Getting the Job You've Always Wanted

by Vishnu Gopal

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Vishnu Gopal, 20200516 Getting the Job   you’ve always wanted AMA

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About Me Programmer, loves to build products. • Around ~15years experience programming. • First job was at SlideShare • Was part of & founded a few startups. • Currently very interested in frontend stuﬀ. • Joined Doist 12th May. • @vishnugopal on Twitter, Github • vishnugopal.com

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Topics 1. Figuring out what you want. 2. Making a plan to get there. 3. Some details of my personal journey. 4. Some details of the interview process.

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Figuring out what you want.

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When you do the things you love.

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Figuring out what you want Questions 1. What do you want more of in your life? 2. What do you want less of in your life? 3. What excites you most? 4. What are you most proud of? 5. Name three people you admire and list three adjectives for why you admire each person. 6. Describe your ideal day. If money was not an issue, how would you spend your time? 7. What do you want to be remembered as?

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Figuring out what you want Questions 1. Write down answers. 2. Now group the answers into “value themes”. 3. Pick the top 3.

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Figuring out what you want My answers (example) What do you want to be remembered as? - Good engineer - Attention to detail & design sense - Have built great, thoughtful, products - Be kind, caring & patient - As somebody who people like to spend time with

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Figuring out what you want My value themes. Yours will be diﬀerent! 1: Builder of Products I will build useful, thoughtful, and meaningful products. 2: Engineering & Coding I will strive to be recognised as a good engineer, with great attention to detail. 3: More Love I will give and get more love & care in my life.

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Making a plan to get there.

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Your value themes drive every decision.

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Making a plan to get there. What kind of company do you want to work for? 1. Product: Product company, not services or a software consultancy. 2. Bootstrapped/Public: Not stuck at going after growth for VC's sake. 3. Profitable: Ideally a profitable SaaS or other company that is making money. 4. Salary: Pays ₹XL+/year. 5. Remote: Is primarily remote (truly remote, not just US) or has a good remote-working culture. 6. Open Source: Has significant open source contributions. 7. Interviews: Has a sensible interviewing process with a take-home test. 8. Balance: Respects personal time. Allows for at least 20 days of vacation in a year.