Hi Denny,

My suggestion would be to specify the absolute-must-have requirements as
such, and then list the "also desirables" separately.

Repeat the absolute-must-haves with a reminder that these are
absolute-must-haves. When I read it and after your followup description,
I'd say there are about two A-M-H's. From your listing, it's hard to say
what's most important.

Ask for a description of one relevant recent project to accompany the
resume/application. That will give you an instant idea about the
applicant.

You'll always have a lot of applicants who apply for every possible job,
but that's what you have to put up with when hiring.

Friendly regards,

Bob

On Wed, Sep 12, 2012, at 11:27 AM, Denny Esterline wrote:
> As some of you may recall, I posted a job opportunity about a month ago
> (repeated below). Among other things I'm surprisingly disappointed in the
> type of applicants it's been attracting. Absolutely none of them are even
> close to what I expected when I wrote this description. I'm hoping that
> the
> list can give me a few thoughts about what's wrong with it and how to fix
> it.
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> It's attracted many competent "consultant" types that want to work
> remotely, but due to various corporate concerns this is an absolute non
> starter. That seems strait forward to correct, a blurb about "Full time,
> in
> office position. Relocation to Tucson, AZ required" should help.
>=20
> It's attracted a surprising number of PhDs with zero practical experience
> at this level. Thesis work in optimizing an image processing algorithm
> within Linux on ARM9 hardware is not relevant here. And because they have
> a
> PhD they want 2-3 times our planned pay structure. Not sure how to fix
> that.
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> The other group is complete script kiddies that
> think because they once clicked the "view/source" option on their browser
> and can identify at least two html tags that qualifies them for an
> embedded
> programming job. They're easy enough to toss in the round file but it's
> another symptom that I've wrote this ad incorrectly.
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>=20
> So, what I actually need...
> I've built the hardware. I've wrote some crude software so we could
> support
> a couple demos and trade shows. It works, but I'm under no illusions that
> it's _good_. The system is primarily a handheld user interface linked by
> CAN to a 1kW brushless motor and an application specific end effector.
> All
> based on dsPICs. The user interface and motor component will be common,
> but
> as the product develops we will end up with literally hundreds of
> different
> end effectors and even end users with the same end effector will likely
> need slight parameter changes. Many of these end effectors will be for
> applications we can't even guess at right now.
> I need somebody who will be in my Tucson, AZ office full time. Myself or
> others that better understand the mechanics of the customer equipment
> this
> system operates will be available to help define each application, but I
> need a "code monkey" to actually crank out the details.
> I don't really care about age, education or "formal" experience. I want
> somebody who can actually do this task with a minimum of hand holding.
> I'd
> much rather have a green kid that actually built an interface to his TI
> calculator in high school than the above mentioned PhD.
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> So, what did I do wrong with the ad copy below?
> -Denny
>=20
>=20
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> JOB DESCRIPTION
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> Responsibilities include firmware development and design, (start to
> finish), of assigned product project.
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> REQUIREMENTS INCLUDE
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> * B.S. in Computer Science, Engineering or other closely related fields
> * 2+ years experience as a software engineer within a manufacturing
> environment
> * Experience working with embedded C programming, low level control
> processing, (Interrupts, Timers, Digital I/O, ADC), serial communication
> protocols (CAN, I2C, RS232, SPI)
> * Experience in application development (C++ or Java) and SDKs (Visual
> studio/GNU)
> * Expertise in mechatronics
> * Expertise on Microchip DSPic and other microcontrollers
> * Expertise in closed-loop control systems
> * Excellent communication skills, (written, and verbal)
> * Strong attention to details, highly organized
> * Ability to work well in a fast-paced professional office environment
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> As an industry leader, we are committed to maintaining the outstanding
> level of quality services our customers expect. We strive to continually
> provide Service, Support, and Solutions to our customers. Our customers
> are
> our most important asset, and our employees are essential in maintaining
> that asset.
>=20
> We are currently seeking quality individuals who desire to achieve a
> professional and rewarding career opportunity. We offer top industry
> salaries, and a competitive benefits package that includes medical,
> dental,
> vision, an IRA program with employer match, tuition reimbursement, and
> much
> more!
> --=20
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> http://mailman.mit.edu/mailman/listinfo/piclist

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