Lowball job posting for the week 20080818
"Software Developer (Round Rock, TX)
Reply to: deleted
Date: 2008-08-19, 5:02PM CDT
ESSENTIAL FUNCTIONS:
1. Design and Document new desktop and server application software.
2. Design, estimate time frames, develop and test software.
3. Produce and maintain design documentation.
4. Assists in establishing functional requirements with ideas, research, and feasibility input.
ADDITIONAL RESPONSIBILITIES:
1. Assists the QA and other engineering departments in regard to product redesign to resolve product or production issues.
2. Supports customer services with field issues as required
EDUCATION AND EXPERIENCE:
• Bachelor of Science, Computer Science
JOB QUALIFICATIONS:
• Requires good written and verbal communication in English and demonstrated success in team environment
• Requires the ability to read and understand digital and analog schematics and to understand hardware interfacing requirements
• Technical requirements include the ability to design and implement software from a specification and knowledge of C, C++, plus one or more of the following skill sets:
1) C / C++ / Java programming in a Linux and Windows environment.
2) Generating MSSQL and MySQL databases and appropriate queries and scripts
3) Familiar with compliant communication languages and methods such as HTTP, XML, SSL
* Location: Round Rock, TX
* Compensation: $30,000 Base"
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$30k was a lame entry level salary for a software engineer 10 years ago, and while this doesn't look like a senior level position, it is more than what someone straight out of school is usually going to have. If you read the requirements carefully they want someone who knows multiple languages, multiple databases, web development and some hardware and embedded or kernel development. Oh and you get to write documentation and be the whipping boy for QA and tech support too. Nice.
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So let me know how the interview goes...
/sad sarcasm
Actually the even sadder reality is that I'd be willing to bet if I sent my resume it would go into a black hole... Discarded because I am not a 110% match because I don't have MS SQL Server experience (even though I've got Sybase experience and MS SQL Server is based on Sybase and uses roughly the same SQL syntax, stored procedure language (Transact-SQL) APIs (ctlib) and even wire protocols -- but the keywords don't match) or I'd be "overqualified" because I'm over 35. Of course if I was going to take such a crappy paying job I might as well become an assistant manager at McDonald's or something, because at least then I'd be getting management experience which would probably be more valuable than anything I'd learn on that job.
Do a significant percentage of tech companies post engineering jobs on Craigslist? Or can we imagine this was done because no respectable recruiter could find someone for that little salary? I'm not being sarcastic here. Don't most of your Lowball-series of posts tend to come from Craigslist? Is there a correlation between Craigslist and undervalued employment opportunities?
I intentionally don't post anything from here. Almost no jobs on LinkedIn list salary ranges, which makes picking on them harder. I could pick on Dice.com postings some, and at least one or two have come from there. I think there is some correlation to Craigslist, because companies that are cheapskates are likely to balk at paying to post on Dice.com or LinkedIn. Most of the postings on Dice.com, Monster, Hotjobs and Careerbuilder are from agencies except for very large companies. Large companies are less likely to be obvious low-ball offenders because they usually have uniform HR pay grades and recruiters very rarely ever post rates or salaries because they want you to call them. The bulk of small company postings seem to go to Craigslist, the remainder over there are agency postings.
From a "perception" standpoint, I don't expect to see too many senior level (management and up) jobs posted on Craigslist, and I wouldn't post them there myself. Reality may, of course, differ. Too hard to search, too many "hobby" jobs (need help with . . .). On the other hand, for those web dev jobs, dba, etc., we've posted them to both Dice and CraigsList, and actually had decent luck with our CL postings in terms of getting good resumes. Anyway, for the above reasons, I would certainly expect more lowball types of postings.
Yes, but incredibly, there are some good jobs posted. Unfortunately, recruiters also post "bogus" jobs just to get people to contact them. FYI
We post jobs on craigslist, no matter what level they are, and of course Dice & our own website. I do get more responses from craigslist to the lower/entry level positions, but some great Sr level people have also submitted resumes to those. And agreed... this posting does seem extremely lowball. Ack! Maybe they're hoping for desperate people??
Oh... and not all recruiters post "bogus" jobs, I'm sure some do, but I don't do that... also FYI ;)
There are a lot of desperate people around Austin who have been unemployed or underemployed for long periods of time, so unfortunately low-ball job offers all too often work in challenging times like these.
You are right that not all recruiters use "non-job" postings to troll for resumes and leads. It is mostly a certain set of agencies, and I won't (publicly anyway) name any names, that are notorious for it. These agencies tend to use a "bull pen" of newbie recruiters (high turnover) for calling to get resumes and to answer responses to non-job postings. The usual mode of operation is they want the candidate to come in and meet them, take some skills and personality tests, and generally waste their time only to find out that the job suddenly was just filled, or is on hold or whatever excuse. "But now you are in our database". There is a lot of speculation as to what the real reason for all the run-around, but I suspect personally it is mostly that one of the things they collect is reference information and I know for certain they contact those references more with the intention of trying to solicit job postings than anything else. Also it is widely believed that they sell data collected through the applications and skills/personality tests to companies that do background checks, etc.
Anyway, glad to hear that y'all don't do business like that. Candidates should reward the good agencies and shun the bad ones. As one friend of mine says - "I need a job, not a run-around".
"I need a job, not a run-around"- RIGHT ON! :D
For the record, I don't bother going to Craig's List. I use here, LinkedIn, ItzBig, and Indeed.com--in that order. Craig's List has far to much junk to wade through, Dice's keyword searching is worthless, and CareerBuilder is a spam magnet. The used car salesmen at the Ladders are beneath discussion.