Re: [PLUG] help with filling a sysadmin position

[Michael Leone <turgon@mike-leone.com>]

rmsolino@doubleslash.net wrote:
>> I'm surprised that a couple people suggested including transportation
>> info since I have some there (15-20 mins. from Philly, access to
>> 95 and 476), and figured Media, PA is easy enough to enter into a
>> map site or track down on the septa site.  
> 
> 
> and your street address is ... ?

Here's my perspective ... and I take public transportation, so that is a
major consideration for me.

Now, if you're living in Princeton or somewhere far from Media, and
dependent on public transportation, you're not answering this ad,
regardless of street address. Because the public transportation from
there to Media would be long and complicated - too complicated.

If you live in South Philly (like I do), and I think I'm qualified (I'm
not), then I'm answering the ad. Regardless of whether the street
address is there or not. Let's be real - it's an employment ad. How long
will it take you to send an email and resume? Few minutes? A bit longer,
if you investigate the company first? Do I care about the amount of
bandwidth to answer an ad? I'm looking for a job; if I wasn't, none of
this matters. When you look for a job, you answer a lot of ads ...

Now, suppose they are interested. They contact me. *Only* at that point,
does their street address matter to me (as an indication on whether I
can easily get myself there). If they're not interested, does it matter
what their address is? No. Up until that point, what have I invested in
this company? An email? A copy of my resume? A few minutes of my time?
Some bandwidth? It's not like I have some deep emotional attachment and
hope tied up in this. Not knowing their address wouldn't stop me from
answering.

When they tell me the address, I can investigate further. And then it
becomes "You're a bit too transportationally inaccessible to me; sorry
it didn't work out". Or "See you on Thu at 3 for the interview". The
company hasn't invested too much; they just read a resume. They'll be
reading a lot of resumes. :-)

Let's not over-analyze an ad. Yes, it's nice to have the street address;
it helps. Does it make or break your decision to try for this job?

It certainly wouldn't for me.


-- 
Michael J. Leone                  Registered Linux user #201348
<mailto:turgon@mike-leone.com>

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