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Every job seems to be described as world class and cutting edge, but in reality most are just software brickying - putting one brick on top of another to make a wall. What's more important is finding out if the bosses have any clue what a wall is, or if the plans for the building are going to change after every two layers of brick.
It would be nice to see a world class and cutting edge salary offering to back it all up. I’ll have whatever the CEO is on and I don’t mean the substance
The classic spew these adverts have is stuff like “due to expansion we are recruiting” blah blah
In essence, the truth of it is, someone is leaving, they’ve had a fucking nuff and they need a replacement
Like I said, I’ll have what ever the CEO is on, and I dont mean the substances...
"...but in reality most are just software brickying - putting one brick on top of another to make a wall"
Never had an issue picking up a new skill or technology, but most job adverts seem to reel off lists of skills which makes me wonder just who is out there that ticks all the boxes.
Have 25 years of development experience, with around 18 years of Java. Out of work now for 5 months, with not a single interview for jobs applied.
Yes, if I were an actual brickie, then, it really would be a case of walking into the next job.
No idea how a couple Java Developer role searches came up with matches for a delivery driver and another for a gas fitter - received those in the last couple of weeks by email - I may just end up walking away from this IT lark and get behind the wheel - at least it will bring some money in
companies are complaining they can't find any good software developers.
Indeed - in my last role, I had to supervise a couple of "experienced" programmers - 5 and 6 years of experience, which in the case of the latter, were it up to me, they would not have lasted probation. Had to intervene far too many times to avoid serious defects in their approach and coding.
The former was actually much better if a bit unsure of their ability at first - a hard worker and eager to learn - from whom, upon my departure, I received this...
"So, I have already told you this many times before, but as this is your last day, I'll say it again.
Thank you for teaching me things, thank you for encouraging me when necessary, thank you for trying to make me more capable than I was. Thank you for giving me chance to explore multiple new areas. I appreciate everything that you did for me. And I plan to keep on troubling you once in a while, nothing work related, but everything else.
...
Your trust and your guidance has helped me be a better coder than I was."
I will treasure that. If that was indeed my last gig in this IT lark, that was worth more than any recognition from management or monetary reward over the years, and makes up for all the downs along the way
> companies are complaining they can't find any good <fill in the blank>
Of course that's what they're saying in public. What they mean, of course, is they can't find so-called "unicorns" (or whatever fashionable word for "experienced") who are willing to work on the cheap.
If companies were actually willing to pay for the skills and experience and years etc. they put on their kitchen-sink wishlist job description, they could find people. But they want experience and skills at college-newhire wages.
> Have 25 years of development experience, with around 18 years of Java. Out of work now for 5 months, with not a single interview for jobs applied.
Maybe remove the "2" from the "25" years (oops a typo) and trim your CV down to the last few years? Then do a virtual interview and claim the connection is poor - "I'll turn my video off to save bandwidth" - might get you through. By the time they realise your age it'll be too late.
Yes, the CV can give the game away with respect to age - I was at one employer for over 10 years, though in various different roles/different division, and that is still recent enough to have to put on the CV - I could restructure the CV quite honestly to remove the earlier role in that company in a different division, thereby reducing the time span.
Now, people say I look much younger for my actual age - so that could also swing things!
I'm sorry that you've had such problems finding a job. If you are applying for jobs every day and not getting the interviews then there may be something in you CV that is putting off employers. I've reviewed hundreds of Java Developer CVs and some of the things that would cause me to reject a candidate include:
Not demonstrating that you have experience in the technolog(y/ies) I am looking for. Look at the ad and make sure that you CV shows how you used the things that I said were essential
Telling me about what the company or team you worked for did, not what you did. I need to know what you actually achieved and how you did it
Significant numbers of spelling and grammar errors (with leeway for non-native speakers) If you can't be bothered to carefully check your CV, you probably can't be bothered to check your code
Significant unexplained gaps in the CV. Were you in prison, or what?
Excessive length.
Best of luck with the search - don't give up!
Thanks - will heed your points - time for complete overhaul of the CV, and as @2+2=5 suggested, truncate the entry for time served at the long-service employment place. Yes, @AC,an ageist place is not one to be working at - I was waiting for the tap on the shoulder when, so when it came, it was not a surprise - recent hires were just over half my age
I see the same problem here as every other job site - Spam from staffing pools/agencies. I tried joining a staffing agency once to get a job at an incredibly cool location and it was a huge mistake. What was supposed to be a 1 year vacation job for me (low pay, easy work) felt more like a black hole of failure that I needed to leave ASAP. While interviewing internal transfers to be my replacement, literally half of the experienced software engineers could not write code.
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