Re: Re[2]: bogus resume stuff

[Garret Romaine <GRomaine -at- MSMAIL -dot- RADISYS -dot- COM>]

<<Husqvarna chainsaw work here>>

**My feeling is that I'd never want a client (or employer) who was obsessed
by
such things. **

Can I throw some calming water on this fire?

First, the hiring manager made it plain that they aren't  *obsessed*  by
high SAT scores or high GPAs. It's just part of their matrix. They only seem
obsessed.

Second, when I'm looking for a writer to help me dig out of a hole, I try to
ask for the stars and the Sun, but settle for the moon. Nobody wants to
apologize for the writer they just hired;  the better a candidate looks on
paper, the easier it is to justify the huge offer you're going to swallow
and make them. And you're always supposed to hire someone smarter than you
are, right?

Third, consider some of the ways that recommendations, resumes, portfolios,
and the like can, well, fib. Maybe their best friend wrote that
recommendation. Maybe that resume is padded. Maybe they didn't do all the
work on the star of their portfolio that won an award. At least with
reported G.P.A. and S.A.T. scores, an HR 'droid can be reasonably assured
that the data is accurate.

Let me say that I think those of you who are protesting are right to do so.
There are probably more subtle ways for the company in question to meet
their goals. However, judging by the quality of TECHWRL, I doubt there are
many of you who couldn't study up and score close to 800 on the verbal half
of the SAT (I won't speak for the math portion!) But for just a moment, put
yourself in the shoes of someone trying to build a writing staff. You can't
just put up a sign that says "Idiots need not apply."

Garret Romaine
gromaine -at- radisys -dot- com

"Now remember, when things get bad, and it looks like you're not gonna make
it,
then you gotta get mean. I mean plumb mad-dog mean. Because if you lose your
head,
you neither win nor live. That's just the way it is."

 -- The Outlaw Josie Wales