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[Position-available] Please comment on the new posting rules for those seeking or offering jobs



Here's "Round Two" of revisions to the BLU's draft posting guidelines.

I've pasted things in here from different sources, so I'll apologize in 
advance if I get something mixed up.

Bill

Bill Bogstad wrote:
>>>> The length limit is almost meaningless as it depends on screen size/font size/etc.  Why not just specify max # of lines/columns?
>>>>         

Good point: I've changed it to ask for 30 lines maximum. This will need 
more debate, but I agree that there should be a limit.

>
> Guidelines for Positions Available (a.k.a. "Help Wanted") notices:
>
>    1. All positions offered must be for jobs that require proficiency
> in Linux or UNIX.
>   *** 2. You must include a contact telephone number with your
> announcement. Any applicant who has questions about the job is
> entitled to talk to a live human being. Web forms or email addresses
> alone are not sufficient.
>
>   
>>>> Why?  Personally, I would never accept a job without eventually talking to someone, but email is more efficient for an initial
>>>>         
> 'does this make any sense at all for either party' and eliminates
> wasteful phone tag.  Why not leave it up to the applicants to decide
> for themselves if this is necessary to them?  I'm not sure what
> problem this requirement is solving.  Something generic on 'clear
> contact information must be provided for responding for this job'
> would seem sufficient to me.
>   

dsr-mzpnVDyJpH4k7aNtvndDlA at public.gmane.org wrote:

> From the viewpoint of an occasional job poster: the problem is
> rarely in getting resumes; the problem is getting resumes of
> qualified people. Putting a personal email address in a wanted
> ad is asking for a flood; putting a personal phone number in is
> asking to be interrupted every ten minutes for the next two
> weeks. 


I want phone numbers because they're hard to fake and trivial to
confirm. It's the only way I could think of to limit spam and
fishing/phishing posts. As for emails, it's OK to obfuscate them, but
I think those reading such posts are entitled to have an address, and
I doubt there'll be a flood if the address is anti-spammed. Applicants
who are concerned about it can use a throwaway address.

> ***   3. Your announcement must be complete and self-contained. Such
> phrases as "Call for details" will cause your announcement to be
> rejected.
>   

> There's no reason to cover common sense issues, I think.

Yep, you're right. 

> Bill Bogstad wrote:
>>>> What about details on salary, benefits, etc?  A list of required details would make more sense to me.  Personally things like:
>>>>         
> location, types of systems to be used, hourly vs. salary (with
> ranges), would be on my list of required details.  I'm sure there
> would be others.
>   

Several people suggested this, and I've made the change.

> ***   4. You may not include HTML code ar any attachments as they will
> be removed by the listserv. Links to other sites, such as your
> ***business and the complete job spec, are allowed.
>
>   
>>>> I would say plain text with no formatting rather then HTML code.  What is LaTex or Troff okay but HTML isn't?  This works well with max lines/columns instruction as well.
>>>>         

OK, I think that's splitting hairs, but I changed it.

>
> ***   5. No fishing allowed. All positions must be immediately
> available and any applicants are entitled to expect a decision within
> 30 ***days of their response.
>
>   
>>>> Should this be 'phishing'?
>>>>         

Depends on your definition. Recruiters routinely advertise "generic" 
jobs in order to get more r?sum?s, and that's considered ethical 
behavior in their world.

>
>    6. If you are not the same firm that is offering the position, you
> must disclose this in the announcement. If you are being paid a fee
> for your work, you must disclose this as well. A line saying "Employer
> pays all fees" or "Applicants are charged a fee" is adequate notice,
> but you must include one or the other.
>
>  ***  7. Pyramid plans are unacceptable. Don't try to push Amway or
> any of it's cohorts.
>
>   
>>>> Is this redundant with requirements #1 and #5 (skills/phishing).  Personally, I would enjoy reading a real job posting which managed to pass #1 and #5 and failed #7. :-)
>>>>         

I took those out, since the "common sense" rule applies.
>
> Guidelines for Positions Wanted (a.k.a. "At Liberty" or "Seeking
> Employment") notices:
>
> ***   1. You must be seeking a job in the Boston area.
>
>   
>>>> Should something similar be required for 'wanted' postings as well?  I certainly don't want to read a hundred job postings
>>>>         
> for Silicon Valley positions on this list and nothing prevents it in
> the rules above.
>   

Ted Roche wrote:

> Re: Boston-area. What qualifies as Boston-area these days? As an
> independent contractor, I've worked with clients who live in lands
> I'm hard-pressed to find on a map. With the internet, the world has
> become much flatter. I also know several people who've moved
> cross-country for the right position. I know we don't want to become
> a competitor to Monster nor a graffitti board, but we don't want to
> restrict the opportunities, too.

I added the "Boston Area" language to the 'wanted' section. I don't
know if we're reaching an audience outside Metro Boston, or if the
intersection of {Our Members} and {Job Seekers skilled in UNIX and/or
Linux} is a large enough group to take announcements for a wider area.
Ted's point about a flatter Earth is well taken: this needs more
debate as well.

   
Bill Bogstad wrote:

>>>>   2. A post may only be for a single individual, and must include
>>>>   a telephone number where the applicant may be reached. Email
>>>>   address and snail mail addresses are also customary: you may
>>>>   obfuscate your email address if you choose, but it must be
>>>>   human-readable and it must be your own address. (Posts on
>>>>   behalf of others will be considered on a case-by-case basis).

> *** Same comments about phone vs. email here.  Plus, I would never
> post my personal phone number to a publicly accessible mailing list
> and would discourage others from doing so as well.

Well, I concede that some members may be reluctant to post a telephone
number. This also needs more debate.

>  >>>  3. If you list CV that include college credentials, you should
> expect that they will be verified and give permission for anyone to do
> so.
>
> ***I guessing that posting to a mailing list would not be considered
> by a college to be permission to do anything so this is probably
> unenforceable.  Something generic about applicants should expect
> employers to desire to check credentials/references might educate the
> few people who haven't yet learned this is common practice.

I removed it; the "common sense" rule again.

>  5. If you are fluent in a language other than American English,
> please include that as well.   

This is also gone, since I'd bet multi-lingual applicants will want to 
include it anyway.

Again, if I fat-fingered anyone's credits, my apologies. The revised guidelines are at http://billhorne.homelinux.org/blu-jobs.html .

Bill Horne

-- 
E. William Horne
William Warren Consulting
Computer & Network Installations, Security, and Service
http://william-warren.com
781-784-7287








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