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03-12-2006, 04:18 PM #1Eternal Member
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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.
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03-12-2006, 04:37 PM #2Registered User
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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…….
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03-12-2006, 04:41 PM #3Web Hosting Master
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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.
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03-12-2006, 04:46 PM #4Eternal Member
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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!
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03-12-2006, 04:47 PM #5Disabled
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I think the 18+ crowd is just fine. Anything younger, not so good.
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03-12-2006, 04:55 PM #6Web Hosting Master
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The trick is to find that needle in the haystack.
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?
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03-12-2006, 04:58 PM #7Eternal Member
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Originally Posted by Equentity - Jamie
(There's a medium-well porterhouse steak on the barbie waiting for you as a reward)
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03-12-2006, 05:01 PM #8Web Hosting Master
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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)
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03-12-2006, 05:03 PM #9Eternal Member
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Originally Posted by Equentity - Jamie
(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!)
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03-12-2006, 05:06 PM #10ex-Aussie
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Originally Posted by Equentity - JamieFormer Webhost... now, just a guy.
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03-12-2006, 05:07 PM #11Eternal Member
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Originally Posted by akashik
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03-12-2006, 06:11 PM #12Web Hosting Master
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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.
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03-12-2006, 06:16 PM #13Web Hosting Master
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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."
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03-12-2006, 06:22 PM #14Predatory Poster
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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?
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03-12-2006, 08:00 PM #15Web Hosting Master
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Originally Posted by vito
Back then my freelance profile had a picture of the teenager me - after observing the bias, I quickly pulled it down .
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03-12-2006, 08:22 PM #16Junior Guru
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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]
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03-12-2006, 08:38 PM #17Web Hosting Master
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Great post, Vito!
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03-12-2006, 11:13 PM #18Web Hosting Master
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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.
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03-12-2006, 11:17 PM #19Retired Moderator
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03-12-2006, 11:21 PM #20Eternal Member
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Originally Posted by Quartz_
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03-12-2006, 11:25 PM #21Retired Moderator
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03-12-2006, 11:32 PM #22Disabled
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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).
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03-13-2006, 02:39 AM #23Web Hosting Master
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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.
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
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03-13-2006, 08:27 AM #24Web Hosting Master
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Originally Posted by ub3rLast edited by Bilco105; 03-13-2006 at 08:36 AM.
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03-13-2006, 09:30 AM #25Web Hosting Master
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Originally Posted by SolidLogix
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...