Re:Red Flags in Software Developer Job Descriptions
by bartread on Thursday February 28, 2019 @04:41AM
(#19270168)
> let's not kid ourselves - the stacks are trivial compared to learning the processes and code at a particular business.
True. We're primarily a .NET/TypeScript/React/SQL Server shop but I'm happy to consider anyone with some experience of a C-like language, and some web development experience - it's also not necessary for these things to overlap. Beyond that, if you know what a database (of any sort) is I'm basically happy.
It's hard enough to find people who can program well in any language without making life even more difficult for yourself by adding requirements for N years experience in a given framework or technology.
Re:Red Flags in Software Developer Job Descriptions
by taude on Thursday February 28, 2019 @08:50AM
(#19271266)
I call this having "Complimentary" skill sets. If an OO shop, Java vs .NET and Ruby/Python etc. Hire for smart, ambitious, willing candidates that fit in well with the culture. I've seen people switch tech stacks very quickly, especially when there's established patterns in the existing code base they can pick up on.
I think programming language/tech stack is about 8th on my list of deciding on where to work, etc. (This just inspired me to do some writing on the subject, since I've delivered systems in most major tech stacks over the years.)
Tech stacks aren't that hard. Especially when it comes to web frameworks. To me, maintaining legacy stuff in legacy technologies requires primarily grit - the ability and patience to wade through unique and idiosyncratic mess with a debugger and come out alive on the other end. The fundamental skills of a developer, and even the fundamental technical challenges, don't change that much between frameworks or even programming languages.
The primary danger of being in legacy tech to me is having wrong keywords on your CV and getting auto-filtered when applying for a new job. I know businesses would love to immediately hire experts in their particular tech stack, but let's not kid ourselves - the stacks are trivial compared to learning the processes and code at a particular business. I don't see why a competent Angular developer wouldn't be able to pick up React in the inter-job period to the level comparable with what that person with "React" on their CV has.
Assuming what I wrote above is true, then note that hacking around outdated CV keywords is a much different problem than mitigating those "wrong sorts of skills" working with non-fad tech would hypothetically give you.