On non-traditional programmer job search

Conversation started Jan 21, 2014 at 16:15.

user55340

Jan 21, 2014 16:15

Not me, actually... my boyfriend. I've seen him program 1000s of lines of code and he's very determined. If there's a mistake, he'll work on it tirelessly until he can come up with a solution. I've also seen the final products of his efforts. He's re-programmed a site that so that the owners (who...

user55340

> I know that the amount of experience he can show is limited, but he has an MA in business and a BA in computer animation... so why does no one want to hire him?

user55340

That's an... awkward... skill set.

user55340

Many hiring managers would shy away from a MA in business as a programmer, becuase they're going to try to be managers rather than programmers.

user55340

And the computer animation doesn't fit well with the "writing code" of programming.

user41796

@MichaelT My read on that is he's doing something during the interviews to blow the opportunity. But we also have to keep in mind that our information comes from a biased 2nd hand source that is not familiar with industry hiring practices. So what the significant other is seeing may not accurately reflect the reality of the situation.

user55340

Jan 21, 2014 16:20

Very true on that point. Its also one of the resumes that I'd put at the bottom of the stack based on educational background.

user55340

Thats actually one area where certifications might come in helpful. "Yes, thats my educational background, but I've also got an advanced Java/C#/Whatever programing certification"

user41796

The "rebuilt a huge site but can't put on resume" is also troubling. Relevant experience is relevant experience. And there are ways of phrasing things to deflect any potential negative knee-jerk reaction

user55340

That changes the initial appearance from "manager who wants to draw pictures" to "well rounded individual who can understand the artistic and business side of the equation as well as write code."

user55340

I remember at Netapp, after one "hire the guy as a programmer and he went off to another group to become a manager" we really avoided hiring people with a skill set that appeared to indicate a "want to be a manager" background. We wanted to hire programmers... people who want to write code rather than being an entry point into management.

user41796

@MichaelT I have seen a few who "went back" to programming only because they needed somewhere to land between management gigs. Not the type of folk you want to have on the team.

user55340

Jan 21, 2014 16:34

An MA in Business would be a sign of such "unlikely to stick around as a programmer."

user55340

It takes 6-12 months to get a new hire completely up to speed. And then a year or so later, they're in another position? Now you need to hire another person and get them up to speed on the code.

user41796

@MichaelT I would ask about it, but it's not an immediate disqualifier. If they were persuasive about wanting to better bridge the gap between business and tech, then I might believe it. But the onus will be on them to prove they love coding.