Lowball job posting of the week for 7/8-7/14 2008
"Developer (North Central Austin)
Reply to: [deleted]
Date: 2008-07-09, 1:56PM CDT
We are hiring for a SQL/VB developer. This position would be on a report development team and would work closely with the team Business Analysts and Report Architects.
Overall Requirements:
Candidates should have 2+ years of experience in SQL and VB/VBA software.
Must be proficient with the following skills: VB, VBA, T-SQL development. Understanding of database design, .Net development, and Advanced Excel is a plus.
Good time management and communication skills, with the ability to work on multiple projects with deadlines. A degree in Computer Science is preferred or related experience.
Please include your SQL experience in your cover letter. E-mail your cover letter and resume to the job posting e-mail.
Due to the large quantity of resumes we receive, we are unable to respond individually to each person interested in this position, or answer inquiries regarding the status of a particular resume. If there is interest in interviewing you for this position, you will be contacted in the near future.
Thanks for your time and interest.
Thanks for submitting your resume.
* Location: North Central Austin
* Compensation: 35K - 40K
* Principals only. Recruiters, please don't contact this job poster.
* Please, no phone calls about this job!
* Please do not contact job poster about other services, products or commercial interests."
That is pretty crappy pay for all the things they are looking for, even considering that VB is sort of considered a low-end skill by a lot of people... That pay range is well under what the press claim is the average starting salary for new CS grads and this position wants a degree + experience. Sad thing is, they probably aren't kidding about the "large quantity of resumes we receive", so some poor schmuck will probably get stuck with this job.
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Yeah, 40K is definitely low for the skills they're asking for.
Believe it or not, what appears to be the same company has a tech writer position advertised for about $10k/yr less than the developer position... If I'd seen that one first it would have been a tossup which one would have gotten the "lowball of the week" award... I realize that tech writing is one of the poorer paid IT jobs, but lets get real here... They are offering pay down where a lot of menial jobs that require no special skills, training or post high school education pay.
These are the kinds of employers that are trying to turn tech workers into the steel workers of the 21st century.
supposedly there are expecting a lot of replies!!!!
Sad thing is that they haven't advertised again so either they saw this thread and were embarrassed (unlikely) or they were able to find some poor schlob that was desperate enough to take that crappy job. In this poor job market it is no big stretch to believe it.
Humm?
You have an alternative scenario?
I suppose they could have put the job on hold due to a hiring freeze. That is happening a lot lately too.
Sick. I wouldn't touch this as a recruiter.
If I was a recruiter I'd worry a company that cheap would try to stiff me on my fee.
Are you sure it's not 35-40k per quarter? That per year is a crime for a skilled tech with a degree.
Nope... Sadly, it isn't that uncommon to see such horrible lowball jobs posted these days. This one is worse than most, but I probably see 2 to 3 per week that are almost as bad. The trend is definitely for the worse when it comes to programmer type jobs especially and probably will accelerate if the economy keeps tanking like it has been. A large number of techies are being laid off these days from financial companies and that will only further glut the job market and cause more downward pressure on salaries.
It's low, but we must consider that many firms base compensation on the number of years of education plus experience. In this case, the prospective employer requires someone with only two years experience, and no formal education. The company might seek an ambitious 20-year-old; for someone at that age, $35K pays a lot of bills. The skills set is limited to database work, asking for "Understanding" not "experience" in other areas. So, reading between the lines, the low end might not be that outrageous.
Then there's the upper end. A CS degree or experience adds another four years. Assuming minimal acceptable performance, that should add 6% per year for more than $44K/year. Even at that rate, paying rent and student loans gets pretty tight.
Also, I recall (and unfortunately can't find at the moment) a California law (apparently enacted after widespread abuse by employers) limiting the use of exemption from overtime pay for computer science professionals, and that law should be used as a model for employers in other states; as I recall, the lower limit used to be around $55-60K, but it was lowered within the last few years. Basically, it would require that overtime be paid, so I think the listing should include an hourly rate instead. Still, that's only $15-20/hr plus overtime.
I'm interested in discussing this and others in Job posting responses.
- John