Rant post - I need to vent. Started looking for work after long time. This time I am giving a chance to FT jobs as well. I don't think I will ever get hired at a startup. Interviwed with 1. (8 people all Men , IIT background) I kind of give anti bro vibes. 🙈 I don't orgasm over whatever new tech comes in market. I basically told the owner of company how they are using a certain thing which it is not supposed to do. Then on every tech discussion our opinions started to collide. Maybe I need to keep my mouth shut from next time. 😅 Speak only when required. Jokes aside. Is this normal thing in interviews for FT jobs? You get rejected for having different opinions. As a consultant no one gives a damn. So I haven't experienced this before. This is new for me.

A workplace where disagreements are resisted isn’t a place I’d like to work.

@flat-morning-91037 This was just initial discussion. I am sure most companies allow disagreements in workplace. But this was even before I got into that workplace. 😀

What is "FT"?

Full Time?

Oh OK. I thought conflicts are common in every single startup. So I could not place FT. Anyway, run away from a company if they do not encourage arguments. If you think that is weird, let me pick something from one of the best books on company management (Good to Great): The great companies' meeting rooms are basically monkey fights, because no one is a boss. Everyone wants to bring their skills and thoughts and want the company to deliver. The good companies are led by a charismatic CEO who everyone agrees to. Read that book, I highly recommend, has great signals to filter great places to work.

@wide-carpet-65149 @flat-morning-91037 I believe in same thing. The problem is that leaves very few jobs. Indian workplaces aren't really that up to date on better working environment standards.

Look abroad 😄

@millions-ice-83302 you can work for whoever, wherever they may be. That being said there are surely some fantastic startups gradually coming out of India. And I am saying this as someone who used to host startup events where we hosts used to pay for free food so people would come, many many years back. Look for companies like Postman, Hasura, Freshdesk - on those levels perhaps.

Interviewing for any FT job is like an arranged marriage match-making session. If you don’t like them or they don’t like you — for whatever reason, doesn’t make much sense to prolong things and “convince” any party why you should join. It never ends well.

@loud-glass-33663 That's a nice way to put it. 😎 Usually professional workspaces are expected to keep their personal biases aside. Hire and reject on merit.

@millions-ice-83302 I disagree. In the end, they are private enterprises. You could expect that maybe from a govt org which we pay taxes to - but in the end, every private enterprise has a right to choose who ever they want. There are some companies which get over this once they become larger - for example, Automattic will interview people on Slack (chat) to overcome biases on how someone looks and talks. But most companies — especially at earlier stages will hire people who talk and look like the founders. It is only natural. If I am starting a company, I want to be with people I like and will hire those folks. Those folks in turn, will hire folks like them and so on. Even if you did fake it and made it to a company you were not meant for, your life will be horrible. Why bother? Lots of companies out there. You should simply move on. The sooner you do, the sooner you will find the company that is right for you. (A lot like an arranged marriage situation 😊)

I agree and disagree at the same time. 😂 But I got the gist of what you are saying. I have taken the red pill. Maybe I am not employable anymore. 😅. Freelancing for life. Or work where people are open to hiring different opinions.

Finding resemblance is in an attribute of our species @loud-glass-33663, we can not help it. This is the root of so much bias.

Hiring is tough (I am not saying that is an excuse), people/teams/companies who understand this can work towards improving their hiring process. Startups are great at trying to figure their core service or product but because early stage startups are so focused on that, they tend to do badly at areas like hiring. Like @loud-glass-33663 said, bias based on familiarity, same attitude, same appearance, same mental make up gives the person in front the (at times false) sense of confidence that the candidate will work out.

I am more clear now on what I suspected. I have disabled my job hunting profile. This probably not work for me. Targeted applications only from now on.

@millions-ice-83302 I would suggest you not to be so disheartened. Also, you can totally just freelance. I am in the same bucket at this moment as a very senior engineer/manager and founder and I get into these problems when I seek a job myself (founder life financial mess 😭 ). I am hunting at this moment for a lead part-time role or mentor role and it is a time taking process. I do not want to freelance since it will consume a lot of time and I need time to focus on my products.

Peter Thiel observes/proposes that good startups act like cults where everyone resembles each other in critical aspects. This doesn't mean that you are not employable. This only means that you will need to go through some companies before you find one where you feel at home.