I often make the comment that "I can debug software written in languages I don't know" is a very hard thing to put on a resume. Recently I made this comment in the context of potentially applying for a job where an acquaintance works. She is somewhat technically savvy, and understood the thought I was trying to convey, but she was incredulous. It took me longer than I'd have liked to explain it, and I didn't do a very good job, so it occurs to me that this is a subject I could do with some thinking and writing on.
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All of this comes together to form the skill that I can't put on my resume. I've learned almost every language that I know by diving into an existing program that wasn't behaving correctly (or I wanted to improve) and making the necessary change. I wish there was a way to convey this concept succinctly, because I think it's one of my most employable traits. Unfortunately I'm stuck hoping for the one in a hundred development jobs where management recognizes that being a good developer has nothing to do with the language being used, or for a chance to get my foot in the door somewhere as a PHP developer (note to self: pick up Django or Ruby on Rails, over half the jobs I didn't apply for today required proficiency in one of those). If anyone out there has feedback on how I can better describe this concept, or needs further clarification, please comment here or elsewhere or contact me privately.
( Read more... )
All of this comes together to form the skill that I can't put on my resume. I've learned almost every language that I know by diving into an existing program that wasn't behaving correctly (or I wanted to improve) and making the necessary change. I wish there was a way to convey this concept succinctly, because I think it's one of my most employable traits. Unfortunately I'm stuck hoping for the one in a hundred development jobs where management recognizes that being a good developer has nothing to do with the language being used, or for a chance to get my foot in the door somewhere as a PHP developer (note to self: pick up Django or Ruby on Rails, over half the jobs I didn't apply for today required proficiency in one of those). If anyone out there has feedback on how I can better describe this concept, or needs further clarification, please comment here or elsewhere or contact me privately.