Advice

Ask A Progeek – Incoherent Job Requirements

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Let’s just jump into this week’s question, one we’ve all probably asked before:

How do you know what is true in a job posting?  They ask very specific things sometimes, plus there’s all this common knowledge and it doesn’t all work together.  For example, you’re supposed to be impressive and give extra information if it’s relevant AND you’re supposed to be detailed AND concise AND it’s okay if that takes a third page BUT if your resume is over two pages then you’re automatically disqualified.

Kind of disappointing isn’t it?  You get told to make coherent resumes and clear cover letters and then the job postings don’t make any sense.

Of course, that’s the solution in the first place . . .

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Why Certifications Are Great Choices For Your Career

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Certifications.  We’re used to seeing them in resumes as strings of letters after people’s names.  We’re used to hearing about them at professional associations.  We’re also used to people talking about them . . . especially people like me.

So yes, you know how it goes.  Go get certifications, etc.  But why do people (OK, again, people like me) emphasize them?   There are six major reasons:

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How To Work With Your Skills Framework

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I remember when Java was a curiosity.  Then I remember when it was going to become the universal language of everything.  Then I remember when it actually got used.  There was about a 15 year period these events were spread among.

Of course, a good programmer knows how to learn any language.  They were ready when Java actually got used.

I remember when the cloud was a curiosity and virtualization was something people only talked about.  Now everything’s cloud, and there’s at least less B.S. and more actual functionality.  That took about ten years.

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