6 ms·

True story: Recruiter: "So you were writing Java code that talked to an Oracle Database, right?" Me: "Right" Her: "What version of Oracle was it?" Me: "8i I

by nirvana 14y ago

True story: Recruiter: "So you were writing Java code that talked to an Oracle Database, right?" Me: "Right" Her: "What version of Oracle was it?" Me: "8i I think" Her: "Sorry, we're looking for people with 9i experience." (9i had just come out.) Me: "Really? You know SQL[1] is a standard and I'm writing Java code anyway, we were using a ORM as well. I didn't even end up writing that much direct SQL code." Her: "Sorry, the client specifically said Oracle 9i -- I'm looking at it right now. They're not looking for Sequal experience." This is when I decided to always avoid recruiters if I possibly could. [1] I pronounced this "Ess Que Ell" but she responded "Sequel" which I think was the name of another database vendor at the time.

zinkem 14y ago
Both pronunciations (SQL/sequel) refer to the same thing, and both are correct. http://patorjk.com/blog/2012/01/26/pronouncing-sql-s-q-l-or-sequel/ http://patorjk.com/blog/2012/01/26/pronouncing-sql-s-q-l-or-...
- chime 14y ago
  I think his point was that the recruiter did not know this.
- jiggy2011 14y ago
  I just call it "sqwel" or "squeel" that way nobody is happy.
kenkam 14y ago
Interestingly, microsoft SQL server is pronounced sequel server: http://stackoverflow.com/questions/3594718/how-do-you-pronounce-microsoft-sql-server http://stackoverflow.com/questions/3594718/how-do-you-pronou... I pronounce MySQL as My-ess-cue-el.
flomo 14y ago
I see some value in this type of thing. If someone can't bluff their way past a (non)technical recruiter, will they be able to handle a requirements meeting or communicate status to a PM? Some engineers really can only talk to other engineers. What's the worst thing that could happen if you fibbed "Oh yeah 9i, I've used that too."? You'd get an interview with the database guy who actually knows the difference.
- DanBC 14y ago
  > What's the worst thing that could happen if you fibbed Well, the worst thing would be if it was a trap question designed to weed out the people who lie at initial recruitment selection.
  - mikecane 14y ago
    "Well, look, I was under an NDA, using 9i as a beta tester..." Skin that cat!
    - derleth 14y ago
      "Sorry, but we can't stomach the risk of being seen as forcing you to divulge information that was acquired under an NDA. It just isn't worthwhile for us to risk the lawsuits."
- aangjie 14y ago
  >What's the worst thing that could happen if you fibbed "Oh yeah 9i, I've used that too."? Well, the managerial term is to manage expectation. But it's just effort that seems unnecessary* *-- perhaps it's just my current situation..
- georgemcbay 14y ago
  IME, a lot of the best programmers are anal (often to a fault), and won't lie in that situation. Not because of ethics or morals but just because they refuse to say something they know is technically incorrect.
  - mattmanser 14y ago
    Life just doesn't work that way. IME the people who fib a bit and embellish when applying for jobs because they know they can, they do a lot better than those who tell the truth all the time. Reality is most employers put up fake 'requirements' because they don't know how else to find 'smart, can learn, gets stuff done'.
jiggy2011 14y ago
Reminds me very much of the job adverts I used to see asking for '5 years C#' when .Net was about 6 months out of Beta. Either they only want people who worked for MS on the platform/language itself or the whole thing was copy/pasted by a recruiter.
- prodigal_erik 14y ago
  I liked the theory that someday a recruiter would ask DHH how many years of Rails experience he has, and he should answer "all of them".
  - arthurschreiber 14y ago
    Wasn't there some actual recruiter offering DDH a senior rails developer position? I'm pretty sure I read about that in DHH's twitter stream some time ago.
    - prodigal_erik 14y ago
      Groupon didn't quite ask for his level but did ping him about web dev work. https://gist.github.com/1285068#gistcomment-56327 https://gist.github.com/1285068#gistcomment-56327
clavalle 14y ago
Here's another true one: "Do you have experience with APIs?" "Uh...Yeah. Yeah, I do."
- derleth 14y ago
  "How about electrons?" (Just wait. It'll happen.)
rezaprima 14y ago
In my place, when people say "SQL" they usually mean "MS SQL Server". Perhaps that's what in her mind.

by nirvana 14y ago

zinkem 14y ago

Both pronunciations (SQL/sequel) refer to the same thing, and both are correct. http://patorjk.com/blog/2012/01/26/pronouncing-sql-s-q-l-or-sequel/ http://patorjk.com/blog/2012/01/26/pronouncing-sql-s-q-l-or-...

chime 14y ago
I think his point was that the recruiter did not know this.
jiggy2011 14y ago
I just call it "sqwel" or "squeel" that way nobody is happy.

kenkam 14y ago

Interestingly, microsoft SQL server is pronounced sequel server: http://stackoverflow.com/questions/3594718/how-do-you-pronounce-microsoft-sql-server http://stackoverflow.com/questions/3594718/how-do-you-pronou... I pronounce MySQL as My-ess-cue-el.

flomo 14y ago

I see some value in this type of thing. If someone can't bluff their way past a (non)technical recruiter, will they be able to handle a requirements meeting or communicate status to a PM? Some engineers really can only talk to other engineers. What's the worst thing that could happen if you fibbed "Oh yeah 9i, I've used that too."? You'd get an interview with the database guy who actually knows the difference.

DanBC 14y ago
> What's the worst thing that could happen if you fibbed Well, the worst thing would be if it was a trap question designed to weed out the people who lie at initial recruitment selection.
- mikecane 14y ago
  "Well, look, I was under an NDA, using 9i as a beta tester..." Skin that cat!
  - derleth 14y ago
    "Sorry, but we can't stomach the risk of being seen as forcing you to divulge information that was acquired under an NDA. It just isn't worthwhile for us to risk the lawsuits."
aangjie 14y ago
>What's the worst thing that could happen if you fibbed "Oh yeah 9i, I've used that too."? Well, the managerial term is to manage expectation. But it's just effort that seems unnecessary* *-- perhaps it's just my current situation..
georgemcbay 14y ago
IME, a lot of the best programmers are anal (often to a fault), and won't lie in that situation. Not because of ethics or morals but just because they refuse to say something they know is technically incorrect.
- mattmanser 14y ago
  Life just doesn't work that way. IME the people who fib a bit and embellish when applying for jobs because they know they can, they do a lot better than those who tell the truth all the time. Reality is most employers put up fake 'requirements' because they don't know how else to find 'smart, can learn, gets stuff done'.

jiggy2011 14y ago

Reminds me very much of the job adverts I used to see asking for '5 years C#' when .Net was about 6 months out of Beta. Either they only want people who worked for MS on the platform/language itself or the whole thing was copy/pasted by a recruiter.

prodigal_erik 14y ago
I liked the theory that someday a recruiter would ask DHH how many years of Rails experience he has, and he should answer "all of them".
- arthurschreiber 14y ago
  Wasn't there some actual recruiter offering DDH a senior rails developer position? I'm pretty sure I read about that in DHH's twitter stream some time ago.
  - prodigal_erik 14y ago
    Groupon didn't quite ask for his level but did ping him about web dev work. https://gist.github.com/1285068#gistcomment-56327 https://gist.github.com/1285068#gistcomment-56327

clavalle 14y ago

Here's another true one: "Do you have experience with APIs?" "Uh...Yeah. Yeah, I do."

derleth 14y ago
"How about electrons?" (Just wait. It'll happen.)

rezaprima 14y ago

In my place, when people say "SQL" they usually mean "MS SQL Server". Perhaps that's what in her mind.