Post: #1

I'll try to keep this as general as possible without outing myself and where I work. I work in NYC as a programmer. What I do is very technical and specialized. So I started a Facebook group to bring together other programmers in the same field. It's just a dumb page. Nothing fancy. But I post to it once a week or so mostly with related articles I stumble upon or examples of my latest GUIs. Sometimes I or someone else asks questions and we go back and forth giving tech advice. It's fun.

I'm also a member of a few other related Facebook groups related to my field. And it's the same kind of question/answer thing. It's all in good fun.

On my Facebook page I have my LinkedIn info. I think through my participation and insightful responses in these groups I've been targeted by recruiters over the past year. I must get about 2-3 job offers a week roll in.

Most of them I turn down stating I'm happy where I am right now but please keep my resume on file. Maybe in a year or so I'll be open to see what the job market is like. I'll send them my current resume and thank them. They usually add me on LinkedIn and now I have a few resources if decide to leave my current position.

I'm not exactly money driven to be honest. I like to make my path and follow my interests. I feel the money will be there if you're passionate about what you do, display mastery of your craft and bring value to the table. I'm trying to build a reputation for myself in my field.

The place I work is pretty cool. I dig it a lot. Most of the time I hop around the city from job site to job site. Once in a while I hop on a plane. I have a few upcoming trips in the next few months to Miami and San Francisco. But half the time I'm in the office reviewing schematics and writing new programs for upcoming jobs. The best part of what I do is that I have creative freedom. I can make my GUIs look how I want and as long as I'm flexible and can accomodate small changes to make the client happy ...all is well in the universe.

I got a 10k raise this year and choice of a new laptop. I can expense pretty much anything I need. It rules.

I got a job offer recently from Best Buy to be a Product Line Manager. I guess it's a step up from programmer. But I had to turn it down. It required relocation to Connecticut which I'm not willing to do. And it's obviously much less creative and dealing with BS related issues. Not my thing.

But it's still really cool that all these new opportunities keep popping up. I really think it's because of my career-oriented attention whoring on Facebook.

I hope this helps you guys out in some way. You gotta get your name out there and carve out your path. Good luck

Post: #2

Really cool tip, I am going to pass this along to some friends as well.

Post: #3

Great idea to start that Facebook group.

Just having people in your industry see your name pop up with useful info on a regular basis has obviously gotten your name mentioned quite a lot since you are getting so many job offers.

I think a lot of people could do this and benefit from it.

Post: #4

Would definitely have to be done tactfully but brilliant and very useful tip nonetheless. Thanks for sharing.

Post: #5

Do you mean you get job descriptions/expressions of interest/invites to interviews, not job offers every week? I don't know anybody who gets 2-3 job offers per week.

Post: #6

Product Management is basically a way to be neutered as a programmer. You can't make your own products as one or even be a viable service man as you lose your skills.

It is being put out to pasture with a trough of food waiting for you but you can't get out of pasture.

Better to stay sharp, increase connections, and sell your own products instead of being the requirements gathering monkey for a client while losing your technical and creative skills.

Post: #7

(01-27-2015 04:45 PM)Brodiaga Wrote:  Do you mean you get job descriptions/expressions of interest/invites to interviews, not job offers every week? I don't know anybody who gets 2-3 job offers per week.

Yes.