Can't find a job? Blame the computers. And lowball offers.

[Benny Profane]

http://www.upenn.edu/gazette/0113/feature2_1.html

[Breakwater]

Nothing like ignorant computers, and fighting for last-place.

DERP!

[Nobody Famous]

Interesting article.

[shroom]

that was pretty good, resume filtering software really gets me going.

[wolfelot]

That was a very long, but VERY informative article. Thanks for sharing. I'm sending it to some other people.

[GeezerSteve]

Thoughtful and informative article. Thanks for the linky

[OldLarry]

Just sent this article to these guys asking for comments:

http://www.streetid.com/

[stfu&gbtw]

Interesting article. Touches on a lot of things that I've been inclined to think I was observing... My wife has been out of work since going on maternity leave right when the market collapsed. Just today, she was turned down for a position that will remain unfilled for the time being. She has a master's degree in a related field and the position is fairly entry level for a small company, but they've decided she's not qualified for lack of enough industry-specific experience. If the small companies are not hiring people and training in their industries, I wonder who will... I don't expect the large companies are going to begin taking people out of other businesses and training them - but maybe I'm wrong. But it sure as hell has been frustrating to watch the parade of nitpciky bullshit justifying one rejection after another. Wondering where it all leads...

[Cono Este]

Interesting how he points out that in the 90's only 10% of silicon valley had tech experience, and that now no one is training anyone at all.

If you've taken anytime off at all, your fucked now, because peope wont invest a dime to train anyone. Pretty sad.

[ill-advised strategy]

pretty much the whole scenario of having a good stable job was a game of musical chairs and the music stopped in the fall of 2008. People with chairs are going to die in those chairs and the rest of us are rat fucked.

[Bobby Finstock]

Wall St shitbags win again.

[Hott Butt Mud]

Wall St shitbags win again.

A2M - that's all you ever say. I'm guessing you were fired from Goldman Sachs about March 2009, right?

[Tuckerman]

Lifehacker story on getting past the HR bots.


Kind of tricky, you don't really want to stand out because the standing out words like "wordsmith" are not as likely to be searched such as say "writes well" or what ever.

[OldLarry]

Now have a guy showing renewed interest after interviewing with him 2+ years ago. Role remains unfilled. Maybe he is realizing there are no purple squirrels out there...

[stuckathuntermtn]

My job's supposed to be fixing the damn computers and keeping them talking to each other.
Who wants to hire me?

[stfu&gbtw]

My job's supposed to be fixing the damn computers and keeping them talking to each other.
Who wants to hire me?

You sound pretty passionate.

[stuckathuntermtn]

Well, I'm good at it. I think.

[stfu&gbtw]

Well, I'm good at it. I think.

What makes you say that?

Only asking as, without trying to sound like an ass, but succeeding I'm sure - I know I'm good at what I do. Why do you only "think" you're good at it?

[stuckathuntermtn]

Well, I have formal votech training in Windows desktop and server management as well as all 4 CCNA classes (or however many). I've always been good with fixing computers and whatnot. However, I lack professional experience, which has been a huge hindrance to even getting an entry level help desk job. I'm the one in the fam that people call when stuff don't work right. (some of my friends went to the same program or at least know they're way around a computer pretty well, so they don't call me much)
So like I said, I think I'm good at it, but I don't have a lot of real world training and experience. Part of that is because I staid in school to finish my bachelor degree. Graduate this May, probably with honors. I have been denied interviews for things like Assistant Server Administrator at $18/hr because I hadn't finished a bachelor degree, even though a CompSci degree is not about server management.
I don't think you're being an ass, that's an honest question.

[stfu&gbtw]

Well, I have formal votech training in Windows desktop and server management as well as all 4 CCNA classes (or however many). I've always been good with fixing computers and whatnot. However, I lack professional experience, which has been a huge hindrance to even getting an entry level help desk job. I'm the one in the fam that people call when stuff don't work right. (some of my friends went to the same program or at least know they're way around a computer pretty well, so they don't call me much)
So like I said, I think I'm good at it, but I don't have a lot of real world training and experience. Part of that is because I staid in school to finish my bachelor degree. Graduate this May, probably with honors. I have been denied interviews for things like Assistant Server Administrator at $18/hr because I hadn't finished a bachelor degree, even though a CompSci degree is not about server management.
I don't think you're being an ass, that's an honest question.

That's a tough spot to be in. When I dropped out of college, it was a no brainer. No one cared if you had a degree, and kids with practical experience were taken over anyone with a degree, which was viewed as a hurdle to having a functional employee. Clearly, that's no longer the case. Today, I have 20 years experience in the industry and have worked at the very top of my field, but there are companies that won't consider hiring me for lack of a degree. When hiring decisions were made by technical people, they could see someone and envision their development path. HR people don't have a clue.

All that being said, here's the one thing that made a difference in my career: I was accustomed to being one of the smartest people in the room. I was lucky to realize pretty early on that the IT field is full of very, very smart people, many of whom were smarter than me. But the field was, and still is, full of people who know they are smart and expect to be treated as such. There is a shortage of people who are very smart and are willing to work very hard and do so without being condescending about it. There are plenty of smart assholes, and plenty of dumbasses who will do whatever you say, but who require constant oversight. There will always be a need for bright people who don't need a lot of special treatment or supervision. Be that guy.

Where are you located? I'm in Summit. I may have an opening for a desktop guy coming up sometime in the next year or so. Do you know SQL?

[stuckathuntermtn]

I don't actually know SQL, but I'm sure I could learn it. You're right about the hiring thing. I was already temping there and HR wouldn't even interview me for the permanent position. Makes you feel really good. County government, so big and bureaucratic. Don't know where the requirement for a BS in CompSci came from. Maybe they just didn't like me, who knows.
I'm in Missoula, MT. I'm hoping to not have to relocate, but hey, there are way worse places than Summit County, CO.

[schuss]

SQL is easy. Just setup a test database and start breaking it.

One of the biggest things, in my eyes, is that during the last downturn, companies got the pick of the litter and are now spoiled. Another huge thing is HR people being too buzzword-oriented.

[iscariot]

I don't actually know SQL, but I'm sure I could learn it.

Learning SQL is like learning the Dewey Decimal System, for retarts. Super easy to learn. Not so much a skill, as it is akin to ordering a pizza.

[stfu&gbtw]

Basic SQL is very easy to learn. Tuning for performance can be finicky and task dependent, but it isn't rocket surgery.

SaHM - good luck with your search. If I ever get my rec open, I'll hit you with a PM just in case. Might be worth a chat.

[stuckathuntermtn]

Sure thing, thanks. Kinda figured that was the deal with SQL, but at this point I don't really even know how to query without using the code copy and pasted from Access. Employers don't like to hear that, even though it would literally take a few seconds to get it (or just google it).