Yes, those articles are the reason 99% of the jobs offered to me were rescinded. But I was speaking at first of the ones where I failed the whiteboard or algorithm test.
Despite the fact that the articles are highly exaggerated and contain much inaccurate information, what I actually did wrong was still enough to put it in people's minds that they will never be comfortable around me. There is no actual path for redemption for me in society. I have come to accept this.
It would be great if I could get those articles pushed off the google search for me, but it's never going to happen. Since I can't get work, we are consistently below negative in our bank account. Last month we passed -$700. We still have bills from July that haven't been paid yet, including electric and natural gas.
All your suggestions for improving my portfolio site are great, but at this point there's no reason to put any more time into that site. I built it to get me a job, and it's clear I won't get a job ever again. The only client I have, I have because he's a good person who looks at me as a human being and sees the good in me, and is excited to get my talent at this good of a deal.
I could lie. I could change my name and not tell companies about my past. Then I would be able to make 100-150k. I could make it if I choose to be unethical. But I won't. Because despite what everyone thinks of me, and despite whatever happens to me, I am trying to be a good person and do right. I was hoping that would show through in my character throughout all my blog posts and posts on HN and everywhere. I guess it did to some extend, because I do have that one client.
The algorithms test or whiteboards I struggle as well. Math is not my strong suit either.
I have never been on that side of the fence where I have been incarcerated or put on an offender list. This could happen to anyone, you could just be taking a piss in the woods after a long night of drinking and be placed on that list. You could just be working out in an open gym park, have your fly down, forget it was there and cause public indecency to minors. Everyone will just assume the same - that you are a pedophile regardless if it was true, or even intentional, or just a one off mistake
I can't relate to your bank account issues personally, I have been lucky in that I have not had to worry about finances in the negative. Dealing with paycheck by paycheck is very draining mentally, I do nonprofit work with people who are disadvantaged, low income, or are homeless. I imagine you don't have a lot of free time in your day either.
Portfolio is actually fine for what it is, I might have overexaggerated about fixes that needed to be made.
I really think the "lie" part is a little opinionated though. I do not think there is such a thing as ethical marketing at all. I don't draw the lines between black and white either, its just a gray zone for me. I lived a lot of my life telling lies not because I wanted to, because I didn't have a choice in the matter. I still try to do good and live by a set of rules though, but I realize things don't work out that way. Sometimes life just sucks and you are just unlucky and were in the wrong place and wrong time.
You have all the skills a potential employer wants. My friend told me this same advice to me as well - You are limiting yourself. You are holding yourself back. I have had similar yet different problems, I am socially shy on social media, but I only recently started blogging and rebranding myself under one social media name (vincentntang). I have had a very complicated past, I have never been understood most of my life, I do see where you are coming from to some extent. I dumped it here if you are curious http://vincentmtang.com/2018/08/13/story-of-my-life/.
Throwing all your eggs in one basket, one client, is just a disaster waiting to happen, especially with your financial situation. He might be a good person at heart or just taking an economic advantage over your situation. You said it yourself, because I get the job done fast and well and for cheap.
Changing your name and using social media branding is unethical, but I would argue what HR is doing to potential employees is even more unethical. I think its not fair either for someone to assume who you are based on one past incident either. I got sick of dealing with people assuming things about me so that's why I mostly blog, its to tell the stories from my perspective. I don't talk about webtechnologies half the time, many times its just snippets of stories from my life. Debatedly I want to start doing things on youtube again as well, so I can share more tidbits of things that interest me
Most of your articles are opinion pieces, but where are all the adventures and stories of how you learned XYZ or struggled with dealing with incarceration? People would love to hear your stories, and your struggles, it makes you more relateable. I wouldn't use HN as a means to this end though, I mostly use HN to hash out potential stories I want to write about.
You aren't the only person with incarceration problems though. There's a whole network of developers who have been incarcerated, here on this job search tool. https://www.70millionjobs.com/
> "where are all the adventures and stories of how you learned XYZ or struggled with dealing with incarceration?"
It would be a downer. People want to be uplifted and read stories about people's successes. My life isn't there yet.
> "what HR is doing to potential employees is even more unethical"
This comes back to culture fit. If my presence would make anyone uncomfortable, simply because of my past, then it's not a good fit for either them or me. Plain and simple.
> "Throwing all your eggs in one basket, one client, is just a disaster waiting to happen, especially with your financial situation"
Which is why I'm mentioning my availability and services in hopes of getting more work for when his runs out.
I still think you should write something about your incarceration though on your blog. Your whole blog just seems to entirely ignore it. I think it would be best to directly address the concerns potential employers and prospects might have on things they find in a google search. You would probably get more prospects sympathsizing to your situation. It might seem like a downer, but the downer stories shows you've learned from your past mistake as well. That you can accept criticism thrown your way and openly accept events that transpired in your life good or bad. This can only be seen as a positive trait about you.
Dont let people draw assumptions about you, let your stories speak for themselves.
I wish you the best on your journey. You dont have it easy but im sure you will figure something out
Despite the fact that the articles are highly exaggerated and contain much inaccurate information, what I actually did wrong was still enough to put it in people's minds that they will never be comfortable around me. There is no actual path for redemption for me in society. I have come to accept this.
It would be great if I could get those articles pushed off the google search for me, but it's never going to happen. Since I can't get work, we are consistently below negative in our bank account. Last month we passed -$700. We still have bills from July that haven't been paid yet, including electric and natural gas.
All your suggestions for improving my portfolio site are great, but at this point there's no reason to put any more time into that site. I built it to get me a job, and it's clear I won't get a job ever again. The only client I have, I have because he's a good person who looks at me as a human being and sees the good in me, and is excited to get my talent at this good of a deal.
I could lie. I could change my name and not tell companies about my past. Then I would be able to make 100-150k. I could make it if I choose to be unethical. But I won't. Because despite what everyone thinks of me, and despite whatever happens to me, I am trying to be a good person and do right. I was hoping that would show through in my character throughout all my blog posts and posts on HN and everywhere. I guess it did to some extend, because I do have that one client.