translation, anyone?

[lucy24]

Hm, I guess I could have asked in one of the grownup Forums, but...

Naah.

I found this listing while looking for {et cetera, et cetera, insert boilerplate}. I don't speak the language, so I am curious whether this is an "Uhm, yeah, so what's your point?" or a "You have got to be kidding" or somewhere in between. But I've got this twitchy feeling that the recurring "equivalencies" theme is a euphemism for "Frankly, we'll take anyone who applies."

Note that it dates from 2003, so dollar amounts should be adjusted accordingly. (No, Virginia, they are not Hong Kong dollars.) Why is a job listing from 2003 still online? No idea. Maybe it's one of those roach-motel sites where things get put up but nothing ever gets taken down.

I have of course changed all identifying details, but I did not have the willpower to delete the original <br> at each line end. There doesn't seem to be anything about no-wrap or <pre> or anything else that would mandate forced line breaks. But there were seven style sheets-- really-- plus two distinct css blocks within the main document-- and a bunch of javascript that I didn't even waste time on-- so I can't be sure. Then again, they may just have pasted it in from an e-mail or pdf and that's how it came out.

Project Manager - {name of project}<br>
Department of {government department}<br>
{capital city}<br>
<br>
Reporting to the Director of Official {blahblah}, the Project<br>
Manager for {name of project} works with the {similar blahblah} Bureau to provide<br>
technical support for the {name of project} program. The {name of project}<br>
is a computerized database of {eight lines of propaganda snipped}.<br>
<br>
The ideal candidate must have a college diploma in the field of Information<br>
Technology and related experience. You must have very strong computer<br>
skills with the ability to use database management and web page software.<br>
You must have experience in information systems project management as well<br>
as knowledge of {blahblah} issues as they relate to {location}.<br>
<br>
Equivalencies that consist of a combination of education, knowledge, skills<br>
and abilities equal in worth to the formal education and experience<br>
requirements will be considered.<br>
<br>
Salary starts at $61,289.00 plus a {hardship} Allowance of $11,303.00 per<br>
annum.<br>
<br>
REFERENCE: {code number} Closing Date: February<br>
21,2003<br>
<br>
Write to: {contact info} We will contact only<br>
those candidates selected for interviews.· Candidates must clearly<br>
identify their eligibility in order to receive priority consideration under<br>
the {governmental gobbledygook}.· Job descriptions may be obtained by<br>
fax.· Equivalencies will be considered.<br>

[engine]

Do you think it was written by a junior for a government department job?

[piatkow]

Amazing, they are actually willing to recognise experience in people without degrees. Probably threatened with a discrimination claim for not considering somebody of my generation who came into the business before IT degrees were common!

[lucy24]

they are actually willing to recognise experience in people without degrees

Yes, there are some interesting juxtapositions.

The ideal candidate must have a college diploma in the field of Information Technology ... You must have very strong computer skills

"Wha--? It's not enough to have a degree? I'm supposed to be able to do stuff too?"

a combination of ... skills and abilities equal in worth to ... experience

"I've never actually done it, but I'm sure I'd be able to."

Hmm, sounds like me in fact. "Can you speak Polish?" "I don't know, I've never tried."

Do you think it was written by a junior for a government department job?

Was that a rhetorical question? :) Can't help but notice that it never actually says what the Project Manager is supposed to do-- apart from "provide technical support". And that's not a Project Manager; it's a Technical Support Specialist. If you have Manager in your job title, doesn't that mean you supervise and/or coordinate other humans?

Matter of fact I'm feeling a bit sick to my stomach now. For the past two years-- ever since I learned about the project-- I've sporadically wondered how they managed to kill it while leaving the corpse in plain sight. Now I know. All you have to do is hire a technical-support guy, give him the job title of Project Manager, and have him report to an empty chair.*

Then again, I once came across the written job description for a minimum-wage job I'd been doing for at least a year. (Don't remember details, but possibly I was bored and was cleaning out a cupboard.) "Are you kidding? Nobody could possibly do all that!"


* I thought I was just being snide, but I looked it up. The position is currently vacant. The former occupant has apparently been kicked upstairs to one of those jobs with "Advisor" in the title.

[piatkow]

Usual problem is "required skill inflation" where they want all the skills of the previous post holder. I remember a skill set being advertised some years ago where the combination of legacy and new technology considered essential could only have been acquired by the previous job holder who oversaw the unique juxtaposition of the two.