Re: not enough real programmers? (was Re: Byte Magazine: 18 Vintage issues, 1985-1986)

[Victoria Welch <vikki@oz.net>]

Huge wrote:
> 
> In article <37ad5095.14948058@news.cadvision.com>, Brian.dot.Inglis@SystematicSw.ab.ca (Brian Inglis) writes:
> 
> >Look at the wording used in ads for positions you can do, then
> >work those into a detailed resume for morons. My "technical"
> >resume is 15 pages long,
> 
> In which case it goes directly in the trash. Do not pass Go. Do not
> collect $200.

Right on!

Found this out the hard way, mine was once 13 pages.  Finally, some kind
hearted HR type told me to re-write it down to *at most* two pages (he
probably got tired of throwing them in the trash).  I crammed it into
that as best I could.  Recently descovered that is gobbdegoop to the HR
types just the same.

These poor folks read an endless stack of these things, in that respect
they have my sympathy.  I suppose that it probably bothers a lot of them
that they have not a clue as to what they are reading - I could see a
problem doing that and probably even understand them tossing them into
the trash if they don't see the buzz words they are looking for (C !=
Visual C) - it has got to be frusterating :).

I am currently re-writing it as a marketing campaign document.  Complete
with an "Executive Breifing" for those morons who can only directly
relate to seeing a one on one correspondance to the ad they posted. 
Saving the original for the tech types I might eventually see if my ad
campaign is glitzy enough.  

The HR types have not a technical clue (with rare exceptions).  Treat
them as children and *don't* even be though to be condesending, many
seem to have very fragile egos in that department.  Actually being
competent and comfortable with technology really seem to threaten some
of them, especially if you are a woman.  

If you have done tech support, that helps a lot.  Yes, the level of
ignorance of many of the gatekeepers is shocking, but it is what you
have to deal with.  Being a techie in the US is not what it once was
:-).  If you can play the marketing game well enough you will see the
tech folks.  To be competent technically anymore is not enough, you also
have to have marketing and sales skills.

Take care, Vikki.
--
Victoria Welch, WV9K, DoD#-13, Net/Sys/WebAdmin SeaStar.org,
vikki.oz.net
"Walking on water and developing software to specification are
easy as long as both are frozen" - Edward V. Berard.
Do not unto others, that which you would not have others do unto you.