In My Experience... | Many UI job ads are still ridiculous. (8103)

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Many UI job ads are still ridiculous.
[ Posted by Dan on February 05, 2002 | 4 Comments ]

I've been on the job hunt for the last several months, and have been reintroduced to the realm of the ridiculous job ads. It usually goes something like this...

Qualifications: 5+ years experience, C++ and Java, PostGreSQL, Oracle and UI frameworks. Knowledge of Photoshop, HTML, Javascript, CSS and usability issues. Excellent analytical skills, written and verbal communication skills.

Anyone who knows usability issues isn't an Oracle DBA or a C++ programmer. Anyone who knows Java has no tolerance for writing JavaScript (no cushy IDE's or API's) and tries to create their own interface solutions by inventing UI frameworks that are unusable to UI designers. Also, since this is Northern Virginia, many of these ads tend to say things like "must have active Top Secret clearance with full scope polygraph" (which indicates government work). Last, anyone who knows Photoshop has no business writing stored procedures. By now you should be getting my point that many (most?) job ads are wish lists. Scott Berkun sums up the point from a different perspective (sanity).

For projects of importance, you need divergent skills to succeed. It is not possible to find an individual with all of the skill sets needed, nor would you want to. To create a first rate website or software product, you need many tasks to be done in parallel, which means that more than one person has to be working at them.

Having been on several 'projects of importance' on teams of diverse experience, this point has been driven home, repeatedly. The continuum of experience, from those who know far back end to UI dweebs, will hopefully include sufficient experience overlap. That overlap fosters effective communication thru mutual understanding, and contributes to project success. Employers need to realise this fact and get realistic with their job ads.

These jobs listings are posted by people who have no idea what they are asking. Non technical people who wouldnt know the difference between C++, and Photoshop if it bit em in the arse.

-Posted by z on April 26, 2002 01:54 PM

LOL. Excellent points. here in NYC we have choked on technical job orders that are far from reality too. How about a job order requiring Java socket experience of at least X+3 years! X being the number of years that Java sockets have been around. Go figure.

-Posted by Arthur Barbato on October 1, 2002 10:37 AM

I've always been partial to ads that ask 2 or 3 questions that qualify you on the most central elements of the work and workplace. "What human factors should we consider in creating our next fighter cockpit?" Get to the heart of the problem to be solved and work to be done. If asked well, you'll also attract the right kinds of people.

-Posted by Phil Wolff on October 1, 2002 05:17 PM

I actually come close to fulfilling those requirements. I'm a UI guy that can program. I guess its a good combination.

But I understand what you're saying. I see ads like that all the time out here in Silicon Valley, except they mention more years of experience. The job market out here is fiercely competitive nowadays.

-Posted by Ted on February 6, 2003 06:22 PM

Comment posting has been turned off because I don't have enough time and will to deal with the constant comment spamming. I'm very sorry and will fix this sometime soon (soon = before 2004 ends).