[aklug] Re: Jobs - OT?

A similar issue with language skillset matching to obtain a job is happening
at ASD in regards to tech workers.
I was one of people who tried to interview for a technical support position
at ASD. I was turned because all the questions were Macintosh related and I
was a Windows and Linux guy. A third of the questions I mentioned how to
find a solution with the unix shell. I guess it is easier to select "About
This Macintosh" to find the software version than to mention uname -s. Kind
of kicking myself as I corrected myself after mentioning uname but I blew
the interview after that :-)

Anyway ASD could train pc users as 95% of us use pcs and not macs. I guess
my a+, MCSE, and bachelors degree meant still untrainable and a risk. I wish
my wife would have left me get a mac a couple of years ago ugh.

On Wed, Apr 7, 2010 at 8:58 AM, Marc Grober <marc@interak.com> wrote:

> While I agree with James that HR staff are clueless (once I was =20
> screened out of an SA job because the languages I listed were not on =20
> the approved list though no specific language nor programming =20
> experience were required) so are many hiring managers. The key I think =20=
>
> is making the screening cut and then making the interviewers feel =20
> comfortable.
>
> The hiring manager is not concerned with your degrees. The reason to =20
> get a bachelors degree is to broaden your universe, not to pick up =20
> marketable skills in the narrow sense.
>
> The real world is dysfunctional in many respects - Dilbert is more =20
> accurate than you could ever imagine. I have been pink slipped because =20=
>
> in saving an employer thousands of dollars I unwittingly embarrassed =20
> the infrastructure that had approved those unnecessary expenditures ;) =20=
>
> While some argue there are no jobs ASD regularly complains about being =20=
>
> unable to retain qualified IT staff....
>
> Today I would have to say that networking is the most important =20
> gateway to employment (except perhaps for the unemployable older =20
> members of the "white male Internet hegemony", as one person put it).
>
> I don't know of many gods placing folk in paying positions though, and =20=
>
> as employers gods can be pretty deadly - I would stick with more =20
> conventional methods as well as looking for internship opportunities =20
> and overseas markets.
>
>
>
> On Apr 7, 2010, at 2:03 AM, Christopher Howard <choward@indicium.us> =20
> wrote:
>
> > -----BEGIN PGP SIGNED MESSAGE-----
> > Hash: SHA1
> >
> > James Tweet wrote:
> >> You may be able to get your foot in the door if you get a bunch of =20=
>
> >> Microsoft certifications. If you want to move up then you will need =20=
>
> >> a degree. My advice to you is to suck-it-up, take it like a man and =20=
>
> >> finish your degree.
> >>
> >> Secondly when a job description states "BS in Computer Science or =20
> >> equivalent experience." It means you need a BS in Computer =20
> >> Science. The HR people have no clue what equivalent experience to a =20=
>
> >> BS in Computer Science would be. So any resume without a BSCS is =20
> >> either filed in the trash or put on the bottom of the pile.
> >>
> >>
> >> Third, business people believe anyone who has a BSCS must be a =20
> >> computer genius. It's like a golden ticket or something.
> >>
> >> Finally, every semester more and more people are graduating from =20
> >> college with a BSCS. You will be competing with them for jobs and =20
> >> they will get first pick.
> >>
> >> I am 38 years old and I'm going to UAA to finish my degree.
> >>
> >> James
> >>
> >
> > Judging by a few of the responses I received, I just want to make
> > something clear: My original e-mail was not meant as some kind of call
> > for sympathy, or as a complaint about the difficulties I finding work
> > after college. Whether I spend the rest of my life working as a Burger
> > King fry cook, or as a vice president at Google, God will take care of
> > my needs. I simply wanted to let you guys know that I'm out job =20
> > hunting,
> > in case you should happen to run across anything you think I might be
> > interested in. And let me express my appreciation to those of you who
> > have thrown me some good tips.
> >
> > James, thanks for the advice, and I can see how having a BS in =20
> > Computer
> > Science would definitely brighten up a r=C3=A9sum=C3=A9. Rest assured, =
> howeve=20
> > r,
> > that my educational decisions are based on more than a simple
> > calculation of personal manhood. I have been a college student for =20
> > seven
> > years now, and if I thought it was in my best interested to make it
> > eight, or nine, or ten years, I'd have more than enough of the resolve
> > needed to make it happen.
> >
> > - --
> > Christopher Howard
> > http://linuxprogrammingforums.com
> > http://indicium.us
> > http://theologia.indicium.us
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> > =3Dmn3W
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Received on Wed Apr 7 10:42:25 2010