[Gllug] VACANCY - Linux Specialist @ Visual Effects Training Facility

[tid]

> > mostly because their attitude was at odds with the company, rather
> > than any lack of technical skills.
> >
> In what way exactly? Care to expand for potential applicants?

(personal opinion follows - not all recruiters may agree: rant at me
in private if you must)

The companies I have recruited for in the recent past (some 5 or 6
positions) favour generalists so a willingness to take on areas outside
the job spec is important. They aren't looking for kernel-level gurus,
more people who can step outside their immediate areas of expertese
to help out in a crisis.

The issue of buzzword-recruitment is a contentious one and although having
a RHCE is great, does it say whether you're willing to help a windows person
in a crisis, or have the initiative to put a bucket under a drip?

A list of questions should cover the obvious: If someone says they know
sendmail, then the purpose of the interview is to find out how much.  My
advice to potential applicants is to be wholly honest with themselves first
on how much they know about individual subsystems and raise it in the
interview. I've seen people say "good knowledge of perl" and
then put

#!/bin/pearl

on a sample script.

I agree that age is a factor that a lot of companies deny 'using' or covertly
try to extract from a CV. I did recruit a 48-year old who worked with two
25-year olds at the same level, but bar the odd arguement about Led. Zep.
verses Eminem, they worked together well.

IMHO, a positive and upbeat attitude is preferable to sheer intellectual
genius for sysadmins. Likewise, an ability to explain yourself and teach
others is useful. People who can't explain how or why they solved a
problem usually don't have a ordered approach. Likewise people who
don't document systems or procedures.

Tid.
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