<HTML><BODY style="word-wrap: break-word; -khtml-nbsp-mode: space; -khtml-line-break: after-white-space; "><DIV><DIV>On 22-Dec-05, at 20:54, Scott Elcomb wrote:</DIV><BR class="Apple-interchange-newline"><BLOCKQUOTE type="cite"><BLOCKQUOTE type="cite"></BLOCKQUOTE><DIV style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; ">In many cases, people are hired by a recruiting team that doesn't have</DIV><DIV style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; ">a clue as to what the job actually entails.<SPAN class="Apple-converted-space"> </SPAN>They simply work off a</DIV><DIV style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; ">description of the job written on a piece of paper or two.</DIV></BLOCKQUOTE><DIV><BR class="khtml-block-placeholder"></DIV><DIV>I don't know what the process is at other companies, but here's how we do things for the Data Services department here at Afilias. I give our HR lady the job description (which is mostly for candidates) and a brief description of what I'm looking for. She passes this along to the recruiters. For example:</DIV><DIV><BR class="khtml-block-placeholder"></DIV><DIV>About 7 years industry experience</DIV><DIV>At least 3 years working with databases, preferably postgres</DIV><DIV>2 years working in a 24x365 production environment</DIV><DIV>comfortable working in and administering a unix / linux environment</DIV><DIV><BR class="khtml-block-placeholder"></DIV><DIV>The recruiters send resumes of potential candidates to our HR lady who forwards them to me. If they look any good, I ask her to give them a call and run through an initial interview. If they meet her approval, then I ask them to come in for an interview, and the process goes from there.</DIV><DIV><BR class="khtml-block-placeholder"></DIV><DIV>The goal is two-fold:</DIV><DIV>1) To find decent candidates.</DIV><DIV>2) To defend my time from the incredible flurry of applicants who don't even know what "a unix" is, but sure as heck want the job.</DIV><DIV><BR class="khtml-block-placeholder"></DIV><DIV>We also post to pgsql-jobs, but that seems more oriented towards contract than full time permanent.</DIV><BR><BLOCKQUOTE type="cite"><DIV style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; ">Certifications tell these types of people that you know "about this</DIV><DIV style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; ">much" of the skills/information specific to their needs.<SPAN class="Apple-converted-space"> </SPAN>I don't</DIV><DIV style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; ">think it's a time wasting process; there's some value in getting that</DIV><DIV style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; ">piece of paper.</DIV></BLOCKQUOTE><DIV><BR class="khtml-block-placeholder"></DIV><DIV>With a few exceptions, certifications tell me that you've got the background for an entry level position and that you cared enough to go get the cert.</DIV><BR><BLOCKQUOTE type="cite"><DIV style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; ">Btw - LPI Certs are considerably cheaper than MS Certs, contain much</DIV><DIV style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; ">less advertising, and are somewhat more challenging I think.</DIV></BLOCKQUOTE><BR></DIV><DIV>And guys like me don't get a chuckle out of seeing LPI certs on a resume, unlike some of the MS certs. However, I'm not looking for people to run windows boxes.</DIV><DIV><BR class="khtml-block-placeholder"></DIV><FONT class="Apple-style-span" color="#0000DD"><DIV style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; "><FONT class="Apple-style-span" color="#000000">__________________________________________________</FONT></DIV><DIV style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; "><FONT class="Apple-style-span" color="#000000">Andrew Hammond 416-673-4138 <A href="mailto:ahammond-swQf4SbcV9C7WVzo/KQ3Mw@public.gmane.org">ahammond-swQf4SbcV9C7WVzo/KQ3Mw@public.gmane.org</A></FONT></DIV><DIV style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; "><FONT class="Apple-style-span" color="#000000">Data Services Group Manager, Afilias Canada Corp. Ltd.</FONT></DIV><DIV style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; "><FONT class="Apple-style-span" color="#000000">CB83 2838 4B67 D40F D086 3568 81FC E7E5 27AF 4A9A</FONT></DIV><DIV style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; "><BR class="khtml-block-placeholder"></DIV></FONT></BODY></HTML>