[ale] Job requirements

[Transam]

On Sat, Jul 26, 2003 at 07:49:50AM -0400, Jim Philips wrote:
> Stephen Touset wrote:
> >I've been looking on monster.com for a new job. I've already got one as 
> >a network administrator, but I'm doing it mainly out of curiosity (to 
> >see if there's anything better out there, and what I'm "qualified" for). 

> >However, I'm noticing that most of the job listings have requirements 
> >that are, frankly, obscene. There of plenty of jobs whose objectives I 
> >*know* I can do (hell, I do most of them now), but require knowledge far 
> >past what is needed to complete them. Has anyone else noticed an extreme 
> >disparity between the skill level a job requires, and the skills 
> >required to even be considered for the job? If so, it seems that 
> >companies are wasting significant resources hiring highly overqualified 
> >people when someone who'd be willing to work for half the cost is 
> >perfectly suitable for the job.

In some cases they already found the person they plan to hire.  They want
to offer the job "to everyone" so that they are less likely to be
accused of an illegal discrimination.

*In many cases* this is because they are hiring an H1B visa person
for far less than the "prevaling rate" (read: illegally) but want
to have a defense that nobody else had the qualifications.  They ask
the person to list every skill they have, regardless of whether
it is needed for the job.  They then list all of these as being
job requirements.  Sometimes this is done for consultants too.

YOU should apply for the job and then, if you don't get an
interview, phone them and ask for an explanation.  In many
cases, if the advertisement is legitimate, many of the
requirements are not "hard" requirements.

In some, make that most, cases the Inhuman Resources people
are morons.  Bibliography: Dilbert

> >Then again, I also may be overestimating my capabilities. I wonder which 
> >is more likely.

> >Stephen Touset

> You're just pointing out the reality of this job market.
...
Bob
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