June 15, 2017 at 9:10 pm
Comments posted to this topic are about the item Your Job Description
June 15, 2017 at 11:30 pm
"Companies will never find this person and instead compromise their choice based on who applies. So, always apply if you meet 50% of the requirements."
This is great advice, it's easy to be put off by some of these descriptions, so if the company and position interests you, JUST DO IT!
I'd like to think even union employees would step up to the plate as most people are keen to help where help is needed, but IT is the new blue collar workforce so wouldn't be surprised if the thinking starts to shift there as well. Probably also largely depends on the work place environment, culture, management.
I just say I'm in IT, any more than that and I get blank stares 🙂
June 16, 2017 at 2:02 am
I think many job descriptions aren't worth the paper they are printed on. My role varies so much you could write it as "Do stuff with data for money. Mentor others wishing to do stuff with data. Do longer hours than were contracted or anticipated by people committing to deadlines. Show ingenuity on a daily basis".
I also think HR muddy the waters. Candidates must have 5 years experience in a 2 year old technology. Salaries up to £x for the right candidate. As per the post the right candidate doesn't exist.
My job title is "Senior Data Engineer".
June 16, 2017 at 2:29 am
Sigh, I know what my job description is, it's not 'do a lot of talking' but that's what I seem to end up doing. It's kind of draining to me but I get by, as it is about development.
June 16, 2017 at 2:45 am
A timely post as yesterday I was sorting out hardware and packing into boxes for delivery to a client. And me and hardware have a mutual hate relationship!
Other duties can include designer, business analyst, project manager, trainer, etc.
But variety makes the job more interesting as long as it's not too often (ie don't become too good at the hardware stuff!)
I tend to think I'm missing out on decent knowledge advancement and practice time, but as I've now had over 30 years as a 'computer programmer' (which you hear less of now), I've started to care less and plan for career slowdown, preferring employers who value a varied experience and are more flexible on work location and possibly part-time (now, there's the nirvana!)
My current title is 'Senior Database Developer'.
June 16, 2017 at 3:19 am
I'm in the process of testing SSIS packages prior to upgrading, at some point today I'm going to be installing Biztalk on our UAT environment and next week I'll be learning how to build virtual servers. Yesterday I was creating SSRS reports. When the upgrade is done I'll be a 'virtual DBA'. My job title will still be Senior Business Intelligence Analyst, although I've never actually analysed any business intelligence in my life.
How to post a question to get the most help http://www.sqlservercentral.com/articles/Best+Practices/61537
June 16, 2017 at 4:06 am
I'm a contractor now so no job description \o/
In a previous company - a small charity - we all had to pitch in and do other things. My job title at the time was "Lead Software Developer" but would have to clean the kitchen on a Friday afternoon every few months when it was my turn.
I did feel like saying to them "You are paying me too much to waste 1-2 hours of my time cleaning the kitchen" but I imagine that would have have gone down like a lead balloon 😀
June 16, 2017 at 6:35 am
I was interviewed by a student to briefly describe my day to day work.
My answer:
Maintaining systems:
backups and restores
database growth management
software upgrades and patches
Supporting programmers:
troubleshooting performance issues
ensuring connectivity
securing data through logins and object grants
Project work:
system builds
schema builds
New software installs
Software upgrades accompanying Application upgrades
Improvement:
tighten access to data
bring as much uniformity to systems as possible to ease maintenance
- how backups are run - use compression wherever possible
- how systems notify of issues
- how restores are performed
- how logs are maintained
- test improvements in a test environment
clean up old systems and pieces no longer being used
All of the above includes learning all day
reading about your issue
letting your searching mind wander a little here and there over the documentation as you problem solve - learn more
trying out all reasonable code you find - one may be a better fit or better idea than you have - learn more
June 16, 2017 at 6:37 am
I never thought about applying if I think I can handle 50% of what they describe. That is advice well worth remembering and I thank you.
Mostly I tell people that on paper, I am a Data Analyst, but depending on my audience, I describe what I do as one of the following: I shovel data from point a to point b, I'm a database programmer, I'm a business intelligence student. Jack of All Trades, and Master of a Quarter of Each is another description I've used. Over the years I've done whatever was needed. Developed code in various languages, babysat networks and servers, wired phone and network systems, and often worked outside my comfort zone in order to get the job done, (small companies can be great for teaching you to push your limits). I've come to the conclusion over the years, that Job Titles are fictions, like man-hours, that are used to compartmentalize people for HR and Payroll purposes. I've always liked the clause on many job descriptions that reads: " and other duties as required."
June 16, 2017 at 7:21 am
What do you do for a living?
I'm a database administrator.
<blank stare>
I'm a carpenter.
It's my job to build shelves for the programmers to store all of the company's data.
I have to make sure those shelves are large enough and strong enough to hold the data.
If the shelves fill up I have to build bigger shelves.
If the shelves break I have to be able to rebuild them quickly and put everything back.
I have to make sure no one is taking things off of the shelf that they shouldn't be taking.
If someone messes up what's on the shelf I have to be able to put it all back like nothing happened.
<recognition>
OH! OK! I can understand that!
I'm a carpenter.
June 16, 2017 at 8:03 am
My title is Senior SQL Developer. I am 65 years old, so in this case I'm actually a Senior Senior SQL Developer 🙂
June 16, 2017 at 8:06 am
I wish I kept a copy of a job description that an HR person pitched to me. It was for a programming position and it required VB.Net. But for the DBAs in SQL Server Central, the duties also required maintaining the production database, monitoring logs, and making sure that everything ran smoothly. I am not a DBA and also have no desire to code again in VB. At my current employer, as well at two past companies, each have a separate database team that maintain the databases; the developers have limited rights and cannot modify the database structures. I mentioned that to the HR person and I haven't heard anything from her.
June 16, 2017 at 8:33 am
Steve, in your article you said, "So, always apply if you meet 50% of the requirements". WOW, there's probably hundreds of jobs I've never applied for, precisely because all I qualified for was 50% of the requirements. I was certain they'd just throw out my resume/application. Now, you've got me wondering...
Kindest Regards, Rod Connect with me on LinkedIn.
June 16, 2017 at 9:11 am
My job description was one of the first at my company that didn't have "Other duties as assigned". My boss had said it was because he wanted to ensure that I had well defined job duties. But after working as a DBA for a few years, I realized that it was implied :P.
When people ask what I do, my answer was "I am a database administrator" which usually got a blank stare. Now I tell people "I am a database administrator which is a specialized field in the IT industry" and they recognize the letters I and T and instantly think I fix computers... but it is better than the blank stare.
When asked about my job duties, I am almost ready to give up on that list. It is too long.
EDIT - Rod, I applied for jobs I was underqualified for at my current company. They wanted a comp sci degree from a credible university and 5 years experience for some of the things I applied for where I had no degree and no professional experience.
My favorite (true) story about my current job is when I originally applied to work for the company. They were hiring production assemblers (solder parts onto circuit boards, attach cables and adapters to boards, and screw board and chassis together type work). I had minimal solder experience at home as a hobby at the time. They only wanted a grade 12 education (which I had), had me come in for 2 interviews (practice building stuff and an in-person interview) and then I got the letter telling me "we aren't going to hire you". Being a little discouraged as I thought I had made a good impression, I called and asked the HR person who had interviewed me "I am sorry to hear I didn't get the job. I was just curious what I had done wrong in the interview that would have caused me to not get the position? I have a little bit of prior experience in soldering and have worked with computers for quite a few years so I do have some electronics experience." They told me "I am not certain. I will look into it and get back to you.". I was expecting that to be a polite PFO type conversation, but 1 week later I had a letter congratulating me on getting the position. Later moved into the IT department and then into the software development department and finally landed a job as a DBA.
The only jobs you cannot get are the ones you don't apply for. At least in the tech industry. Most of my "skills" as a DBA (and developer) have been from reading online, self training, and trial and error (on test systems... and occationally an accidental script against live).
The above is all just my opinion on what you should do.
As with all advice you find on a random internet forum - you shouldn't blindly follow it. Always test on a test server to see if there is negative side effects before making changes to live!
I recommend you NEVER run "random code" you found online on any system you care about UNLESS you understand and can verify the code OR you don't care if the code trashes your system.
June 16, 2017 at 9:35 am
David.Poole - Friday, June 16, 2017 2:02 AMI think many job descriptions aren't worth the paper they are printed on. My role varies so much you could write it as "Do stuff with data for money. Mentor others wishing to do stuff with data. Do longer hours than were contracted or anticipated by people committing to deadlines. Show ingenuity on a daily basis".
For the most part how I have described my jobs.
Viewing 15 posts - 1 through 15 (of 39 total)
You must be logged in to reply to this topic. Login to reply