Ask HN: Have you ever been hired without an interview?
Has a company ever courted you, instead of you applying to them or going through a standard interview? How did it work for you?
23 comments
One of my qualifications is rare and in high demand where I live - I get cold calls from recruiters all the time that are hoping I will agree to change jobs to whoever they’re recruiting for.
In my experience they call you and ask you if you’re interested in a position. They ask what your salary expectations are etc… then they just ask you if you want a job. You still have to provide references and proof of qualifications, registration etc - but it’s a fairly simple process.
I got my current job 2 years ago without an interview because I went into the building and asked the lovely receptionist if I could speak to the manager - she asked why, I gave my name, and my qualification and she called the manager asked if the manager would be interested and they were - so I went and handed the manager my credentials etc and started a few weeks later.
I also managed to score a job that was completely irrelevant to my qualification but I was bored and want to do something else for a bit - by just asking for it, and it was a job that required maybe one or two days a week of actual work. I managed to negotiate almost $100k a year for 2 days a week, and then I went and worked in another job - and just to put in perspective, it was just a reception/admin type role. I only asked for the job because I was fairly confident I could ask for a high wage relative to the actual job and get exactly what I wanted.
I think it’s just easier for some people than others. I think I might be quite Machiavellian compared to others. When I have a really specific goal I can generally engineer a situation to go exactly how I want it to go including getting jobs without interviewing. But I have a pretty good success rate when interviewing as well.
I got my current job 2 years ago without an interview because I went into the building and asked the lovely receptionist if I could speak to the manager - she asked why, I gave my name, and my qualification and she called the manager asked if the manager would be interested and they were - so I went and handed the manager my credentials etc and started a few weeks later.
I also managed to score a job that was completely irrelevant to my qualification but I was bored and want to do something else for a bit - by just asking for it, and it was a job that required maybe one or two days a week of actual work. I managed to negotiate almost $100k a year for 2 days a week, and then I went and worked in another job - and just to put in perspective, it was just a reception/admin type role. I only asked for the job because I was fairly confident I could ask for a high wage relative to the actual job and get exactly what I wanted.
I think it’s just easier for some people than others. I think I might be quite Machiavellian compared to others. When I have a really specific goal I can generally engineer a situation to go exactly how I want it to go including getting jobs without interviewing. But I have a pretty good success rate when interviewing as well.
What is this skill/qualification?
He won't tell you because the increased competition will have a negative impact on his bottom line.
I used to love the interview process - I'm well suited to it as well.
I love being able to just walk into a building, ask for a job, and get one.
But I also find interviewing fun.
I have a pattern of changing jobs every 1.5-2years. However, this time I’m looking for a complete career change, which I’m certain will require interviewing multiple times before I get my foot in the door.
Yes, three times (including my current position). It worked out fine -- no better and no worse than going through the standard process.
If a company is courting you directly, they very likely already know more about you than an interview will reveal to them anyway.
For me, the big difference is that I don't know them as well and without an interview, I am missing a large opportunity to gauge how well I would fit into the company. So it means I have to do a bit more research than usual.
If a company is courting you directly, they very likely already know more about you than an interview will reveal to them anyway.
For me, the big difference is that I don't know them as well and without an interview, I am missing a large opportunity to gauge how well I would fit into the company. So it means I have to do a bit more research than usual.
I got my first job out of college as a Firmware Architect for a handheld computer, because I was playing mandolin in a group with its Electrical Engineer.
I had been working remotely doing similar work at another company for years prior while going through school, and I had met him my sophomore year while looking for a teacher to help me play better.
By the time I graduated, my playing skills had surpassed his, and he offered me the job. I got it without an interview or even submitting a resume.
I stayed there for two years until I got fed up with Windows CE (and Microsoft in general), and I left to pursue consulting with open source and Linux.
I had been working remotely doing similar work at another company for years prior while going through school, and I had met him my sophomore year while looking for a teacher to help me play better.
By the time I graduated, my playing skills had surpassed his, and he offered me the job. I got it without an interview or even submitting a resume.
I stayed there for two years until I got fed up with Windows CE (and Microsoft in general), and I left to pursue consulting with open source and Linux.
My first job after graduating was an envelope handed to me from a former co-op employer. I only happened to come by to say hello and they handed it to me. Good thing too as I wasn't interested in many grad placements and didn't line anything else up.
Lots of my other job offers have been quite random as well like the guy I bought a used Volvo 850 asked if I was a sw dev and could write a sort-of print driver. I said probably and they showed up at my door on the weekend with a dev laptop. Had it working by Monday, got an offer which paid for the car loan.
Another time was a coding contest, an obvious hiring stunt. I was interested in how fast I could make it go. Got 2nd place. When coning in for my prize was invited to socialize then an interview. I bombed the interview but must have been a good 'culture fit' aka fun drunk.
Lots of my other job offers have been quite random as well like the guy I bought a used Volvo 850 asked if I was a sw dev and could write a sort-of print driver. I said probably and they showed up at my door on the weekend with a dev laptop. Had it working by Monday, got an offer which paid for the car loan.
Another time was a coding contest, an obvious hiring stunt. I was interested in how fast I could make it go. Got 2nd place. When coning in for my prize was invited to socialize then an interview. I bombed the interview but must have been a good 'culture fit' aka fun drunk.
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Yeah, it's actually the standard way I get jobs, since I can't whiteboard.
Freelancing actually seemed like a life exploit at some point. Skip technical interviews, only do product interviews. Get basically double salary and WFH benefits. But the catch is it runs dry.
Most full time jobs don't go so well though. They're often authoritarian cultures. There's a CEO with strong vision that's all in his head. He can skip the interviews.
A lot of really smart people work in this places (often the ones who don't end up in FAANG because they can't whiteboard either). But they don't stay long and treat it as a stepping stone.
Freelancing actually seemed like a life exploit at some point. Skip technical interviews, only do product interviews. Get basically double salary and WFH benefits. But the catch is it runs dry.
Most full time jobs don't go so well though. They're often authoritarian cultures. There's a CEO with strong vision that's all in his head. He can skip the interviews.
A lot of really smart people work in this places (often the ones who don't end up in FAANG because they can't whiteboard either). But they don't stay long and treat it as a stepping stone.
Only if there was someone there that I had already worked with. Actually, though, it normally involved a sort of introduction structured as an interview, in which I would talk to somebody else that I had not worked with before. I did once get re-hired at a place I had already worked, without even that.
It's a bit unusual, but then most interviews are not very good ways of figuring out if the person will work out anyway, so perhaps it's a good sign? Or else they're desperate.
It's a bit unusual, but then most interviews are not very good ways of figuring out if the person will work out anyway, so perhaps it's a good sign? Or else they're desperate.
My current job... I'd gotten my then-girlfriend the job first and once she got in, her boss told her they were still looking for another web developer and she put my name in... I'd received a phone call while standing there in a gas station parking lot, and after about 5 minutes, I got the job.
I got my current job by writing the head of the regional office on LinkedIn which prompted a meeting about what I could do for them and a (paid) project so that we could evaluate each other. After the project we agreed that this was a good match and they found me the next project.
Yup, first time via internship. Another time I wrote an SDK for a company’s API and they’ve sent me an offer.
2 times I did an interview but CTOs new me upfront from either previous job or my public presentation so it was just a formality and in both cases they target to hire me upfront.
Hope this helps.
2 times I did an interview but CTOs new me upfront from either previous job or my public presentation so it was just a formality and in both cases they target to hire me upfront.
Hope this helps.
Yes. I started out helping out with some contracting (web dev) for a company that had oversold itself and was overwhelmed. That later turned into a full-time position at my request. I knew someone at the company.
I have been hired a couple times with [effectively] "no interview" - including my current employer
I got to know half+ of the company for almost a year before an offer came out
I got to know half+ of the company for almost a year before an offer came out
2 out of the 5 jobs I have had where without an interview. It was just about the people already knowing you and your skills. It worked out fine.
Yes, friend offered a job. Just walked in to talk about salary expectations. Friend quit the job 2 years later, I am still here. LOL
An old colleague worked at a company who needed developers. No interview, went straight into salary negotiations.
That actually happened to me for one of my internship at a large bank.
But the guy who hired me saw my skills
But the guy who hired me saw my skills
Only once, and the hirer had worked with me before.
Yeah a few times, usually contract jobs
No, never