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Subject:RE: What would you do? From:"Janoff, Steven" <Steven -dot- Janoff -at- hologic -dot- com> To:techwr-l <techwr-l -at- lists -dot- techwr-l -dot- com>, Martha Jordan <marthaannjordan -at- gmail -dot- com>, Keith Hood <bus -dot- write -at- gmail -dot- com> Date:Fri, 10 Feb 2017 00:42:17 +0000
Hi Martha,
If you're reading anything nefarious into my post, I assure you that's wrong.
I'm not suggesting anything illegal, immoral, or unethical.
What I'm suggesting is, in the context of what is possible, hard work, dedication, and initiative.
By the way, I meant to say that this sounds like an IT or quasi-IT position.
If some of the requirements are skill in and knowledge of things like Visual Studio, TFS, programming in C#, and developer skills, and the applicant is not a programmer, then it's a no-go.
An example of a manageable skill is something like, "Can generate pivot tables in Excel."
If it were me and I didn't have this skill, but given I've got intermediate skill in Excel (I think -- and I'd do this even if I had passing skills in Excel), I'd hit the books, CDs, Web, online videos, trial software, and learn everything and anything I can about how to generate pivot tables in Excel, so that when I walk in that door for the interview, I might not have 3 years' experience doing pivot tables (and if that's the way the skill is listed then I wouldn't do it), but I could generate a pivot table, and I'd be willing to prove it, on the spot. And I don't mean just functional but substantive. Give me the data, and I'll give you a pivot table.
But as I said earlier, the whole thing depends on (a) the particular skills they want (how difficult, how easy to acquire), (b) the level of expertise they want in each skill, (c) how plum the job is, and (d) how badly you want the job. For example, if it's an entrÃe into a career change, and you really want to move into that career, then it'd be a consideration.
But if the skills or experience requested is out of your reach and you just can't back it up no matter what you do, then obviously you're not going to apply for the job.
I don't know if I can dig any deeper than that.
Thanks,
Steve
On Wednesday, February 08, 2017 8:50 PM, Martha Jordan wrote:
Steve! What are you possibly thinking?Â
On Wed, Feb 8, 2017 7:51 PM, Janoff, Steven Steven -dot- Janoff -at- hologic -dot- com wrote:
I agree with everyone that it sounds unscrupulous on the face of it.
Having said that, though, it really depends on how easy or difficult these skills are to pick up.
SharePoint administrator is not rocket science, and InfoPath I'm guessing you could pick up in a few days with hitting the books and the Web and downloading trial versions of Office if you don't already have it.
So it depends on the particular half-dozen skills, the level of expertise they want, how good the job is, and how badly you want it.
It's conceivable that you could become passably skilled at using all of the tools before you walk into the interview.
But if they want 3 years of DITA and a component CMS, then that's a different story.
If the recruiter didn't address this kind of thing (shoring up your skills as opposed to just telling you to add them to your resume), then that's irresponsible and I'd run.
Steve
On Wednesday, February 08, 2017 11:12 AM, Keith Hood wrote:
I have been corresponding with a recruiting firm about a possible job as a SharePoint administrator, and they asked me to change my resume. The job description includes some things that I have never worked with, such as Infopath. The recruiter asked me to edit my resume to show experience with about half a dozen things I've never done, to match things in the description, and email him that new version.
I won't say what I've done or not done - I'm interested in your thoughts about it.
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