2/ Keep firmly in mind that the best trait in a programmer isn't necessarily qualification, but the ability to learn fast, and problem solve quickly and effectively.
This is so true. In fact, it is worth underlining that this probably holds worldwide, not just for Africa. Given the choice between someone with the qualifications but without those traits and someone that is not qualified but eager to learn and has a good ability to solve problems (even if they are non-programming problems) I'd most likely hire the latter.
I love your 'glowing letter of recommendation' idea, there is a small downside to that though, which is that your letter will set expectations rather high when the person that you let go will apply somewhere else and that will lead to those recommendations being less valuable than if they are honest. Feel free to highlight the good sides of the person and simply to omit the downsides (so they can work on improving those without having them committed to a piece of paper). In my experience those are the best, they help to guide and inform rather than that they raise expectations to the unrealistic.
If I had those opportunities, I might be somewhere with a far better climate and a much cheaper and stress free life style :)
There is an opportunity right here now, once every month, the 'who wants to be hired' thread. I encourage you to post there when it rolls around next month, who knows what you'll land.
I love your 'glowing letter of recommendation' idea,
there is a small downside to that though, which is that
your letter will set expectations rather high
True, honesty is certainly a must, I should have stated that by glowing I meant only a cut above the usual dry business tone of such things. In my experience the letter of recommendation, like the rest of a CV, just gets your foot in the door - after that it's down to you to shine. But for an inexperienced candidate, getting a foot in the door is a big thing. I got my first real job in Europe purely based on a recruiter who got me telling my manager-to-be "you have to meet this crazy African kid, he has no qualifications but has hacked every device he's laid hands on since age 8, and set up an ISP" or words to that effect, with an endorsement like that, I was bound to get at least a trial.
There is an opportunity right here now, once every
month, the 'who wants to be hired' thread. I encourage
you to post there when it rolls around next month, who
knows what you'll land.
Thanks for that! Monitoring the thread, more out of curiosity than anything else, I suspect I'm probably no longer ideal for that sort of thing. As I think we've discussed before (you've seen my CV, we met at another HNer's wedding, and chatted by email a number of times) I've since changed the focus of my career, and working for any sort of large company and probably within any sort of formal structure really isn't on the books for me. I did that for far too long, and got far too jaded by the experience to approach it any sort of good attitude. These days I prefer to tinker and hack all things as interest takes me. I've spent the last year writing + renovating & automating a house beyond reason, I think next I want to try a boat of some kind :)
Comments
This is so true. In fact, it is worth underlining that this probably holds worldwide, not just for Africa. Given the choice between someone with the qualifications but without those traits and someone that is not qualified but eager to learn and has a good ability to solve problems (even if they are non-programming problems) I'd most likely hire the latter.
I love your 'glowing letter of recommendation' idea, there is a small downside to that though, which is that your letter will set expectations rather high when the person that you let go will apply somewhere else and that will lead to those recommendations being less valuable than if they are honest. Feel free to highlight the good sides of the person and simply to omit the downsides (so they can work on improving those without having them committed to a piece of paper). In my experience those are the best, they help to guide and inform rather than that they raise expectations to the unrealistic.
There is an opportunity right here now, once every month, the 'who wants to be hired' thread. I encourage you to post there when it rolls around next month, who knows what you'll land.
Haha, that's you :) I did not realize this was your HN handle, super nice. Great to be in touch with you again.
I don't think I've come across any such post before. Perhaps they get pushed off the home page before I come around to check HN?
Any way to create a sticky of such posts like in a public GitHub repo where one can browse the links for the current month?
Let me find it for you, one second.
edit: here you go: https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=7833250
Monitor the account that posted that thread around the beginning of July and you won't miss it.