From 1ae7b0b356c8bcd030daa7b2e95c6f7dd3890c71 Mon Sep 17 00:00:00 2001 From: Bradlee Speice Date: Tue, 4 Dec 2018 21:48:46 -0500 Subject: [PATCH] "What Startups Really Mean" post --- ...-12-04-what-small-business-really-means.md | 36 +++++++++++++++++++ 1 file changed, 36 insertions(+) create mode 100644 _posts/2018-12-04-what-small-business-really-means.md diff --git a/_posts/2018-12-04-what-small-business-really-means.md b/_posts/2018-12-04-what-small-business-really-means.md new file mode 100644 index 0000000..846314f --- /dev/null +++ b/_posts/2018-12-04-what-small-business-really-means.md @@ -0,0 +1,36 @@ +--- +layout: post +title: "More \"What Companies Really Mean\"" +description: "when they ask \"Why should we hire you?\"" +category: +tags: [] +--- + +I recently stumbled across a phenomenal small article entitled +[What Startups Really Mean By "Why Should We Hire You?"](https://angel.co/blog/what-startups-really-mean-by-why-should-we-hire-you). +Having been interviewed by smaller companies (though not exactly startups), +the questions and subtexts are the same. There's often a question behind +the question that you're actually trying to answer, and I wish I +spotted the nuance earlier in my career. + +Let me also make note of one more question/euphemism I've come across: + +# How do you feel about Production Support? + +**Translation**: *We're a fairly small team, and when things break on an evening/weekend/Christmas Day, +can we call on you to be there?* + +I've met decidedly few people in my life who truly enjoy the "ops" side of "devops". +They're incredibly good at taking an impossible problem, pre-existing knowledge of +arcane arts, and turning that into a functioning system at the end. And if they all +left for lunch, we probably wouldn't make it out the door before the zombie apocalypse. + +Larger organizations (in my experience, 500+ person organizations) have the luxury +of hiring people who either enjoy that, or play along nicely enough that our systems +keep working. + +Small teams have no such luck. If you're interviewing at a small company, especially as a +"data scientist" or other somesuch position, be aware that systems can and do spontaneously +combust at the most inopportune moments. + +**Terrible-but-popular answers include**: *It's a part of the job, and I'm happy to contribute.*