Creating content to make myself more valuable - Page 1
Forum section: electronics / general

author: mrburnzie
author_rank: Regular Contributor
timestamp: February 17, 2023, 07:05:11 pm
content: Hi!What are some thoughts on the fact that creating content (blog, youtube, linkedin posts, open source) can influence my value to companies and help land a raise or a better job?

author: jonpaul
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: February 21, 2023, 12:14:53 pm
content: Better advise if you can better definewhat's your objective and specialty?seeking part time, remote, ful time work?Willing to relocate to get the USA or EU?Videos are a waste of time, employers are not watching videos.Jon

author: pcprogrammer
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: February 21, 2023, 02:10:49 pm
content: I guess it depends on the business you are into. I'm out of the working game for quite a while, so have no insight in what companies do nowadays to search for new employees.In my days it helped to have a good story backed with examples at hand to land your self a job, but that was during actual job interviews. Getting in the door depended on a good resume and application letter.I carried a case with some of my home build circuit boards to the interview for my second job and explained how and why I build them and it landed me that job.But standing out in all what is pushed onto youtube and other internet media will not be easy. Not that there is so much quality out there, it is that there is so much of so many out there. It also depends on the ones who do the hiring if they are capable of seeing the value in something or someone.

author: TomKatt
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: February 21, 2023, 04:49:38 pm
content: I must be old, because I still think all this social media stuff is a double edged sword... It seems like younger folks have very little concern about posting just about anything on their accounts, some of which might be off-putting to prospective employers. We've interviewed candidates who presented themselves very well in person, only to discover some rather concerning material they'd posted online.At the very least, why people don't create some kind of anonymous account for shenanigans or what have you I don't know, but based on my (albeit limited) experience I've been shocked at some of the things I've seen.On the flip side, I can imagine professional, well presented content to be nothing but a benefit even if it does not directly relate to the position you might apply for.

author: ebastler
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: February 21, 2023, 05:16:16 pm
content: If you are looking for software or electronics development jobs, I think a well-maintained Github repository (or a personal website which presents your projects) will not do any harm, and will get you bonus points with some employers.It shows that you are actually interested in the domain, not just doing it as a 9-to-5 job, and it hopefully shows off good design skills too. And it will not come across as "frivolous", which some other social media channels might. (Again, depending on the taste of the potential employer.)

author: eti
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: February 22, 2023, 02:31:15 am
content: Quote from: mrburnzie on February 17, 2023, 07:05:11 pmOld ways work best. Call them. Then call them again. Then drive there and keep knocking on their door and asking for the boss. Don’t try and “impress” people, especially online. Do you not think they see that 1,000 times a month? Show up, be yourself; when you know what you know, and THEY pick up on you knowing it inside out, it’s pretty much in the bag… if they have any sense. If they have no sense, forget about them and do it all over again for more and more companies.PS: “content”; that term needs to die immediately. Imagine walking into a store and seeing some canned food with no labels, asking them “what’s inside the cans please?” and they reply “Oh, just contents”It reduces hard work, passion, natural talent, skills, emotion and excitement…. down to the most dumb, mundane, boring and insulting filler word - as if what you produce is merely a plug to fill a gap. YUCK!!!!!

author: ejeffrey
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: February 22, 2023, 03:03:07 am
content: Quote from: mrburnzie on February 17, 2023, 07:05:11 pmFor me I only look at linkedin for a resume, I'm not going to pay much attention to posts. They rarely have enough technical information to be useful.I always look at GitHub and if you have a blog that has a lot of technical details of real projects I would look at that too. Those are my best options to see that you can really do things and not just talk about them. But it has to be real content, not just exposition about popular topics, or something ChatGPT might have written.I'm not going to watch your YouTube channel, some could be useful but it just takes too much time.If you show up at the door unannounced the receptionist won't let you in. Some people like that "go get em" attitude but not me. If you do it again after being asked to leave or you are rude or pushy with the receptionist I'm going to make sure that you are not considered for any jobs at all. Unsolicited emails are fine but they should show some care and specific relevance not just spam.

author: eti
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: February 22, 2023, 03:08:38 am
content: Quote from: ejeffrey on February 22, 2023, 03:03:07 amWho’d want a job at a company with a snotty attitude like that! If someone had taken the time to come and see me, I’d applaud them for gumption and for effort, and AT LEAST invite them in to say “thank you for coming to see us” (you know, that good old fashioned thing called “good manners”… have I lost you?). Being aloof means YOU will lose out through arrogance, not the job seeker.

author: ejeffrey
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: February 22, 2023, 06:16:36 am
content: Nothing I said was snotty or arrogant. I wouldn't hold it against someone who drops by unannounced once. It's just not something I can work with. I have schedules, existing meetings, and plenty of interruptions already. Taking an unplanned 15 or 30 minutes out of my day to go meet someone I have never heard of is not something I want to do. Send me an email, tell me who you are and why you are interested and we can set up a video conference or an in person meeting. I get this all the time, and I always say yes.However this:QuoteIs called stalking and it is not OK. People who act like this are not worth hiring. While it might work in some places, it's bad behavior and it doesn't work with me,Also, it is worth repeating: if your "don't take no for an answer" attitude escalates to being rude or pushy with our receptionist, you don't get a second chance. It's not common, but it's happened a couple of times (it's pretty common with sales reps, but not job seekers).

author: eti
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: February 22, 2023, 08:04:59 am
content: Quote from: ejeffrey on February 22, 2023, 06:16:36 am“Stalking”? 🤣🤣🤣🤣 wow that is just hysterically funny, and shows the world we now live in - paranoid and compliant. 🤦‍♂️🤦‍♂️🤦‍♂️No mate. It’s someone wanting a job, and they’re passionate enough to make some physical tangible effort. You’re not a girl being followed home on a dark night - this ain’t “stalking” - what a pansy world we live in. Grow a pair.

author: Jon_S
author_rank: Contributor
timestamp: February 22, 2023, 08:54:23 am
content: Quote from: pcprogrammer on February 21, 2023, 02:10:49 pmI did something very similar for my current job. When they asked how experienced I was with CAD I whipped out a dense little populated PCB from my shirt pocket, if nothing else it was very useful as a visual aid when talking about techniques, cost balancing, DFM/X, etc...I don't think it was a big factor in getting hired, but it seemed to help.Or the hiring side, I do look at repos when they are on the CV. Again, if nothing else it is a nice ice breaker in the interview to talk about it.

author: pcprogrammer
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: February 22, 2023, 09:30:58 am
content: I don't know what the state is now, but when I was still in the working world, linkedin was the place to leave your resume and look for contacts. I can see that mentioning repositories of projects of yours on your resume can bring some interest to the technical staff, but in bigger companies or when recruiting agencies are used it probably won't make much of a difference. Human resources department is the first hurdle to take. And what do they look at? Education and work experience, meaning actual paid jobs done.It is getting through the door that is of the issue, and for that you have to have a good and impressive resume with short and to the point information. I don't think having a lot of internet presence will help here, unless it is of such weight that you don't need a job anymore. Like Dave Jones for instance.Quote from: eti on February 22, 2023, 02:31:15 amAnd pestering someone by showing up unannounced and keep on doing that, despite being told not to, is called harassment and is also illegal. And if I ran a company and someone did that repeatedly, I would call the cops on them.But for someone who wrote that he is sitting on his ass, leaching of society, because live spit him out, it is a lot of words without real action. Instead of trying to convince us of how intelligent you are, go out and get an actual job. Try your mentioned technique and see how far it gets you.

author: SiliconWizard
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: February 22, 2023, 08:52:32 pm
content: Quote from: mrburnzie on February 17, 2023, 07:05:11 pmAs was discussed a while ago with Dave (owner of this forum), having a public image on social media can actually work against you for getting hired as an employee.Showcasing past projects is good though. Just preferably find alternative ways of showcasing that are less public.

author: ebastler
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: February 22, 2023, 09:04:55 pm
content: I wonder when the OP plans to "create some more content" of his own in this thread?Consistency, and actually following through on what you start, is a good way to "make yourself more valuable"...

author: Miyuki
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: February 22, 2023, 09:31:32 pm
content: Quote from: ebastler on February 22, 2023, 09:04:55 pmI tried to look at the link he has on his profile and: "Suspicious page blocked for your protection"But as a semi-independent developer, I can tell it is your skills and portfolio. And if you have related personal projects it is a big plus.And currently are all engineers in high demand at least in Europe. Drones, renewables, EVs ... All companies are trying to grab as much as they can.

author: pdenisowski
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: February 27, 2023, 10:52:21 am
content: Quote from: mrburnzie on February 17, 2023, 07:05:11 pmPerhaps I'm misunderstanding the question, but I think that there's alotof value in creating solid technical content as a way of showing (a) one's technical knowledge and (b) one's ability to effectively communicate that knowledge. For example, if I had made a YouTube video that clearly and concisely explained a technical topic (and which was popular), then I would certainly want a current or prospective employer to have watched it.(Note that I'm referring toserioustechnical content here, not "today I'm going to see how many car batteries I need to fry this multimeter")

author: tszaboo
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: February 27, 2023, 11:12:16 am
content: Quote from: eti on February 22, 2023, 08:04:59 amTurning up uninvited to a job interview in a white collar job just means that you have no idea about business practices.There are ways you can go to a job interview, and it goes through HR and headhunters, not the front door.Quote from: mrburnzie on February 17, 2023, 07:05:11 pmMaybe it does, maybe it doesn't. I brought a powerpoint to my last interview where I was hired. I've seen an engineer bring two dozen PCBs, and when I asked him how to size an I2C pullup resistor, they couldn't answer it (started talking about voltage drop because high currents). Depends on the hiring person and the place. If you apply to a place where they employ a 101 engineers, maybe the hiring person has only 10 minutes to review your application.

author: mendip_discovery
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: February 27, 2023, 07:18:00 pm
content: A online presence might be handy, depending on the kind of work you are doing.Sometimes being involved in community project helps as you might get some work through the connections you make.Sadly many employers I see use the likes of agencies and shudder.....LinkedIn.