[TriLUG] OT: Job and request for help!

[William Sutton via TriLUG]

This sounds like very good advice to me.

William Sutton

On Sat, 27 Feb 2016, Steve Litt via TriLUG wrote:

> On Sat, 27 Feb 2016 12:27:24 -0500
> "Paul G. Szabady via TriLUG" <trilug at trilug.org> wrote:
>
>> * Include link(s) to benefits information so that applicants can 
>> estimate total compensation package, not just base salary.
>> I may be naive, but this is something I would expect the applicant to
>> do in their investigation of the position and it's entity. 
>
> Reread the preceding two sentences, and think about what you're really
> saying.
>
> There are two kinds of technologists: The employed and the unemployed.
> Employed technologists are too busy, and fielding too many offers as it
> is. The last thing they'll spend time on is jumping through hoops that
> could have been replaced by a few links. So the employed technologists
> skip over your posting.
>
> But what about the unemployed technologists? They've learned it's a
> numbers game, with odds greatly stacked against them. They know that a
> job ad is the first step on a path that usually ends with "we found
> somebody better suited". Or sometimes the job ad is a legal
> technicality to prove no Americans wanted the job, so the employer can
> do what they really want and hire an H1-B they can enslave with the
> threat of deportation. Those H1-B justifying ads often enumerate a
> litany of disparate requirements, kind of like the UNC job ad.
>
> So if a technologist answers an ad, of course it's a quickie resume
> and cover letter, which might be interpreted as "will you hire me".
> Because technologists long ago learned that the five hours
> researching a company/posting could be MUCH MORE effectively used
> getting out to user groups, meeting people, gathering information and
> terminology, and giving and polishing up their elevator speech.
>
> Once a prospective hire is invited to an in-person interview, I think
> you'll be pleasantly surprised how quickly and completely "will you hire
> me" turns into a discussion of how the two parties can help each other.
> But until the interview, odds dictate they prioritize other things over
> spending big time and effort responding to job ads: They often just send
> the resume and the form letter.
>
> You want to hire someone? Send one technological employee and one
> management employee to a TriLUG meeting, to a Java meeting, to a few
> other use group meetings and networking events. Ask for 5 minutes to
> present the job opening, then be available at the end of the meeting to
> field questions from prospective people. I predict you'll quickly
> garner several qualified candidates. And better yet, those you don't
> hire you can save for later, so when other positions come up, you don't
> face this situation again.
>
> SteveT
>
> Steve Litt 
> February 2016 featured book: The Key to Everyday Excellence
> http://www.troubleshooters.com/key
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