A client I work for is looking to fill a position.  They’re looking for someone who has certain qualifications as you might expect that just hiring anyone who has used Microsoft Office might result in a bad piece of software.  The responses that have come in have consistently been bad or worse.  For example, one person actually gave an answer to a question that was very short, but the second sentence was “Use a search engine.”  The answer should not be use a search engine unless the question is, “What are you doing if you ask Jeeves?”  And in that case, its still grammatically incorrect.

Furthermore, if you’re filling out a series of questions, please don’t make a fool out of yourself by using the search engines.  Well, you can use the search engines, but I wouldn’t recommend simply copying and pasting the answers into the response.  There is very little that impresses me more than a good, efficient worker, but copy and paste from Google, Wikipedia, or any other source and blatantly plagerising the answers and passing them off as your own is completely unethical, lazy and useless.  A company that discovers you’re a liar, even if they’ve hired you on, will can your sorry bum rather quickly.

If you want a job as a software developer you’ll want to actually know your stuff.  Actually know the languages you’re reporting you know, actually list projects you actually worked on and helped complete (I can’t believe the number of folks who fake resume work).  If you want a job as a software developer, study up by learning about the company you’re trying to get hired on at.  Find out what software you’ll be working on, if at all possible, and focus in on knowing what you’re getting yourself into.  Don’t get surprised in the interview if you thought you were working on one project and the company discusses a different product, but at least be aware of the projects.  Be knowledgable.

Be prepared to ask questions and interview the company employees as well.  Be prepared to find out what sort of time restrictions exist at the company, find out what their development process is.  Ask what tools they use.  Make sure you know what they’re using and you’re comfortable with it.

In the end you need to be a worthy candidate, put forth the effort to be that candidate.  Make sure you’ve got your ducks in a row and that you’re prepared to take the position on with passion.  Lastly, make sure you’re a person who asks why a project, task or code change is done because it will help you excede the requirements, and knock out the interviewer (figuratively, of course).  And don’t use the search engines to knock them out

Last night, and the night before, and the night before that I was up until past midnight.  Working.  You see I’m attempting to wrap up two side-jobs in an attempt to pay off debt faster.  Faster than I would be able to pay them off if I was just working for my normal big client.  It eats into family time.  It eats into time to do things like blog on the many blogs I have (I’m rather embarrassed to say I have five), it eats into time that I have committed to doing other things like Sunday School preparation.  But I’m focused on doing it because I’ve got to get it done.

Dave Ramsey calls it Gazelle-like intensity, I call it focus, and the reality of things is that if you don’t have the drive to get out of debt, you’ll simply be in it for a lot, lot longer than you would otherwise.  Possibly thousands down the tube in interest payments and weird fees.  My buddy worked 90 hours a week for about six weeks to get the major thrust of his debt paid off.  I can’t manage that due to various limitations on my body, but it was the very same drive to have the debt behind me that pushes me to work extra side-jobs.  There’s no reason not to just dive in and get it done.  Yes, it will cost you time and friend and family time in the short term, but it may gain you that back afterwards and if you add financial liberty to free time… you’ve got something.