[Cialug] Job Posting - Linux Admin

[Jeff Davis]

I'll address these all at the top because embedding them where
they fit is going to get ugly with the nested comments.

[Associates Degree in Information Technology]
If they go less than a bachelors, then it may not really be
required and at least in my opinion implies that they are
going to be looking at a low-moderate salary range.

[Three (3) or more years experience in server and network administration]
The 3 years requirement does mean you shouldn't bother to apply if you
once installed ubuntu.  But does not necessarily mean you shouldn't apply
if you have 10 years of experience.  It is another indicator that they
aren't
looking for a senior person though and tends to indicate the pay range.
(e.g. If you're living in CA and want to move to Pella because you grew up
there and you have 10 yrs exp. then it might be a good fit.  But you
won't be
earning anywhere near what you made in CA.)

[Experience with Unix/Linux servers and VoIP/PBX required]
In this case you should refer to the above requirement of 3 years
experience.
This indicates that if you're experience is 5 yrs of windows admin work and
you don't know what a PBX even is then you shouldn't apply.
If you've been in a windows/*nix environment for at least 3 years and know
a little about voip/pbx then sure, toss your hat in the ring.

[Knowledge of routers, firewalls, and switches]
This is a bit vague.  However, given the above requirement of voip/pbx
then you probably ought to know more about switches and routers than
they look like a flat christmas tree with green and amber lights.
Since they're only requiring 3 years experience, I wouldn't expect them
to be wanting a CCIE, but if you have that I'm sure they'll want to have a
chat with you.  If you can at least do some basic configuration, and have
the previously discussed voip skills then you'll probably get a serious
look.

The thing about this is that they may take a windows admin with voip
experience
who has some basic interest and hobby level experience with linux.  You
never know,
and this is where having a decent relationship with a good recruiter can
help you out.

It would be nice if they included a statement like:
Average 40-45 hours/week, with occasional night and weekend work.
Rotating on-call duty every 6 weeks.

Just my 2 cents,

-Jeff

Corey Chandler wrote:
>   
>> Requirements:
>>
>> Associates Degree in Information Technology
>>     
>
> This is the first requirement in the list, and it's kind of a strange 
> one.  Generally the first requirement is the most important (that's why 
> it's first, after all!), but an associate's degree is a bit odd; 
> normally if they're degree centric they focus on a bachelor's or higher. 
>   Stipulating that it be in "Information Technology" is horrendously 
> specific, and leads me to suspect that this is either a) not that 
> important of a requirement, or b) that it's being this specific in order 
> to set the job up for "Our Friend Steve the H1B" by excluding most other 
> candidates.
>
>   
>> Three (3) or more years experience in server and network administration
>>     
>
> This requirement is pretty standard, and it's a decent one.  They're 
> letting me know that I shouldn't apply if I have ten years of experience 
> doing this stuff, nor should I if I "installed Ubuntu on a laptop this 
> one time."
>
>   
>> Experience with Unix/Linux servers and VoIP/PBX required
>>     
> Here's where it starts to get a little dicey.  Do they want that 3 years 
> of experience to be on Linux/Unix, or would that guy who "installed 
> Ubuntu on a laptop once" but worked in a Microsoft shop be a viable 
> candidate?
>
>   
>> Knowledge of routers, firewalls, and switches
>>     
>
> Okay, at what level?  "I can point to one in the datacenter" versus "I 
> architected a network for a dentist's office with three remote sites" 
> versus "I have a CCIE-level understanding of this type of thing?"
>
> Now for the stuff I don't see:
>
> None of the above are particularly horrific, but what I don't see, would 
> love to see, and likely never will see is a salary range for the 
> position.  I know two guys who'd perhaps be interested in this job-- 
> one'd be thrilled to make $12 an hour (not me), and another who doesn't 
> roll out of bed for less than $150 an hour (also not me).  The latter is 
> likely to be rather irritated to go through an entire interview process, 
> only to discover that he's asking for twice what the job is willing to 
> pay, while the former is potentially going to find himself in WAY over 
> his head when they start expecting work quality that's way above his 
> current pay grade.
>
> I'd also love to see the job description broken out a bit more; what 
> particular aspects of admin work do they particularly need help with? 
> Sendmail/Postfix, Apache's httpd, MySQL/Postgres, trending & monitoring, 
> etc.  Everyone has their strengths and weaknesses, but "I want an admin" 
> does very little to cull the field without additional data.
>
>
> Those are my thoughts; I welcome yours.
>
> -- Corey / KB1JWQ
>
>
>
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