Re: ANNOUNCE: Vacant Job Positions

clifforda_at_aol.com (CliffordA) wrote:

>This topic is getting a little old, respectfully. What I am hearing is
>that skilled workers don't need a four year degree. Seems like the next
>blue collar class to me. My 80 year old grmandfather told me he never
>appreciated his liberal arts degree until he retired. So why do employers
>look for a degree? I think its that the probability is higher in finding
>someone who can code, communicate, and exhibit some past creative thinking
>process.

     I think it is incompetent HR departments: incompetent in the sense that they do not really know what is required on the job. People who do not have judgement in an area can generally be counted on to use nice, solid rules such as "The applicant must have a degree.", "Never use gotos.", or what-have-you.

     However, I find that line managers know what is needed. This is no surprise: they have to deal with the situations. Any rules get tested fairly well and the loony ones die.

>Sounds like a lot of programmers focused on one thing along time ago and
>need to say, hey, look at me. I think these people should be proud of

     Well, when you are applying for a job, yes, you do need to do "Look at me."

>what they have accomplished but realize they are in a minority, at least
>from HR's perspective. Would you want your children to take the same

     What is HR's perspective?

>path?

     The elite are always a minority, so bashing a minority is not necessarily the route to take.

     I do not have any children, but if I did, no, I would not want them to take the same path as the HR people.

>AC

     I have received too many letters from HR departments that go something like "While we were most impressed with your qualifications, <no>." At one point, I was pondering writing the HR letter from Hell which would go something like: "While we were most impressed with your qualifications, it obviously couldn't have been favorably or we would have called you by now."

     Where possible, I avoid HR departments and deal directly with the line manager. It's much more workable.

Sincerely,

Gene Wirchenko

C Pronunciation Guide:

     y=x++;     "wye equals ex plus plus semicolon"
     x=x++;     "ex equals ex doublecross semicolon"