My Senior Developer job description had an embarrassing mistake. It asked for 7+ years experience in Python and Django, which, as a commenter noted, limited the candidate pool to about three people on the entire planet.
I’ve fixed my goof. We’re nominally looking for at least seven years of Python experience, and at least three years of Django experience, for this slot.
Seek Nuance 
why so long?
Why so long what?
It could have been worse. You could have specified that candidates needed to demonstrate some proficiency in TOPS-10, and have once worked for the Boston Systems Office writing emulators for microprocessors while living in Brandywine – in addition to your other stated requirements. That would have narrowed the pool to one – yourself – which only goes to prove, that if you want something done right – you might as well do it yourself.
Hold it – I’m not sure, perhaps Tony Camus has somehow managed to pick-up Python and Django along the way. There’s still hope.
The neurons that just fired were so old and creaky, I had to bring them out of storage and hose them down first. 🙂
Sorry… I was stumbling along on the WPI hackers page and decided to check-in.
If I recall correctly – “Dad” Camus had already “punted” and was working for BSO in Waltham more or less full time. I also vaguely remembering DDA and Rick Sysko working briefly for BSO – and they were also driftting away from school. I believe permanently.
You, however, really dug-in your heels and made a go of it. Within no time at all you became an expert at Linkage Editors et all. I was impressed that you turned that miserable winter into something positive – and you became successful.
You clawed your way into some pretty substantial successes…which I see are continuing (bravo) …to the extent that actual engineers are still involved in the business….now overrun by cut-rate underqualified – but fully-certified indentured servants from points east and west..
Be well, JDR. Happy New Year !
@mp:
You are tripping me out!
I worked at BSO for six months, then went to work at DEC. (Seeing those initials evokes emotion! What a great company that was — for a period.) Miserable winter indeed. My life was a miserable period of *years* back then. I was seriously goofed up. My problems started before WPI, though.. I should have taken a year off after high school and traveled, or experienced the world in some other way. I was too immature for college. I blew off two years of schooling, by partying and in general being a complete asshole.
This will sound harsher than I intend, but, when I think those years, I feel regret. I wasn’t a good friend to anyone, I wasn’t honest with myself, and I didn’t understand how the world worked. Not in a big geopolitical sense (though that, too, was lacking) but in personal relationships, friendship, and having integrity. I honestly don’t know what I was thinking most of the time. I thought the world revolved around whatever I wanted it to revolve.
What was I thinking? If I could go back, I’d do a million things differently. Sigh…
I remember your love of Led Zeppelin. I eventually took a liking to them. Although I had heard them before, of course, it was you who really introduced me to them. And I remember Olive! When did you sell her? I remember a conversation you had about how you took her out on 290 every so often at high speed to clear out her carburetor.
Whenever I was full of it, which was often then, you always called me on it. 🙂
Thank you for your kind words. When I think of how closely I came to falling into an abyss, I marvel that I made it out of that period alive.
Happy New Year to you, too!
Seems poorly advised to re-live any “insufficiencies of youth” in an open forum. We wouldn’t want to give any potential Django programmers any leverage.
I will say that the fact that you’re not overly self-conscious about doing it probably means that your “enlightenment” is real – and any prospect should think twice about trying to pass themselves off as being able to run circles around you, in terms of worldliness or technical prowess. They should be prepared to work hard, to not rest on their laurels, and to become subject matter experts regarding what the company produces in terms of product and services, and not simply what their particular technical proficiency “was” before they arrived – assuming, of course, that they want to earn your respect.
The list might be longer – but these requirements will be implicit.
JDR: If you like we can correspond. We can discuss “Ruth-less”, the “Superbee”, and everything that you did – or didn’t do with Sue Mark… 😉