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Am I Really That Unemployable?

Posted by Cliff on from the scratching-one's-head-in-frustration dept.

Frustrated Programmer asks: "I'm a programmer with seven years of experience on various platforms/languages. The past few years, I've primarily freelanced, building my expertise in C/Unixes/Oracle, dabbled in Perl a bit. Since my last contract, I haven't been able to find any work at all. I've learned Java2 to update my skills, I know C++ from university, however, I can't seem to get a break from any companies. I get the same response, no Java experience, or no OOP experience. I'm wondering if this is a problem systematic of Canadian companies (specifically here in Montreal), or do any of my American cousins have run into the same problem? Anybody care to share their experiences?"

1 of 43 comments (clear)

  1. Shopping Lists Are Missing The Point by tomblackwell · · Score: 5

    I hire programmers constantly.

    I don't issue a shopping list of the languages, paradigms, applications, etc. that the successful applicants should know. Such lists are a primary indicator that the company you are dealing with is one that just *doesn't get it*. If you go to one of those companies, you will find yourself herded like cattle and dictated to by so-called "Human Resources" types who generally lack any insight into programming or development.

    Those in school should also keep this in mind. The content learned during a degree is secondary. What is important is that, for a certain amount of time, you can be put under a lot of pressure, and learn a great deal without cracking.

    Here's what I'm looking for:
    1) Great communication skills - It does me no good to hire a genius that nobody understands, or who irritates customers

    2) Graduate Of The School Of Hard Knocks - Graduates fresh from school generally are pumped full of misguided notions about their worth. While they may be paid handsomely after graduation, they are generally a drain on the company for the first 6 months to a year. I'd rather hire someone who has at least one computer-related nightmare job on their resume. These jobs generally build character and give the employee some perspective about what the work world is really about.

    3) Signs of Life - Many applicants are very sluggish during the interview. I'm not hiring you so I can tell you what to do; I'm hiring you so I can give you a domain of responsibility and then not have to deal with it anymore. Take the initiative.

    4) A brain - I don't particularly care about the degree, although it's generally a safe bet that a person who makes it through an engineering degree has some intelligence. If the person can show that they're motivated and willing to learn, then I'll hire them.