O/T : Looking for an entry level LAMP developer for contract work.

[Keith Smith]

Great Feedback.

On 2015-07-23 10:19, Steve Litt wrote:
> On Thu, 23 Jul 2015 07:23:13 -0700
> Keith Smith <techlists at phpcoderusa.com> wrote:
> 
>> 
>> der.hans, is there a solution to this and if so what is it? Great
>> piece by the way.
> 
> By "this", I assume you mean the ridiculous job requirements
> discussed by der.hans and David Schwartz. And I'd like to point out one
> very telling item in David Schwartz' post:
> 
> =======================================================
> My question: How in the hell does anybody get hired ANYWHERE without
> flat out LYING about stuff on their resume?
> =======================================================
> 
> David's question gets right to the meat of the matter, and I think
> every job seeker needs to consider how "honest" s/he wants to be, and
> the cost of his/her honesty. Because I'm as sure as I can be without
> conducting a statistically valid study that in most cases, the
> successful candidate stretched the truth quite hard, or else s/he did
> an end run around HR by knowing or meeting someone.
> 
> If you are totally truthful in a situation with unfulfillable
> requirements, who gains? The employer? Probably not: Likely as not the
> successful candidate is not as productive as you (assuming the job
> is something you can really do, and you usually know).
> 
> So, as a prospective employee, one way to "solve" this is to make the
> truth a little maleable.
> 
> Sometimes you can add some truth to your resume with Rapid Learning. I
> sell books on the subject.
> 
> Another way is to be a freelance hired gun. That's what I used to do.
> I'd walk in, get some requirements, agree on an hourly rate, and 
> deliver
> something that worked plausibly in a day or two. Then I'd keep
> improving it according to the client's needs. HR doesn't deal with
> vendors, and if you're a freelance hired gun, you're a vendor who gets
> to talk to the project's principals.
> 

Going out on your own is a great idea.  I have recommend doing so to 
several friends.  However being a freelancer or consultant is not for 
most people.


> Speaking of principals, working for small businesses often gets you
> right in to see the person who signs the check and the person
> supervising you, and it's often the same person. Now that preexisting
> conditions in health insurance are a thing of the past, working for
> small companies is doable even if you or someone in the family has
> diabetes etc.
> 

If you are going to take out a state or federal exchange policy you can 
figure on high rates and high deductibles.  Last year the affordable 
care act was going to cost my wife and I $750 a month with a $6,200 
annual deductible per person. It is my understanding that those rates 
may have gone up as much as 40% this year.  I am priced out of the 
market.  And I had to pay a fine this year....

Any thoughts?


> If you're an employer, you need to evaluate the true cost of "hit the
> ground running", because you're likely to pay top dollar for a
> disppointing employee who likely will hit the ground crawling, or
> perhaps pay a little less for a slave-labor H1-B whose main value is
> cost. If you want a budding rock star who's happy to give his all for
> $22/hr, frequent community colleges, user groups, and the like. Find
> the right candidate, test the heck out of him/her, then when you've
> decided, tell HR to make the hire. Does it take work? You'd better

No HR here.  The pay rate came up on the AZ PHP list as well.  I was 
looking for someone with some skills that would be able to do some 
simple stuff and grow.  I thought I was offering an opportunity for 
someone to get their foot in the door.

I went through this process several years ago and hired a young guy who 
was working at Fry's food store.  He worked for me for about 8 months 
and last I heard he was working in the NOC of a hosting company.  He was 
skilled and talented with lots of potential. He made more working for me 
than he did at Fry's and he was able to use working for me as a spring 
board.

I'm not trying to be a slum lord - I hate slum lords. I have a budget 
and am trying to make the best of it.

And having said that... I want everyone to know I appreciate all your 
feedback.  I value your opinion.

> believe it. Does it pay off? You bet it does: I once hired a dirt cheap
> guy who was very productive, I mentored him, and he blossemed quickly.
> And there were more where he came from, although I would have had to go
> up a smidge in salary (but still cheap).
> 
> There are ways to solve it, but they all depend on the technologically
> supervisor guiding the search, and HR rubber stamping it. And sometimes
> HR just doesn't like that.
> 
> SteveT
> 
> Steve Litt
> July 2015 featured book: Rapid Learning for the 21st Century
> http://www.troubleshooters.com/rl21
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-- 
Keith Smith