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  1. #1
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    [Slowly] changing my mind about hiring "young" people

    The hosting, programming and design markets seem to be crowded with a predominance of "young" people flogging their products and services. And I will be the first to admit that, as a rule, I usually shy away from hiring anyone under 25. Simply put, I have rarely had a positive experience when hiring a young person to complete a job for me. Usually, I get nothing more than empty promises, missed deadlines, little (or no) timely communication and substandard work. In short, it ends up as a bad experience.

    Then, along comes Matthew. You know him better here as mhale. What a breath of fresh air. I ended up hiring him to handle a pretty sizable project for me (we're close to completion). It was only after a while that I learned he was all of 19 years old. (Had I known his age from the outset, I probably would have looked elsewhere). But to my utter surprise, he has proven to be incredibly talented, responsive and accountable. At 19, he has an astounding amount of scripting knowledge. I keep throwing him curve balls, and he keeps coming back to me with effortless solutions.

    If he says he will get someting done by a certain date, he gets it done, and then some. And if he encounters some unexpected problem that delays promised delivery (such as when a bad storm knocked out his satellite connection for a day), he promptly lets me know so that I am up to speed. No chasing anyone down. No need for repeating requests because he didn't pay attention the first time around. No hand holding.

    What an absolute delight.

    For anyone who is "young" and wants to succeed in business, whether online or offline, I urge you to follow Matthew's fine example. You will be virtually guaranteed great results.

    Vito
    DemoDemo.com - Flash tutorials since 2002
    DemoWolf.com - 5,300+ Flash tutorials for hosting companies, incl. Voice tutorials

  2. #2
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    Not only does the younger crowd have the ability….they can also do most of the same work at much more affordable prices.

    You are well on your way to discovering talent and savings…….

  3. #3
    Join Date
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    You mean after all those rants on this subject, Vito, I still never convinced you there is a very talented, professional, and enthusiastic young crowd out there? Man, I really thought those rants were convincing.

    I have said it before and I'll say it again, if you spoke with somebody and thought they were 25, Vito, and then you find out they are really 19, what does that tell you? It tells you there is no reason to not contract the person based on age, because, in fact, the person is a 19 year old in a 25 year old's mindset.

    Kudos to you, Matthew. You've done us proud.

  4. #4
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    No doubt there is talent (and accountability) out there. The trick is to find that needle in the haystack.

    I just found a needle!

    Vito
    DemoDemo.com - Flash tutorials since 2002
    DemoWolf.com - 5,300+ Flash tutorials for hosting companies, incl. Voice tutorials

  5. #5
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    I think the 18+ crowd is just fine. Anything younger, not so good.

  6. #6
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    The trick is to find that needle in the haystack.
    There's more of it than you think, Vito. I promise.

    What is lacking is the ability of those who do have the talent, both as a business person and within their particular skill set, to promote themselves. To an extent, I was lucky because I was able to persuade a number of people to take me seriously back when I was just skimming the service of business. Many simply don't get the chance like I did, which is very sad to see.

    I'm not sure how Matthew got to the stage he is at today. Maybe he'll come in and tell us. I'll be willing to bet he got a lot of help from older business people back when he first started his scripting, probably via forums. Am I right Matthew?

  7. #7
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    Quote Originally Posted by Equentity - Jamie
    There's more of it than you think, Vito. I promise.
    Well, then compile a short list for me so that I have access to the best of the best.

    (There's a medium-well porterhouse steak on the barbie waiting for you as a reward)

    Vito
    DemoDemo.com - Flash tutorials since 2002
    DemoWolf.com - 5,300+ Flash tutorials for hosting companies, incl. Voice tutorials

  8. #8
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    Oct 2003
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    Well, then compile a short list for me so that I have access to the best of the best.
    That list would be very biased. You know EquentityJamie would be splatted all the way down.

    (There's a medium-well porterhouse steak on the barbie waiting for you as a reward)
    I prefer medium-rare (or is it reare-medium?). Can you do that?

  9. #9
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    Quote Originally Posted by Equentity - Jamie
    I prefer rare-medium (or is it medium-rare?). Can you do that?
    Done!!

    (You have first hand knowledge of my culinary skills, Jamie, as you sat (belly-full) in my backyard for that get together last year, so start licking your chops. The fire is already going!)

    Vito
    DemoDemo.com - Flash tutorials since 2002
    DemoWolf.com - 5,300+ Flash tutorials for hosting companies, incl. Voice tutorials

  10. #10
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    Quote Originally Posted by Equentity - Jamie
    I prefer medium-rare (or is it reare-medium?). Can you do that?
    Good lad. I was going to ask Vito why he was offering you ruined meat.
    Former Webhost... now, just a guy.

  11. #11
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    Quote Originally Posted by akashik
    Good lad. I was going to ask Vito why he was offering you ruined meat.
    Hehe, as expected, Greg steps in and straightens Vito out...

    Vito
    DemoDemo.com - Flash tutorials since 2002
    DemoWolf.com - 5,300+ Flash tutorials for hosting companies, incl. Voice tutorials

  12. #12
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    19 truthfully doesnt seem that young to me, expecially in a market like this.

    Being only 14 myself and having some in-depth experience with the hosting / dedicated market, as well as security and support.

    I dont think that I have any less ability or motivation because of my age, but I can see why people discriminate about age in general.

    Im glad you found someone 'young' that did so well, though.

  13. #13
    Join Date
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    This is one of the advantages for some of the internet - you can do all your work without letting your age/appearance get in the way of anything. Often times there are situations where an adult is not willing to listen to a younger person simply because they're offended that someone so young can do what they do, sometimes better than them.
    Ankit Gupta - Cernax Hosting
    "We're always second in the industry, the customer comes first."

  14. #14
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    Everyone starts the same for me as long as the contracts are enforceable.

    (Basically I said anyone of legal age to enter a contract is okay. That depends on what country you're from)
    Patron: I'd like my free lunch please.
    Cafe Manager: Free lunch? Did you read the fine print stating it was an April Fool's joke.
    Patron: I read the same way I listen, I ignore the parts I don't agree with. I'm suing you for false advertising.
    Cafe Owner: Is our lawyer still working pro bono?

  15. #15
    Quote Originally Posted by vito
    (Had I known his age from the outset, I probably would have looked elsewhere).
    Funny when I got my first round of freelance projects in freshman year in HS, on couple occasions I had to talk on the phone with the client and I remember being at the recieving end of the same kind of response as yours

    Back then my freelance profile had a picture of the teenager me - after observing the bias, I quickly pulled it down .

  16. #16
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    Certainly as others have said, it is like a needle in haystack. You can always avoid a fistfull of hay by screening applicants like any other job, ask them for a resume, cover letter, and references. If their resume states that they are attending university, and their references support them, chances are that they are a good applicant. Furthermore, a person with a degree has a higher chance of being reliable, and a quality worker. The degree is not only a signal that they have the kind of knowledge that college brings them, but that they have dedicated perhaps 4 years to obtain a bachelor's degree. The degree shows ambition, ability, and maturity.
    Cody Watson
    Business Student @ SFU [Marketing, Entrepreneurship, Management & Technology, Co-op Certificate, Honours]

  17. #17
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    Great post, Vito!

  18. #18
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    All of us young people aren't that bad. I worked for Exovian for quite some time, and did an amazing job.

  19. #19
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    Glad things worked out in your favour. I believe the recent generation of youngsters has grown a lot since the older generations of youngsters and I think we're all headed for a surprise
    Personal Website: Here | Currently Hosted By: HostGator | Twitter: @Quartz87

  20. #20
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    Quote Originally Posted by Quartz_
    Glad things worked out in your favour. I believe the recent generation of youngsters has grown a lot since the older generations of youngsters and I think we're all headed for a surprise
    I hope you're right. But then threads like http://www.webhostingtalk.com/showthread.php?t=494619 (children dealing with children) make me skeptical.

    Vito
    DemoDemo.com - Flash tutorials since 2002
    DemoWolf.com - 5,300+ Flash tutorials for hosting companies, incl. Voice tutorials

  21. #21
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    Don't let two or three children discomfort the hundreds or thousands of others whom will make your head spin in a good way.
    Personal Website: Here | Currently Hosted By: HostGator | Twitter: @Quartz87

  22. #22
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    Great post Vito. I think that without most people realize, the biggest part of the internet is "powered" by young people in the range of 18-30. And by powered I mean the employees who do all the hard work (not the business owners).

  23. #23
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    Furthermore, a person with a degree has a higher chance of being reliable, and a quality worker. The degree is not only a signal that they have the kind of knowledge that college brings them, but that they have dedicated perhaps 4 years to obtain a bachelor's degree. The degree shows ambition, ability, and maturity.
    I don't agree with your first part. A degree is not a sign of a reliable, quality worker. A degree does not tell you a person's work ethic.

    A degree doesn't show maturity; just shows that they finished college. I know a lot of immature people with Bachelors (and some with post-grad degrees).

    In the end, nothing beats experience

  24. #24
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    Quote Originally Posted by ub3r
    I think the 18+ crowd is just fine. Anything younger, not so good.
    I'm 17 and started working for numerous large hosting companies at the age of 15 aswell as one extremely respected server management company. Its all about the people you choose, there age in most respects has no relevance.
    Last edited by Bilco105; 03-13-2006 at 08:36 AM.
    Rob Greenwood
    RedHat Certified, Unix Consultant
    http://www.linkedin.com/in/bilco105

  25. #25
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    Quote Originally Posted by SolidLogix
    I'm 17 and started working for numerous large hosting companies at the age of 15 aswell as one extremely respected server management company. Its all about the people you choose, there age in most respects has no relevance.
    Agreed...

    I was 13 when a real estate company asked me to write software for their offices. They were really satisfied with everything.

    I'm 19 now, but i'm seeing younger and younger people become more sophisticated with computers, especially since it has become a core part of many lives...

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