You really want to send that?

Horrible Peanut · Aug 25, 2010

I have a couple of job ads up on Craigslist for Web Developer, Web designer, QA Analyst, and Business Analyst.
 
I am completely and totally astounded by some of the response.
 
1) Why would a Web Designer not send a link to a portfolio?
2) Why would a QA Analyst have Grammatical errors in their CV?
3) Why would the Business Analyst have Grammatical errors and spelling mistakes in their CV?
4) Why would a web developer send me to a site with broken links?
 
Ugh.
I think I found some good ones- I held interviews yesterday - although it was not without incident on my part.
 
I brought in a lady with an lot of excellent experience as a programmer, and as i was talking to her- I realized just how little relevant experience she had as a web systems programmer and she was shifting uncomfortably as I was asking her technical questions about her coding until she finally asked "This is the QA job, right?"
 
then I took a moment and realized with her experience she'd be the ultimate bug hunter- and the interview totally changed after that to being a stellar one for her.
 
Whoops.

rlemert · Aug 25, 2010

Who goofed? Did you just assume she was going for the web development job, or did she somehow not make it clear what her objective was?

Horrible Peanut · Aug 25, 2010

<div class="quote-container">Quote:
<div class="quote-block">Originally Posted by rlemert <a href="/forum/thread/69699/you-really-want-to-send-that#post_1938228"><img alt="View Post" class="inlineimg" src="/img/forum/go_quote.gif" style="border:0px solid;"></a> Who goofed? Did you just assume she was going for the web development job, or did she somehow not make it clear what her objective was?
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</div>
 
I forgot I was interviewing her for the QA role because I saw 3 Programmers before her. oops.

dg1 · Aug 26, 2010

Bad Mr. President. Bad. <shakes head>

dg1 · Aug 26, 2010

*I just don't think a lot of people care anymore. Quite frankly I blame all the message board, e-mail, and IM kind of stuff for the degradation. You should see the stuff we get from other consultants. And some of the carp sent by other departments...yikes. I'm working with this one PM...dang, you should see the stuff he sends to the client in e-mails (a lot of the time including internal communications from the project team)...holy moley. I got a technical memo from another firm the other day (it was also copied to the client) with so many grammatical errors, misspellings, missing words, sentences that just dangled, etc. that I got my red pen out and made the paper bleed. The VP of our department is an Old School guy, and nothing, absolutley nothing, goes out without being 100% accurate. A lot of people say its not important (I notice that they are usually younger) in a technical setting. I call BS. If you can't do something as simple as producing clear communication how do I trust you with really important shvt?
 
*disclaimer: I have not checked this text for errors. <sticking tongue out smiley>
 
 
<div class="quote-container">Quote:
<div class="quote-block">Originally Posted by Horrible Peanut <a href="/forum/thread/69699/you-really-want-to-send-that#post_1938165"><img alt="View Post" class="inlineimg" src="/img/forum/go_quote.gif" style="border-bottom:0px solid;border-left:0px solid;border-top:0px solid;border-right:0px solid;"></a> 
1) Why would a Web Designer not send a link to a portfolio?
2) Why would a QA Analyst have Grammatical errors in their CV?
3) Why would the Business Analyst have Grammatical errors and spelling mistakes in their CV?
4) Why would a web developer send me to a site with broken links?
</div>
</div>

rlemert · Aug 26, 2010

<div class="quote-container">Quote:
<div class="quote-block">Originally Posted by Horrible Peanut <a href="/forum/thread/69699/you-really-want-to-send-that#post_1938165"><img alt="View Post" class="inlineimg" src="/img/forum/go_quote.gif" style="border-right:0px solid;border-top:0px solid;border-left:0px solid;border-bottom:0px solid;"></a> 2) Why would a QA Analyst have Grammatical errors in their CV?
3) Why would the Business Analyst have Grammatical errors and spelling mistakes in their CV?
 
</div>
 
One grammatical error or typo in a resume I can live with, maybe two. By the time you get the thing ready to send to people you've been going over so often that you see what you expect to see. This is also another area where you probably have a strongly bi-nodal distribution; people either have very few mistakes, or a lot of them.
 
Other errors, while sad and understandable, are less forgiveable. When I was in academia we had a faculty search take place. One candidate's cover letter was correctly addressed to the Chemical Engineering Department at the University of Toledo, and his salutation addressed the department's chair correctly by name - and it was even spelled correctly. He lost big points, though, when he neglected to edit the line in his form letter that said "I'm really interested in obtaining a position at Michigan Tech University."
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jcumming · Aug 26, 2010

If you got my name wrong your resume went right in the curcular file.
 
I do understand that people use a template for a cover letter, but much like rlemert's experience I found letters that said "I am interested in being considered for the
<hr class="bbcode_rule">
position" with the blank left in showed me the person was a bit too lacking as a detail oriented sort.

Horrible Peanut · Aug 26, 2010

Well- like I said- I'm happy to give a wide berth for error for specialized skill. I know an engineer or designer have strengths outside language and communication, and I don't ding them for that. I ding Business Analysts for poor grammar and spelling errors and QA for any omissions or errors because their specialized skill as it pertains directly to the position should contradict those errors.
 
A QA analyst should be the most anal, nitpicky little bugger you know. They should hyperventilate when a commas out of place, and they should know no greater joy than going over something that's categorized as "Client ready" and finding errors.
 
The Business Analysts should be the clearest communicators you've ever seen. Their written skills should be so clear and precise that when you read their spec sheets, you're not sure whether the audience is business owners or 8 year olds. There should be no grammatical errors as a result - not because they check their work 3 times before clicking send (like the QA Analyst) but because the bullshit that spouts from their typing fingers should be perfect first time around because every single word is deliberate and planned 2 sentences ahead of time.
 
Hmmmm.... maybe I should include that in the job ad... <devilish smiley>

Horrible Peanut · Aug 26, 2010

<div class="quote-container">Quote:
<div class="quote-block">
Originally Posted by dg1 <a href="/forum/thread/69699/you-really-want-to-send-that#post_1938352"><img alt="View Post" class="inlineimg" src="/img/forum/go_quote.gif" style="border:0px solid;"></a> A lot of people say its not important (I notice that they are usually younger) in a technical setting. I call BS. If you can't do something as simple as producing clear communication how do I trust you with really important shvt?
 
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Exactly!!!! 
Quote:
<div class="quote-container">
<div class="quote-block">Originally Posted by rlemert <a href="/forum/thread/69699/you-really-want-to-send-that#post_1938401"><img alt="View Post" class="inlineimg" src="/img/forum/go_quote.gif" style="border:0px solid;"></a> 
"I'm really interested in obtaining a position at Michigan Tech University."</div>
</div>
 
Bwahahahahaaha!
 
I've made that mistake *blush*

Tech Tee · Aug 26, 2010

<div class="quote-container">Quote:
<div class="quote-block">Originally Posted by Horrible Peanut <a href="/forum/thread/69699/you-really-want-to-send-that#post_1938436"><img alt="View Post" class="inlineimg" src="/img/forum/go_quote.gif" style="border-right:0px solid;border-top:0px solid;border-left:0px solid;border-bottom:0px solid;"></a> A QA analyst should be the most anal, nitpicky little bugger you know. They should hyperventilate when a commas out of place, and they should know no greater joy than going over something that's categorized as "Client ready" and finding errors.
 
</div>
</div>
 
Hey Mr. grammar police...you missed an apostrophe in "commas".
 
No QA for you!

Horrible Peanut · Aug 26, 2010

<div class="quote-container">Quote:
<div class="quote-block">Originally Posted by Tech Tee <a href="/forum/thread/69699/you-really-want-to-send-that#post_1938584"><img alt="View Post" class="inlineimg" src="/img/forum/go_quote.gif" style="border:0px solid;"></a> 
Hey Mr. grammar police...you missed an apostrophe in "commas".
 
No QA for you! 

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Yikes! Good thing I wasn't applying for the QA job...

RandMart · Aug 26, 2010

<div class="quote-container">Quote:
<div class="quote-block">Originally Posted by Horrible Peanut <a href="/forum/thread/69699/you-really-want-to-send-that#post_1938165"><img alt="View Post" class="inlineimg" src="/img/forum/go_quote.gif" style="border-right:0px solid;border-top:0px solid;border-left:0px solid;border-bottom:0px solid;"></a> then I took a moment to avert my gaze from her wonderful boobs and realized that with her experience she'd be the ultimate bug hunter - and the interview totally changed after that to being a stellar one for her.
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This is what REALLY happened, isn't tit?

ahilal · Aug 26, 2010

<div class="quote-container">Quote:
<div class="quote-block">Originally Posted by Horrible Peanut <a href="/forum/thread/69699/you-really-want-to-send-that#post_1938165"><img alt="View Post" class="inlineimg" src="/img/forum/go_quote.gif" style="border:0px solid;"></a> 1) Why would a Web Designer not send a link to a portfolio?
2) Why would a QA Analyst have Grammatical errors in their CV?
3) Why would the Business Analyst have Grammatical errors and spelling mistakes in their CV?
4) Why would a web developer send me to a site with broken links?
</div>
</div>
 
Gee I dunno, but I can take a guess at why they're looking for a job!! <img alt="" src="http://files.kickrunners.com/smilies/blush.gif" title="">

Horrible Peanut · Aug 26, 2010

<div class="quote-container">Quote:
<div class="quote-block">Originally Posted by RandMart <a href="/forum/thread/69699/you-really-want-to-send-that#post_1938593"><img alt="View Post" class="inlineimg" src="/img/forum/go_quote.gif" style="border:0px solid;"></a> 
This is what REALLY happened, isn't tit? 

</div>
</div>
 
NO!!!!
 
 
 
 
 
OK- yes.

Horrible Peanut · Sep 3, 2010

So a guy I know sends me an email asking me if I need a Project manager and saying he has a buddy who needs a job. I say alright- send it to my work email address.
He then sends back and email asking how I'll pay for him- through equity or am I capitalized to pay him salary?
Call me grumpy but I didn't think that was any of his fucking business. <img alt="" src="http://files.kickrunners.com/smilies/huh.gif" title=""> So I just reply "I'll pay him fair market value for his skills and experience."
 
So- the guy contacts me. I introduce myself and ask him to send me his resume to to my work address and give him the address I want it sent to.
 
Guess where genius boy sends the resume? To the same address I sent the email from.
 
So I keep an open look over the resume and see he has few related skills in terms of sector. He has PM experience in aeronautic and military systems- not websites and eBusiness sites that I'm building, so I figured because he's a friend of a friend and he's new to the country, I'll call him and point him in the right direction. So I call him- and there's no answer.
 
The next day I send him a note and say "I tried calling you to talk about your cv. There's not a fit, but I'll see what I can do about putting your resume in front of others who might have more of use for you."
 
He sent back a response saying "I think it is a fit, it's just hidden in the details. Why don't look again and have a rethink and we'll touch base then."
 
<img alt="" src="http://files.kickrunners.com/smilies/BangHead.gif" title=""> Because I can't use a Project Manager who doesn't listen to a simple instruction like "send your fucking cv to xyz email address and you just hit fucking 'reply' and your attitude stinks so I can't put your cv in front of others or I'll look bad.

rlemert · Sep 3, 2010

Unfortunately, I expect that your tales of woe could be matched by anyone who has ever had hiring authority/responsibility. After all, isn't the most important thing what you - the hiring manager - can do for me. <img alt="" src="http://files.kickrunners.com/smilies/huh.gif" style="width:15px;height:15px;" title="">

dg1 · Sep 3, 2010

The Devils in the Details. 

<div class="quote-container">Quote:
<div class="quote-block">Originally Posted by Horrible Peanut <a href="/forum/thread/69699/you-really-want-to-send-that#post_1941784"><img alt="View Post" class="inlineimg" src="/img/forum/go_quote.gif" style="border-bottom:0px solid;border-left:0px solid;border-top:0px solid;border-right:0px solid;"></a> He sent back a response saying "I think it is a fit, it's just hidden in the details. Why don't look again and have a rethink and we'll touch base then."
 
</div>
</div>

SportiGrl · Sep 3, 2010

devil is = devil's, no? 

<div class="quote-container">Quote:
<div class="quote-block">Originally Posted by dg1 <a href="/forum/thread/69699/you-really-want-to-send-that#post_1941862"><img alt="View Post" class="inlineimg" src="/img/forum/go_quote.gif" style="border-bottom:0px solid;border-left:0px solid;border-top:0px solid;border-right:0px solid;"></a> The Devils in the Details. 

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RandMart · Sep 3, 2010

Could be more than one and they are known collectively as "The Devils in the Details"
 
But, I think you're right, Sporti

Horrible Peanut · Sep 3, 2010

<div class="quote-container">Quote:
<div class="quote-block">Originally Posted by dg1 <a href="/forum/thread/69699/you-really-want-to-send-that#post_1941862"><img alt="View Post" class="inlineimg" src="/img/forum/go_quote.gif" style="border:0px solid;"></a> The Devils in the Details. 

</div>
</div>
 
Yah- I could see that he had a lot of good PM experience, but it didn't change the fact that his experience was in aeronautics instead of eBusiness, and I definitely think I can get a PM with more relevant skills- and, frankly, his arrogance put me off.
 
Can't follow a simple direction.
Arrogant.
Yah- I don't want him PM-ing any of my projects.

You really want to send that?

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