7 ms·

Recruiter: We're looking for someone to fix the pipes. You: Yes, I'm a qualified plumber and can do the job. Recruiter: Sure, but can you fix our pipes? You:

by type0 9y ago

Recruiter: We're looking for someone to fix the pipes. You: Yes, I'm a qualified plumber and can do the job. Recruiter: Sure, but can you fix our pipes? You: Off course, that is is what I was trained to do. Recruiter: You keep saying you're a plumber but we need someone to fix our pipes You: I can do it. Recruiter: we need someone who have worked with pipes. You: I have worked with those. Recruiter: Sure, but we need someone to fix our pipes. etc

Spooky23 9y ago
A more apropos version: Recuiter: we need someone who can work with copper and pex pipes. Your resume says that you work with PEX You: I can do plumbing. I have connected PEX to copper before. Recruiter: Do you have experience installing copper? You: Building codes allow you to substitute PEX for copper pipe. I have used PEX with copper. Recruiter: we need someone to work with copper. Thank you.
- bo1024 9y ago
  To me, the problem (in part) seems to be that the recruiter is not qualified to understand, or at least cannot clearly communicate, whether they actually need someone who has worked specifically with copper or whether they want general experience with pipes such as copper and pex.
- Jedd 9y ago
  Recruiter: We need someone who knows apropos is an adverb, and won't use it where they probably want 'appropriate'.
cracell 9y ago
So it says here you've worked with pipes in large commercial buildings and small residential buildings. But this position is primarily for pipes in park bathrooms. Do you have any experience with that type of pipe?
- 2_listerine_pls 9y ago
  Please draw a triangle with 2 perpendicular lines.
  - Aeolun 9y ago
    Please sir, we are trying to hire an expert here!
  - MichaelGG 9y ago
    Would you accept one drawn on a sphere?
    - raattgift 9y ago
      Only if you can show that there are three coordinate-independent vertices.
  - 102030485868 9y ago
    Give me a sphere and I'll do it! Two parallel lines though....
  - krick 9y ago
    Actually, any right triangle is "a triangle with 2 perpendicular lines"...
    - oblio 9y ago
      Get out of here, Pythagoras! :D
- dsfyu404ed 9y ago
  Thinks to self: "I'm sure I must have I laid pipe in a park and in a bathroom at some point back in high-school. Regardsless, I'm an f-ing plumber, I can figure it out. If I couldn't figure out crap like that I wouldn't be a plumber in the first place. I'll just tell them what they want to hear." Replies: "Yes, I have experience with pipe in that setting."
kelvin0 9y ago
Good one! Sounds like a Monty python skit! I would add that in this case they wanted someone with 'clay' pipes experience. He only had 'regular' pipes knowledge.
- pmlnr 9y ago
  The thing is, in your context, materials do matter; there are enourmous differences between material x and y, eg. a metal pipe and a plastic pipe. Different structural capabilities, different resistance towards chemicals, etc., so if you do need clay pipes experience, because of the very special material that is about to flow in it, or due to structural/pressure/etc specialities, you may actually be in the need of someone who knows these. There aren't that many differences in software and they are easier to learn (eg. be aware of `killall` linux vs bsd). In this case though I doubt they were looking for a specialist; it would have been marked as, for example, AS/400 experience if this was the case.
  - kelvin0 9y ago
    You must be the life of the party in every social gathering! I understand what you mean, my example was not very good... This guy has a better analogy (and funnier) then mine: http://www.jasonbock.net/jb/News/Item/7c334037d1a9437d9fa6506e2f35eaac http://www.jasonbock.net/jb/News/Item/7c334037d1a9437d9fa650...
shermozle 9y ago
I remember in about 1998 seeing a job ad for a dev with 7 years of Java. Yeah good luck with that one! I'm sure they found someone willing to put that on their CV.
- dsfyu404ed 9y ago
  The first several years were probably IT operations for a company that has something to do with coffee.
grecy 9y ago
Which is why you need to see this is an inane game, and just "beat it" and move on. Recruiter: We're looking for someone to fix the pipes. (re-word their statement/question in your answer so there can be NO ambiguity) You: I have lots of experience fixing many kinds of pipes, (including the EXACT SPECIFIC kind you asked for - WORD FOR WORD.) (Notes on your replies, they didn't ask if you are a qualified plumber, they didn't ask what you were trained to do)
- oblio 9y ago
  This here is the right answer for situation. Of course, depending on your objective: if your objective is to have at least the option of interviewing further for this company, it helps to remember the concept of Pyrrhic victories: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pyrrhic_victory https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pyrrhic_victory, i.e.: don't win the battle and lose the war.
- smnscu 9y ago
  Alternatively, don't fucking apply to this kind of company. They have BILLIONS of dollars in the bank (let that sink in for a moment) and the technical recruiters are paid well anyway, there is absolutely no reason for them to not give at least a timid shit about the quality of the people who are the first line of interaction with potential employees. I interviewed at Google 3 times and I'm currently going through the interviews for the 4th time (a combination of bad interviewers and me being a total idiot), and this time I've stumbled across the nicest technical recruiter I've ever seen in 7yrs in the industry. She actively fought for me after a poor performance, and went above and beyond to accommodate me. And all my previous 3 recruiters at Google were extremely "professional-nice" and rather intelligent. In contrast, every single interaction I had with Facebook left a bad taste in my mouth (mostly getting rejected 2 times with a 5 line email, after being referred by Fb employees). TL;DR stop enabling companies to be shitty
  - grecy 9y ago
    I was also thinking along the same lines for unpaid internships. Companies have billions in the bank, make tens of billions profit each year, and have "staff" working who they don't pay a cent to. The fact there are no laws against that is evil.

by type0 9y ago

Spooky23 9y ago

A more apropos version: Recuiter: we need someone who can work with copper and pex pipes. Your resume says that you work with PEX You: I can do plumbing. I have connected PEX to copper before. Recruiter: Do you have experience installing copper? You: Building codes allow you to substitute PEX for copper pipe. I have used PEX with copper. Recruiter: we need someone to work with copper. Thank you.

bo1024 9y ago
To me, the problem (in part) seems to be that the recruiter is not qualified to understand, or at least cannot clearly communicate, whether they actually need someone who has worked specifically with copper or whether they want general experience with pipes such as copper and pex.
Jedd 9y ago
Recruiter: We need someone who knows apropos is an adverb, and won't use it where they probably want 'appropriate'.

cracell 9y ago

So it says here you've worked with pipes in large commercial buildings and small residential buildings. But this position is primarily for pipes in park bathrooms. Do you have any experience with that type of pipe?

2_listerine_pls 9y ago
Please draw a triangle with 2 perpendicular lines.
- Aeolun 9y ago
  Please sir, we are trying to hire an expert here!
- MichaelGG 9y ago
  Would you accept one drawn on a sphere?
  - raattgift 9y ago
    Only if you can show that there are three coordinate-independent vertices.
- 102030485868 9y ago
  Give me a sphere and I'll do it! Two parallel lines though....
- krick 9y ago
  Actually, any right triangle is "a triangle with 2 perpendicular lines"...
  - oblio 9y ago
    Get out of here, Pythagoras! :D
dsfyu404ed 9y ago
Thinks to self: "I'm sure I must have I laid pipe in a park and in a bathroom at some point back in high-school. Regardsless, I'm an f-ing plumber, I can figure it out. If I couldn't figure out crap like that I wouldn't be a plumber in the first place. I'll just tell them what they want to hear." Replies: "Yes, I have experience with pipe in that setting."

kelvin0 9y ago

Good one! Sounds like a Monty python skit! I would add that in this case they wanted someone with 'clay' pipes experience. He only had 'regular' pipes knowledge.

pmlnr 9y ago
The thing is, in your context, materials do matter; there are enourmous differences between material x and y, eg. a metal pipe and a plastic pipe. Different structural capabilities, different resistance towards chemicals, etc., so if you do need clay pipes experience, because of the very special material that is about to flow in it, or due to structural/pressure/etc specialities, you may actually be in the need of someone who knows these. There aren't that many differences in software and they are easier to learn (eg. be aware of `killall` linux vs bsd). In this case though I doubt they were looking for a specialist; it would have been marked as, for example, AS/400 experience if this was the case.
- kelvin0 9y ago
  You must be the life of the party in every social gathering! I understand what you mean, my example was not very good... This guy has a better analogy (and funnier) then mine: http://www.jasonbock.net/jb/News/Item/7c334037d1a9437d9fa6506e2f35eaac http://www.jasonbock.net/jb/News/Item/7c334037d1a9437d9fa650...

shermozle 9y ago

I remember in about 1998 seeing a job ad for a dev with 7 years of Java. Yeah good luck with that one! I'm sure they found someone willing to put that on their CV.

dsfyu404ed 9y ago
The first several years were probably IT operations for a company that has something to do with coffee.

grecy 9y ago

Which is why you need to see this is an inane game, and just "beat it" and move on. Recruiter: We're looking for someone to fix the pipes. (re-word their statement/question in your answer so there can be NO ambiguity) You: I have lots of experience fixing many kinds of pipes, (including the EXACT SPECIFIC kind you asked for - WORD FOR WORD.) (Notes on your replies, they didn't ask if you are a qualified plumber, they didn't ask what you were trained to do)

oblio 9y ago
This here is the right answer for situation. Of course, depending on your objective: if your objective is to have at least the option of interviewing further for this company, it helps to remember the concept of Pyrrhic victories: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pyrrhic_victory https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pyrrhic_victory, i.e.: don't win the battle and lose the war.
smnscu 9y ago
Alternatively, don't fucking apply to this kind of company. They have BILLIONS of dollars in the bank (let that sink in for a moment) and the technical recruiters are paid well anyway, there is absolutely no reason for them to not give at least a timid shit about the quality of the people who are the first line of interaction with potential employees. I interviewed at Google 3 times and I'm currently going through the interviews for the 4th time (a combination of bad interviewers and me being a total idiot), and this time I've stumbled across the nicest technical recruiter I've ever seen in 7yrs in the industry. She actively fought for me after a poor performance, and went above and beyond to accommodate me. And all my previous 3 recruiters at Google were extremely "professional-nice" and rather intelligent. In contrast, every single interaction I had with Facebook left a bad taste in my mouth (mostly getting rejected 2 times with a 5 line email, after being referred by Fb employees). TL;DR stop enabling companies to be shitty
- grecy 9y ago
  I was also thinking along the same lines for unpaid internships. Companies have billions in the bank, make tens of billions profit each year, and have "staff" working who they don't pay a cent to. The fact there are no laws against that is evil.