The CF Talent Is Out There - If You Take a Chance

I find employers tend to ask for twice as much as they need in hopes of finding someone who actually meets or exceeds their requirements. For this reason, if I find a listing that looks intriguing, I will send my resume... regardless as to whether I come close to having everything they want. It wouldn't be the first time I end up having only exactly what they truly need to begin with. Unfortunately, you can't say the same for most people. I have known many who are intimidated by an overwhelming list of "required" talents. They think there is no way they cut the muster, and as such, they don't bother to apply. I would bet many an employer misses out on at least an additional handful of candidates who would have more than sufficed. I wish employers would do a better job of separating the MUST HAVEs from the WOULD LOVEs. Further, I wish the I.T. managers would write their own adverts. All too often, they slop together a list of skills and leave it to HR to fill in the rest or suss out the worthwhile resumes from the stack. There is no question that HR has its place in an organization, but where is it written than project managers can't be more involved in the initial filtering process.\n\nAs for certifications. Eh. I don't discount them, certainly, but I have encountered loads of non-certified people who exceeded the certs working next to them by miles. And judging by the recent hulabaloo surrounding Adobe CF certs... I am not even sure I will endeavor to obtain my own at this juncture.\n\nI just spent near 10 years in a middle management position. When it came to the interviewing process, I took ALL things into account. What inspires me the most, though, is hearing the following from potential candidates...\n\n* "I am self-taught when it comes to X, Y, or Z." - This says to me, here is a person who really LIKES what he or she does and is genuinely motivated. And this person probably has applied what they've learned to more real-life situations than one whose education came in the form of a college course, Learning Tree course, etc. (Don't get me wrong... I am college educated and have taken I.T. courses via Learning Tree and other similar institutions myself. I realize they too have their worth.)\n\n* "No, I don't know X but I know Y and Z." - One thing I looked for when interviewing was a candidate who would offer up something he did know in lieu of something he didn't. This told me not only could he relate to what I was asking, he also has further talents that may be of some use. Certainly he won out over the candidate who merely shrugged and looked down at their shoes.\n\nI love the "jack of all trades" types and veritable "diamonds in the rough". The best person for one's team, in my opinion, isn't necessarily the overqualified know-it-all... but someone with a good understanding of the fundamentals who learns quickly and is ready to be molded into what I need my team to become or what it already is. It is more about "what can he contribute?" vs. "which constructs have already been loaded into his brain?" Something to be said for both sides of that coin!\n\nAs I am now in the market for a pure dev job myself, I have found that no two interviews are the same. All are intriguing, and all offer a learning experience whether or not I obtain the position.\n\nThe moral of the story is not to feel intimidated by these long-winded job adverts asking for the moon. Most of them are shooting for the moon in hopes of landing in the stars... and most of the people I've encountered within this community shine one way or another.