question about recruiters (plus a little venting)

[Bruce Byfield <bbyfield -at- axionet -dot- com>]

"John Prince" <JPrince -at- e-talkcorp -dot- com> wrote:

>What's even more humorous is that these recruiters will try to sell you on
>anything. For example, one wanted me to look into a job where "Lotus Notes
>experience a must." I have never used Lotus Notes (and quite frankly have no
>desire to). The recruiter went on about how "we can get around that one."  

Many recruiters have a general rule that, if a candidate has 70%
of the qualifications requested, then he or she has a chance of
landing the job. I've heard this comment from so many different
sources that I conclude that it's a truism among recruiters.

In many cases, it makes sense. For example, if you know Word,
then a requirement for WordPerfect isn't much of a stretch. As
the recruiter's comment about how "we can get around that one"
suggests," you can simply point out that you know what to expect
from a word processor, and can be up and running quickly with
WordPerfect. However, in this case, the truism probably fails
because Notes is a complex product, and there aren't too many
comparable products. Unfortunately, the recruiter doesn't realize
that.

In other words, the recruiter probably isn't being sleazy or
opportunistic - just ignorant and too reliant on a truism that
generally works.

-- 
Bruce Byfield, Outlaw Communications
Contributing Editor, Maximum Linux
bbyfield -at- axionet -dot- com | Tel: 604.421.7189

"I know the bottom, she says. I know it with my great tap root.
It is what you fear.
I do not fear it: I have been there."
-Sylvia Plath, "Elm"