Want Ads Don’t Have to Be as Dull as Dirt
Posted on Friday, October 17, 2008 by Frank RocheHere’s a want ad for a coder we’re looking for at iFractal. Skills are the price of entry; but interviewing is all about fit.
Funky Code Medina
You know how to rock rapid development. You know PHP, MySQL, CSS, HTML, and Javascript. (And you know all the rest of the letters of the alphabet.) You know the difference between group programming and group think. You think about users, and not the Kurt Cobain type. Server-side means more to you than “May I take your order.” You like clients and client-side code, too. You know Web 2.0 user interface like the [you know the cliche...and we're not looking for cliche].You know versioning. You get teary-eyed when you hear the words “I’m a Mac.” You’re a code freak, but not a freak. And by that, we mean you can have all the tattoos and piercings you want. You just can’t wear a beret and act like a coding artiste. You like to work fast, but meticulously. You know web standards, coding style standards, and the old standards like “That’s Amore.”
You learned all that tech weenie stuff at a prestigious school. Or in your parents’ basement. It doesn’t matter…but you know that stuff like some people know their favorite pair of jeans. Dogs and small children like you. You have friends beyond your guild in World of Warcraft. You’re curious, you’re smart, and gosh darn it, people like you.
We’re looking for you. If you know why we titled our request, that’s bonus points. If you don’t know why, that’s equally great. What we want is a really great coder who will fit here.
We have a consulting firm in Rittenhouse that does stuff for companies that you know. Companies that advertise on your TV (or on Hulu, if you’re more into that). We think things up, we build them, and they like it. We don’t mess around and we don’t delay. We like to see our ideas get used right away.
Now we have a big idea that we’re rolling out. Seems like a crazy time to be expanding, right? Not us. We thought up a big idea and we’re gonna rock the market. And you’re gonna rock the code.
So, get on your fixie, stuff your Mac into your Timbuk 2 messenger bag, and roll on over. We’re gonna ask you some hard questions. But if you are able to snatch the pebble from our hands, Grasshopper, we can guarantee that you’ll be working with some of the smartest people you know.
Oh. We pay for lunch, too.
If you know someone who fits the bill, here’s the link to get to us.
Ron Ulrici
Oct 17th, 2008
I love it. I wish I was qualified and could do this job for you.
Frank
Oct 17th, 2008
Ron, I'd like to work with you, too. We should figure something out.
Alex J. Avriette
Oct 29th, 2008
What makes me sad is I've seen so many ads like this, and been through at least two positions that were advertised like this, but when it actually came down to the people running the deal (HR…), it was the same old rotten thing.
In fact, the three most satisfying teams I've ever worked on, those same three teams that were also the most skilled i've ever worked on, were all destroyed in the aftermath of administrative f-ups, largely arbitrated (perpetrated…?) by HR.
Incompetent, ignorant or scared management makes a decision, and it trickles down through these distorted filters, and when it finally hits the employees, it's turned into malice or at best a cold indifference because it's “just business.”
Good luck with that one, Frank. You're one of the good guys.
Frank
Oct 31st, 2008
Alex, we got 5 really strong candidates and 2 superstars from it. We're going to hire people and we're going to work hard to make sure we stand up for what we said in the ad. You're right, it's sad when it doesn't match up. That's dishonest when companies do that.