Re: [tlug] Job Posting

[Curt Sampson <cjs@example.com>]

On 2009-01-16 18:41 +0100 (Fri), David Santinoli wrote:

> The competency matrix might be useful in principle, but IMHO this
> implementation looks a bit, um, bloated, in contrast to the elegant 
> simplicity of the rest of the website, which I much appreciate.

Indeed. Part of the reason for that is that it's not actually our HTML;
we took it straight from the source. Another issue is that it's just
big. I've been thinking about ways to re-organize it, but haven't come
up with anything significantly better yet. I'd love to hear suggestions.

> Also, some terms would need a more accurate definition to make sense
> (what is a "platform"?).

I'm not sure what a platform is. I'm hoping someone will check off the
"6+" box and then tell me. :-)

Yeah, there are various things on there that are, at best, dodgy.

> You make no reference to the academic background of the candidate.
> Although I can think of some obvious explanation, I'd be curious to know
> the exact rationale behind this.  Wouldn't it be a piece of information
> at least as useful as the "books I've read" in the competency matrix?

Well, one reason is that we don't require any academic background.
Admittedly, I find it hard to imagine a candidate who doesn't have
a reasonable amount of academic knowledge, but there are people out
there who've picked it up somewhere other than through formal training.
(I'm an example; though I did study computing science for a year in
university, I have no diploma beyond my high-school one.)

It's useful to know, since it's one more datum that will contibute to
the overall picture of the candidate, but it's bound to be on their
resume.

> If you're really after a "genius developer" as you wrote in the original
> post, you might end up having to relax the "someone who has direct
> experience working with you on technical projects and has technical
> knowledge at your level or higher" reference requirement somehow. :-)

I don't think it should be so bad. While I've never had the pleasure
of doing any extensive work with any of the many people out there
significantly better than I am, I've worked with people who are at more
or less the same level. And yes, the flexibility covers pretty much
anything; if someone works out well in the pair programming sessions,
something on a piece of paper is not going to stop me from hiring him.

> Ah, there's a small typo in the second line of the "Philosophy" page.

Thanks!

cjs
-- 
Curt Sampson       <cjs@example.com>        +81 90 7737 2974
           Functional programming in all senses of the word:
                   http://www.starling-software.com