a job, and one who hasn't for several months. Which one will you most probably want to hire?

The one who hasn't, obviously. (S)he's had several months to develop undirected skillsets on personal projects, is less likely to be burned out, and would be far more likely to happily accept a lower offer.

[loup-vaillant]

That would be great if you actually mean it and are in position take decisions to this effect). Unfortunately, to most employers, unemployed applicants smell as if they stopped bathing the day they stopped working.

The only solution I see to this problem is lying on your employment record. But I must admit I'm uncomfortable giving this advice.

[Retric]

I have helped plenty of people solve problems in languages I don't know. I would not suggest that this makes me an expert or even all that unusual. However, I suspect that a great C++ programmer would be more useful to a Python project than an average Python programmer in about 3 weeks.

[Kadrith]

Is the person who hires you willing to risk their reputation or job that a C++ programmer can do the job when there may be other Python programmers out there?

[Retric]

I have never gotten a job because I was a specialist in the specific language they wanted. From what I have seen the most important questions are can the program and will they flake out. After that it's just a question of how well they fit into the team.

PS: Outside of a tiny startup few people really risk much with any given new hire.

[tlrobinson]

This stunt is an attention catcher but he can't seriously expect to get a job without at least an interview. And not some bullshit where he interviews the company. There's no way in hell I'd hire him without first checking his competency.

[jjs]

> And not some bullshit where he interviews the company.

A good candidate does that during any job interview. Two-way filtering helps all parties find better matches faster.

[tlrobinson]

Sure, but I'd expect to have a chance to really grill him as well.

[davidandgoliath]

That's what the contact form is for. He's merely sick of the hiring process, as are all of the people hiring.

[tlrobinson]

I'm not sure if you're suggesting using the contact form to ask him interview questions, or just to setup an interview, but if it's the former that's ridiculous.

[djhworld]

He says in his pros/cons list at the end that he'll wear trousers to the interview.

I don't think he 'expects to walk in to a job' because of this, heck from the sounds of it his attempts to get a job have been largely fruitless.

This is just his way of standing out from the crowd and getting himself noticed enough for an employer to ask him in for an interview.