Looking for Linux Administrators... on Windows

When I was last hunting for a job I posted my resume on sites like CareerBuilder and Monster. The strangest part was that I got more email about openings after I landed a job than before. However, I found out that more than a few firms were farming those sites for email addresses and I was getting placed on a few job lists. I removed myself from most of them, but I keep some of the job-spam around for the amusement value.

I always find it amusing when I get messages stating, "we have reviewed your resume and you are perfect for this position. ... Senior Java Developer ... 4+ years experience developing with Java in an enterprise environment." I can tell they actually care about me because I have listed no Java experience, just mentioned it in passing with a word-salad that helps me get through the auto-filters.

I got one I found particularly interesting today. It's from my friend at James Moore and Associates which I get an update from at least once a month on new positions. Usually they're way off my expertise and experience, but this one was actually on target.

We have three exciting, fast-growing pre-IPO clients seeking Linux System Administrators.

Now Linux System Administration is something I actually do! I like to keep an eye on what's out there and what skills seem to be in demand. I was actually interested until I got to the following:

If any of these sound interesting to you, please send me your resume as a Word attachment ASAP and indicate which position most interests you.

So let me get this straight, you want a Linux system administrator to send you a resume in a format that will likely only display properly if written in Windows. Word-formatted resumes are the most irksome thing about job hunting in my opinion. I can deal with the unemployment, I can deal with interviews and HR people, but why do these people insist on using a format for which the display is highly dependent on the system it is viewed on? Some web-based submission forms won't accept anything but .doc files at all. Couldn't they at least accept PDFs, a format which is designed to be created and read across platforms such that all the formatting is preserved as the author intended?

Here I think we run into the fundamental problem of having HR folks searching for technical experts and hackers. It's two entirely different mindsets and if the HR people can't understand the people they're looking for they have no hope of distinguishing the good from the bad. I believe that's why they depend so much on key words. As Paul Graham explained in his hyperbolic manner, "All the computer people use Macs or Linux now." And you'll find any developer worth his salt can pick up the latest technology in a few days.

I like to look at it as a reverse-screening processes. Corporations that don't care enough about their employees to be sensitive and personal in the hiring process are probably not places I'd like to work.