[AccessD] On resumes and cover letters

Sat Apr 23 12:56:04 CDT 2022

Maybe not addressing your stated wants.

But I was declared "redundant" a couple of decades ago.

I found ( when chatting to someone who had given me a lead to a job, that my CV was circular filtered at the HR stage without it getting to the IT department staff.
NO degree, and not currently in employment!

Seems that to get past HR  needs to have the requisite ticks, even if the IT department is desperately looking for experienced staff "Today"

So - maybe adopt the approach of  being a "temp" or contract worker, where the IT department will have got past the stage of considering a regular employee hire, and subcontracted the employment outside of the HR involvement.

So - the benefits you offer -

No pension, or holiday, or sickness cover considerations.
No delay in starting the work
No 8 hours, 5 days a week limit
Not in establishment so no overtime authorisation considerations.

No (well, minimal) training needs to create/code the processes.
You will need to read and understand the corporate  working requirements, and the IT working practices.

Consider that the IT line management will probably have known of the "need" and been trying to fill the gap in their staffing skills for at least 3 months.

So - you can do the job  starting productively as soon as they can get you through any required introduction instruction.

Once in place  you can consider if you can offer mentoring, or - an entirely different and stressful approach - "training".     

You will need to consider that you have NO authority in the workplace or the work processes

Also be aware of the probable wish for you to have PI insurance.  
But consider that should only be for the period during which you are being paid an appropriate minimum amount each month
If there is a requirement to provide 5, or 10 years Professional indemnity - that should create a starting point of 1,000 profit needed to cover each year of the required indemnity 
Insurance cover is usually for the period of the cover - not for the period of use of a "deliverable"

Also - final checks -  properly addressed, and to the correct person  structure, syntack, flow, punchuation, and spelling.

-----Original Message-----
From: AccessD <accessd-bounces+jamesbutton=blueyonder.co.uk at databaseadvisors.com> On Behalf Of Bill Benson
Sent: Saturday, April 23, 2022 5:48 PM
To: Access Developers discussion and problem solving <accessd at databaseadvisors.com>
Subject: Re: [AccessD] On resumes and cover letters

He not only didn’t answer your question but attributed my words to you. Ha.
I wouldn’t mind getting away with that more often. For sure I would air my
grievances with society all the time.

I do think people missed my point about young people not giving back. And
maybe it is because I always was that kind of person my entire career, a
sharer.

I ran out of fingers and toes counting the number of times I have asked
people “Next time you are working on a Power BI problem or an Alteryx
project, can you please let me know, I am really anxious to see those
programs.” - and  then circled back to those same folks to find they had
let several opportunities to help me out slip by with no notice to me.
Workplaces SUCK! Trying to be a role model is a waste of time also, if that
is in and of itself your goal. People always did and still do steal your
credit, knife you in the back, and never share, thinking their new
knowledge is their “edge.” Still, being able to help others and accomplish
things people marvel at, keep me from leaving the corporate world.

On Sat, Apr 23, 2022 at 11:35 AM Rocky Smolin <rockysmolin2 at gmail.com>
wrote:

> " younger generation grudgingly accepts being mentored by older more
> seasoned
> professionals, but they never give back."
>
> Thus it ever was? I think Abraham had that complaint about Isaac. :o)
>
> "I don’t know what is wrong with younger workers, they have little sense of
> loyalty or giving back to those who helped them."
>
> In the corporate environment I think you've got something of a chicken and
> egg problem - corporations no longer have the commitment to employees that
> they used to. I found from working with many companies over my career that
> the employees reflect the attitude of top management. So upon
> entertaining a company like that the employee understands the ground rules.
> Get what you can, promote yourself, curry favor with your mentor if there's
> a path for advancement, otherwise you're not going to be here in 3-4 years
> anyway.
>
> When I turned 60 I knew I didn't want to still be flogging the system I had
> been selling for 20 years when I was 70.  It took 5 years to find someone
> to acquire it from me. But then - since I was no longer Joe Programmer, and
> the kids were out of the house,so I was no longer 'Dad' (on a daily basis,
> they never really go away). Who was I?  Each of us going through this
> 'passage' has to find a way to redefine ourselves.  Most important, I
> think, is to do something you would like to do but is out of your comfort
> zone - challenge your brain with something new.
>
> I turned to music, started to play more (I play upright bass, in a
> variety of genres). And then three years ago, I joined a string orchestra,
> something I would have bet large amounts of money I would never do in my
> life.  I didn't know how to use a bow.  I couldn't read the bass clef.
> After three years I'm still a grade B contra bass player at best, but I
> think it's been really good for my brain (I'm 73, btw).
>
> I also wrote a novel during the COVID shutdown - again, something that I
> would have bet the house that I'd never do.  But there it is.  Why I did is
> a longish and not relevant story here.  But it forced me into all kinds of
> areas that I had no experience in (like writing a story, inventing
> characters, doing dialog).  Now I'm in uncharted territory again, trying to
> figure out how to drive 30,000 people to the Amazon web page.  I have no
> idea how to do that.  But I've got a lead on a couple of millenials who DO
> know this stuff.
>
> You've got a kind of different problem because you've got a lot longer
> horizon than I do. And since that fixed disability income will erode with
> inflation, and as you approach Medicare age you'll GASP at the premiums
> you'll have to pay. Is there a limit to how much money you can earn before
> it impacts your disability payments?
>
> OK, bit of a ramble here. But Arthur never answered my question.  Why is he
> doing this resume thing?
>
> r
> On Fri, Apr 22, 2022 at 9:56 PM Bill Benson <bensonforums at gmail.com>
> wrote:
>
> > Rocky, I won’t speak  for Arthur but it is a sound question to ask
> oneself
> > as they get to an age where they need less to satisfy materially but
> > perhaps don’t have large extended families who hold them in any regard
> > whatever. We like to use our minds and skills to earn us the only things
> > that still matters, and that some of us will ever have:  accomplishment,
> > and if possible, respect and appreciation.
> >
> > Recently I had to go through a soul searching exercise. My cornea damage
> > had gotten to the point where at almost 57, work has become much harder.
> I
> > got the surgeon who messed up one of my eyes to help me go on disability.
> > So I would get 60 percent of my current pay (adjusted for CPI annually
> but
> > never again a raise, no opportunity for increasing one’s 401K- and no
> > mental stimulation. OTOH, the disability income isn’t taxed, and there is
> > no FICA so I think it works out to about 80 percent of net pay. And if
> not
> > medicare eligible, then not having company paid benefits would be another
> > rub. But any way if we handled our finances decently along the way it
> might
> > not be about the money. For now I am going with partial disability since
> I
> > can see for part of the workday.
> >
> >  One thing I find most frustrating in the modern workplace is that
> younger
> > generation grudgingly accepts being mentored by older more seasoned
> > professionals, but they never give back. I don’t know what is wrong with
> > younger workers, they have little sense of loyalty or giving back to
> those
> > who helped them.
> >
> >
> > On Fri, Apr 22, 2022 at 11:48 PM Rocky Smolin <rockysmolin2 at gmail.com>
> > wrote:
> >
> > > "To put this all another way, I don't need the money. I don't need to
> be
> > > rich. Enough money to pay the rent and feed the cats and once in a
> > > while pay for a new laptop, that's enough. So money alone is
> > > insufficient incentive."
> > >
> > > So what's your motivation for doing this exercise?  If you were
> offered a
> > > job,would you take it?  You say you have everything you want at the
> > > moment.  SO economics is not the motivator. Do you want to go to work
> > every
> > > day, put in 40 hours of programming, in a corporate environment? (Even
> if
> > > you get to work from home, you aren't shielded from corporate culture.)
> > >
> > > So what is the point of this exercise?
> > >
> > > r
> > >
> > >
> > > On Fri, Apr 22, 2022 at 8:43 PM Bill Benson <bensonforums at gmail.com>
> > > wrote:
> > >
> > > > Arthur, the solution for your MAIN problem is simple. Leave off dates
> > of
> > > > graduation, and only show the last 10 years of work you have done and
> > for
> > > > whom. You include all the technologies you know in the Experience
> > > section,
> > > > that ticks enough boxes for AI to get your resume matched to jobs.
> > > >
> > > > No one can legally ask your age or when you graduated or started uour
> > > > career. In fact with many application processes they don’t even want
> > you
> > > to
> > > > give them dates because then they can get audited by EEOC and he
> shown
> > to
> > > > have rejected more older people than younger, as a percent of age
> > strata,
> > > > so you are doing the employer and yourself to nix that sh-  er,
> > > > shenanigans.
> > > >
> > > > But do list the projects where you came on the scene, saved the day,
> > > worked
> > > > well with teams, brought projects across the goal line.
> > > >
> > > > And don’t say things like “30 years later my solution is still in
> > place”,
> > > > for obvious reasons.
> > > >
> > > > And I totally agree with Susan, lose the preemptive scorn!
> > > >
> > > > On Fri, Apr 22, 2022 at 5:12 PM Arthur Fuller <
> fuller.artful at gmail.com
> > >
> > > > wrote:
> > > >
> > > > > Premisses:
> > > > > a) I am 74 years old and all too aware of the ageism that rules our
> > > > > industry.
> > > > > b) I am also aware of the severe shortage of programmers who can
> > > actually
> > > > > program, and the desperation in the industry to find and hire such
> > > > persons.
> > > > > c) Certain skills slowly evolve, to keep pace with their underlying
> > > > > languages. SQL is a case in point. Newish features  have been added
> > to
> > > > the
> > > > > core SQL definition, some of which are vendor-specific -- which
> > > violates
> > > > > the pure abstraction that SQL initially offered. Big Data Clusters
> > are
> > > > one
> > > > > example, an attempt (IMO) to stave off the onslaughts presented by
> > > other
> > > > > offerings. More importantly, the shift to document storage kicked
> the
> > > > knees
> > > > > out of the traditional SQL religion. Documents, by definition, do
> not
> > > > > conform to neat rows and columns, and are more easily described and
> > > > > expressed in HTML and similar formats. This shift led to a gradual
> > > > > rethinking of the domain formerly understood as Database
> Management.
> > > > > d) It is not easy for a SQL developer to make this shift in
> domains.
> > It
> > > > is
> > > > >
> > > > > . All this can be taken in stride by a competent SQL programmer.
> And
> > so
> > > > the
> > > > > firm (whether large or small, or even indirect -- call them
> staffing
> > > > > agencies, lest I use a more insulting term) employs allegedly AI
> > > software
> > > > > to scan the submitted resumés.
> > > > > I digress. Now that I have managed to survive this many years, I
> > really
> > > > > don't give a fork about how I am perceived by the headhunters
> and/or
> > > > firms
> > > > > on whose behalf they toil. In fact, what I want to do is disrupt
> > their
> > > > > algorithms completely. I don't care whether I am considered for an
> > > > > interview, much less hired or contracted. I can survive without
> them
> > --
> > > > and
> > > > > that is a degree of freedom almost no one knows. It doesn't mean
> > that I
> > > > can
> > > > > thrive; that's another discussion; but it does  mean that I can pay
> > the
> > > > > rent, feed my two cats and myself, pay the internet and cell
> > providers,
> > > > so
> > > > > to that extent I am free.
> > > > >
> > > > > So I want to craft a resumé that basically says, "I don't need you,
> > but
> > > > you
> > > > > need me, and I am willing to discuss terms and conditions, but your
> > > offer
> > > > > better be good or I shall just Walk On By and say Bye Bye."
> > > > >
> > > > > To put this all another way, I don't need the money. I don't need
> to
> > be
> > > > > rich. Enough money to pay the rent and feed the cats and once in a
> > > while
> > > > > pay for a new laptop, that's enough. So money alone is insufficient
> > > > > incentive. A truly challenging problem, ideally one that could
> > improve
> > > > the
> > > > > world at large, now that is an incentive!
> > > > >
> > > > > So how do I write this up?
> > > > >
> > > > > --
> > > > > Arthur
> > > > > --
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> > > > > AccessD at databaseadvisors.com
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> > > > > Website: http://www.databaseadvisors.com
> > > > >
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