I know it’s a tough job market but…
It seems like every day brings a new round of layoff announcements. Companies, large and small, are having to cut back, save cash, and stop growing. In this environment, any new hires need to be as effective as possible. It’s all about the bang for the buck. This is a time where generalists may have an advantage – wearing many hats makes you more cost effective.
Given this, I’m seeing several job postings that are asking for an awful lot. It is to be expected, and makes sense from the companies point of view. There are, however, times where this “hire overloading” borders on the absurd. Take the following:
*Senior Linux/Unix Developer/Test Engineer*
*Summary:*
Installs and configures clusters of Linux based application and database servers. Drafts and executes test plans of Linux related software on clusters. Experience with Linux application cluster design, administration and tuning (including san) required. Experience with virtualization technologies required.
*Details:*
Strong software development skills in multi-tiered and distributed environments using iterative development process, including 5+ years of advanced programming experience* Application performance testing plan drafting and execution.
* Experience with usage and customization of open source application performance test tools.
* Multiple Programming Languages: C, C++, Perl, Python, Cold Fusion, JAVA
* 4 year technical degree or higher at an accredited institution.
* Linux Cluster and cluster storage design, configuration and tuning.
* Linux Kernel customization and compilation
* Databases: Mysql, Postgresql, Oracle
* Multiple Operating Systems: Linux, FreeBSD, Windows, etc.
* Experience with multiple virtualization technologies: Xen, VMWare, KVM,
* Excellent analytical and problem solving skills; with the ability to analyze business processes and create application models utilizing project-management standards
* Strong verbal and written communication skills and ability to work effectively both independently and as part of a cross functional team.
* Telecom and/or internet domain knowledge and experience with solid experience with eBusiness processes and/or back-end applications
So, here’s what I read into this request. This company is looking for a QA engineer who has been a mid/high level software engineer, with linux administration experience, fairly advanced enterprise hosting experience, and project management experience. The hiring manager is asking for a chocolate cake that has just the right amount of fish sauce and onions.
This is at least two different career tracks. Any software engineer that has professional experience setting up virtualization clusters and SAN is not likely to be very skilled in one or both areas.
Hiring managers that cram so many diverse requirements into a single job posting really bug me. If you want a generalist, then ask for a generalist. Asking for such specific and wildly different requirements does nothing to increase your chances of finding a quality candidate. It just turns away those quality generalists that are capable of learning your specific system. If you need someone who can set up test environments using a virtualization system, then either train one of your test engineers – if muddling through is acceptable – or hire a sysadmin who has experience with virtualization. If you need someone who can write test harnesses, then hire someone who knows how to write test harnesses and exercise programming interfaces. If the harnesses require an obscure language, then asking for familiarity in that language makes sense. Remember, a good engineer can learn whatever elements are specific to your system. If you want someone who can analyze your current business processes, and help to reorganize them, don’t expect the person to also be down in the code – those are two totally different disciplines. “big picture” people, who can give quality feedback on business process tend to miss the details necessary for writing a good testing suite, and vice versa.
I feel bad for any technical recruiter who sends out job requests like this because though they are just the messenger, they look foolish. The hiring manager looks just plain silly. This was a request that was likely written by a team of engineers. They all looked at what they do, and tried to “fill in the gaps”. Bad practice! Anybody who actually fits that request is either dishonest (resume padding) or probably doesn’t require the depth of knowledge that the team is hoping for. The team, or hiring manager, should request a generalist, who has experience in the main area of the job request. Then during the interview process, explore the candidates willingness and ability to learn. Perhaps mention some of the systems that are required to do the job. Focus on concepts and approaches, not on specific technologies or processes.
I know it’s a tough job market, but come on. A little sanity please.
-Joe
February 25th, 2009 at 2:01 pm
That description roughly sums up my job functions. Hooray for being overworked and undervalued.
February 25th, 2009 at 2:16 pm
One reason a lot of job openings are written up like this is to make the applicant feel inferior so they will take the low salary offer they are given. Sometimes it seems that 90% of software job openings are written like this. Two reactions from me: 1) I tell everyone who will listen that software is a terrible dead-end career and 2) F-YOU hiring managers!
February 25th, 2009 at 2:23 pm
Sometimes companies / institutions are required to publish their job openings, even if they have an in-house candidate who they want for the job. In such a case the published job requirements often equal the slightly exaggerated capabilities and experience of the in house candidate.
February 25th, 2009 at 2:40 pm
>>>Sometimes companies / institutions are required to publish their job openings, even if they have an in-house candidate who they want for the job. In such a case the published job requirements often equal the slightly exaggerated capabilities and experience of the in house candidate.
AMEN to that.
You also see this type of thing here in the US when the job posting is really intended to comply with H1B requirements.
February 25th, 2009 at 2:46 pm
Bang-on.
Some job descriptions are written so jammed that a franken-mix of Jobs/Gates/Woz couldn’t do them.
And then they want to pay $40K.
February 25th, 2009 at 2:47 pm
Looks like a posting necessary for a Labour Certification application. (i got a GC through the Labour Cert/H1-B process). it didnt happen in my case, but the intent was to create a position no one local could possibly fill, then present a candidate with a (padded) resume tailored to the position. Thankfully, better monitoring and more fraud prosecution seem to be occurring over the past year or so.
February 25th, 2009 at 2:48 pm
Will write kernel routines for food.
February 25th, 2009 at 3:00 pm
Thought exactly the same thing when I skimmed to the quoted box – well put.
February 25th, 2009 at 3:22 pm
As John Koetsier already mentioned, you left out the best part!
Job postings like the one you presented, with a salary range of 35-45k.
“We want superheroes who work for sidekick salaries”.
February 25th, 2009 at 3:32 pm
i see these listings all the time….do you know why they are listed like that?
because:
1) the HR person or marketing person has no fricken clue what the position really entails.
2) the company has no fricken clue what the position requires. this is extremely common and the reason why the person left or was fired because the company had no clue.
3) combine 1 and 2 together.
its really a joke when companies do this because you can tell they have no idea what they are doing or talking about. then you show up for the interview and they try to sound intelligent
February 25th, 2009 at 3:55 pm
Such a incredibly talented person who would fit this requirement, I imagine would be able to set their own salary well into the 6 figures. Not only are they able to build entire modern businesses from the ground up by them selves, they do so in a manor that is documentable and acountable so those who have no idea what is going on can take the credit at meetings.
>As John Koetsier already mentioned, you left out the best part! Job postings like the one you presented, with a salary range of 35-45k.
Hey, I was wondering… My daughter really wants a new Benz pretty bad and you have 2 kidneys that have equivalent market value. Oh, I’ll be needing your testicles for my desk as conversation pieces while your busy cutting your kidneys out of your abdomen.
February 25th, 2009 at 4:10 pm
It’s no different than advertising for an architect with experience in building both skyscrapers and energy efficient adobe dwellings, who was also the high school quarterback, and has either released at least one gold album, or been on the Billboard top 40 for 3 weeks or more.
February 25th, 2009 at 4:15 pm
>> “in a manor that is documentable and acountable…”
google map link pls
February 25th, 2009 at 4:18 pm
That’s a job req used by fake/shady recruiting agencies to harvest resumes and e-mail addresses.
February 25th, 2009 at 5:04 pm
I noticed the same thing (for a while tho, not just lately)… I found its better to get freelance/contracting type work – they seem to know what they want and keep it realistic.
For those looking for freelance gigs and even fulltime jobs, check out http://www.leadurls.com – it works great for staying on top of everything.
February 25th, 2009 at 5:47 pm
>>>Looks like a posting necessary for a Labour Certification application. (i got a GC through the Labour Cert/H1-B process). it didnt happen in my case, but the intent was to create a position no one local could possibly fill, then present a candidate with a (padded) resume tailored to the position. Thankfully, better monitoring and more fraud prosecution seem to be occurring over the past year or so.
Agree !! I know how that works.
February 25th, 2009 at 6:33 pm
Actually this isn’t that bad of a request. It is asking for a programmer who has experience with linux admin / configuring clusters.
They should be able to fill this job no problem.
Programming – easy to find
Linux Admin – easy to find a programmer who has administered at least his own boxen
Cluster config – This is the real job skill that will make this unique… not the combination of many skills.
February 25th, 2009 at 7:08 pm
I refer you to the following, appalling video clip.
http://www.youtube.com/programmersguild
February 25th, 2009 at 7:11 pm
Awesome. I actually saw a position announcement here in Springfield not to long ago saying they wanted a ‘Young (20-something) PHD with 5 years of work experience..”
Eh, ok.. So basically someone 21-24 years old that has 5-6 years of college/university and has worked 5 years?
Sweet
February 25th, 2009 at 9:41 pm
“This is at least two different career tracks. Any software engineer that has professional experience setting up virtualization clusters and SAN is not likely to be very skilled in one or both areas.”
I am. My small team of experts builds extremely high availability massively distributed services for an international telco, focusing on both the clustering architectures and software engineering at the same time. We’re rare, but we’re out there.
That said, I wouldn’t take a job that actually *said* they want that in the job posting.
February 25th, 2009 at 11:50 pm
@Chuck Hugh Farley – Heh, given the number of people out in the world, there are a few bound to fit any given job description. 🙂
@unigeek – Wow… yeah, that definitely explains at least a large portion of the job posting insanity that I’ve seen.
@cactus – Unfortunately no salary info was posted, but in several of the cases that I’ve examined, I’d have to agree with you. Ask for 10+ years of experience, but then pay entry level salary.
February 26th, 2009 at 3:16 am
I don’t think that’s too unrealistic of a skill sheet. If you had been working in systems administration for 10+ year you should have all of those skills.
February 26th, 2009 at 7:56 pm
This is the EXACT reason I *never* work with recruiters.
I have 15 years in SV (IT though) and never use recruiters.
Typically a significant portion of postings a recruiter has will be written in such a way. This makes it impossible to talk to them about it (as they have NFI) and makes it had to get past whatever lame-ass screening they are trying to do on the part of the company.
These types of descriptions are all too common in tech.
March 3rd, 2009 at 9:52 pm
somebody threw up their buzzwords
/mdkail