Vanu Arson

I know you all have heard boomers saying "Oh when I was a kid, I could get a job by just walking into a place and asking to speak to the manager! I handed him my CV and got hired that day!"

And I know you've dismissed this advice as being unrealistic, as you know how large corporations conduct hiring nowadays.

But how do you know this is true? Have you ever actually just walked into a business, cold-called them or simply written them an email, a fax OR A PHYSICAL LETTER. Let me give you some advice based on how I got my most enjoyable and well-paid jobs over the years + my experience from having been on the other end of the interviews;

1. If you live in a place with lots of SMEs (think Germany, The Netherlands, Sweden, the north of England);
Small and Medium Enterprises - learn more about their nature and make sure to drop this term in your interview or cover letter. Explain how you see good early career opportunities at such businesses ("MKB", "Mittelstand"... whichever term is used in the language you're speaking).

The great thing about applying for a job at SMEs, particularly if you send in an open application, is that these businesses are just big enough to carry the risk inherent to hiring someone early in their career or switching jobs, like you. At the same time, they're small enough that you'll probably get to speak to the people in the C-suite as part of your application. It's likely that the COO, CEO or CTO will be reading your cover letter and checking out your CV.

Many of them only have two (or even just one) of these positions filled, which also means there's room to be ambitious and shoot for a spot in the business' leadership. If you'd like to do so, make sure to emphasise your willingness to take responsibility, ability to think critically and demonstrate consistently, both during your application and in your work at the company, that you understand the company's goals and keep them in the back of your mind when you make decisions.

Understanding the mission actually brings me onto my next point;

2. Look into what a company needs from its people.

Is it a certain set of skills that are missing at the company? Is there a need to attract younger team members as the experts are aging out? What can you bring to the table that will help the business achieve its mission?

By highlighting what YOU bring to the table for your new employer, you help support the decision to hire you over any other candidate. There are other qualified candidates out there, but few bring the specific values you bring.

3. Apply at companies you're interested in, even if they don't advertise that they're hiring.

Open applications and cold calls have gotten me a few of the most comfortable jobs I've had in the past 8 years. This way, you avoid competing with dozens or hundreds of other candidates on a job application site.

By sending an open application, you are making the business' leadership ask "Should we interview this applicant?" instead of "Which of these hundreds of applicants will we interview?".

If you're unsure how to do this, just send an email to the company's contact email address. You can also call their offices or find a way to get directly in touch with the company's leadership.

I'd recommend sending the application to whomever is in charge of operations. That'll usually be the COO or CTO - in that order.

4. Even if you're a generalist, market yourself as a specialist in one of the skillsets you're most comfortable with. If possible, highlight the skillset you think is most relevant to the business you're applying at. Companies are way more likely to hire specialists than generalists.

Remember; Specialisation is a sign of experience and of knowing the limits of your knowledge. It shows you know where your strengths lie and that you're willing to account for your weaknesses.

I hope this advice helps some of you. Feel free to boost.

Self-OH: Back in my day, we didn't have AI. We had interns!

This meeting could've been a fax.

Mwowwww my girlfriend is stealing my ideas awaaaa meowwwww

Okay so Claude Code just saved my fucking career lol...

A one-line bug took down iOS push notifications for a few hours. When me and @magicatgwen@tech.lgbt were trying to find why it wasn't working, we had our ideas but we weren't as fast as the Claude Code session running in the background which found the bug and proposed a solution in seconds.

These coding agents have their problems, sure. But I cannot deny how useful they are, especially in high-stress environments.

I love how diving back into machine learning, which I hadn't done since I was a kid, is reigniting my fascination with mathematics...

Hey everyone! If you or someone you know enjoys graphic design and slogan writing...

BornHack is looking for a logo and slogan for this year's edition. You have until the 13th of May to submit a design!

https://bornhack.dk/news/2026-05-10-design-contest-deadline-extended/

Meowww! Any recommendations for where to buy a large non-binary pride flag?