Master of all?

Recent job ads keeps me wondering if such a candidate exist

[Habtom]

Recent job ad was put up something like the following:

Senior PHP Programmer

Looking for a Senior PHP programmer, with web designing skills, proficient with VB.NET, SQL Server, .NET framework, javascript, Java, C#, C++, Visual C++ and photoshop.

:) Is this a joke?

[edited by: Habtom at 7:07 am (utc) on July 9, 2007]

[Marshall]

If it isn't, someone better be getting a BIG pay check.

Marshall

[DrDoc]

I guess it's just the title that's off ;)

I have seen a lot of those ads before. And it's not unusual for a small company to advertise for an "impossible" combination of skills. Hey, you advertise for what you really want/need, and then you take the best you can get, eh?

As long as they are prepared to pay what a person with those skills would demand -- I don't see a problem with it :)

[plumsauce]

Such people actually exist.

Problem is that the paycheck is not usually commensurate lately. Companies have these big buzzword checklists that keeps HR happy, but not the budget to go with it. Lean and mean carried to extremes means a lot of projects tank when they hit the wall. Then, it's cost overrun time. It would have been cheaper to have hired the right people to begin with.

Running joke used to be "we keep renewing the contract because you walk on water too!" That was nice :)

[edited by: plumsauce at 7:45 am (utc) on July 9, 2007]

[Habtom]

What concerned me most was that people devoted to PHP and Open source related projects are not much passionate about Microsoft products.

It might be easy to learn programming languages, but can someone have thorough knowledge in all of those?

[plumsauce]

It is possible to know a lot of languages, being very proficient in a couple and workable in others.

The trick is to realise that almost all computer languages have similar abilities, the difference being what the function is called. Each language becomes easier.

For example, my collection is:

c
javascript
transact sql

x86/assembler
z80/assembler
cobol
fortran
basic
apl

At one time I knew each of these really well, but as needs change, a language rotates to the top of the list. Whatever you use every day will dominate, but you will always be able to go back to others that you have learned.

Now, add to that, in theory, I have been paid as a network admin/integrator most of the time. Go figure.

[Habtom]

It is possible to know a lot of languages, being very proficient in a couple and workable in others.

I agree. I believe in what you just said.

[vincevincevince]

Sounds like a whipround job description, i.e. they told all the technical staff to let them know what kind of skills a new programmer needs, and they each listed skills as if the programmer was going to be working on the things they are working on.

The bottom line is that if a company wants you to have such a broad skill-base then they have no real plan for you and have no real business organisation. A programming shop which maintains staff with so many competencies needs to pick a 'key combination' and stick with it for 90% of projects - that way knowing all the infrequently used langauges is only required of 10% of the staff.

What strikes me about that list is that they aren't complimentary. You've got a few choices for the same task there, perhaps with the exception of photoshop.