job screening question

Sat Jul 7 01:22:37 UTC 2012

On Jul 6, 2012, at 5:04 PM, George Herbert <george.herbert at gmail.com> wrote:

> On Fri, Jul 6, 2012 at 4:43 PM, Steven Noble <snoble at sonn.com> wrote:
>> On Jul 6, 2012, at 4:16 PM, George Herbert <george.herbert at gmail.com> wrote:
>> 
>>> 6) Puffed it up a little (worked with Cisco routers, but in the 7200
>>> era, and hasn't categorized skills as recent / older), but hasn't
>>> outright lied.
>> 
>> The 7200 is still a heavily used platform today.  It has no correlation with current skill sets IMHO.
> 
> Would s/7200/2500/g be an adequate correction?
> 
> I know of customers who still have 7200s as well, but in the context
> of ISP network engineering...  Perhaps I'm wrong, but my impression is
> people on this list have generally moved on by now.
> 
> Context matters.  One can always point to lingering examples of older
> technology (if nowhere else, the Computer History Museum 8-).  The
> question is whether the skill is relevant in context.
> 
> I built a nationwide T-1 backbone out of Livingston IRXes once (in the
> early 90s) - the IRX left my resume by the late 1990s.  I know of at
> least one still humming away in a closet, but it's not a relevant
> technology.  I also learned (some) shell commands on a Vax 11/750 when
> they were new and used Apple II's when they were new, and so on.  None
> of these are resume-appropriate now, unless I want a job at the
> Computer History 
Hi George,

I sent the message too soon :(

I meant to say more about how the equipment is not as important as the drive and willingness to work with what you have. 

I have talked to companies who have job openings many months old for people who absolutely exist in the silicon valley. The hiring company just thinks the people who apply are over or under qualified. 

All of the great coders, engineers, etc started somewhere. The main thing that separates them from the posers and acronym namers is the willingness to grow, learn and dig in. 

I like people who run 2500s in their house, or dd-wrt. It shows they are willing to try something and learn.