37 Signals has a post about Writing Better Help Wanted Ads, which has some excellent advice and a summary of some ideas from around the blogospehere.
I have had some pretty bad (and sometimes actually rude) encounters recently as a Freelance Developer.
A fairly typical example was this response to my considered, thoughtful and detailed application for an advertised position:
I am looking for freelance web programmers who are proficient in the
following:
-HTML, CSS, JavaScript and Flash up to $20/hour
-with PHP, MySQL and Linux, and willing to learn Ruby on Rails up to
$22/hour
-with Ruby on Rails _experience_ up to $25/hour
I prefer programmers with Ruby on Rails experience, but will consider
you if you have _very_ strong skills in the first two items.
You must be able to work under tight deadlines. I prefer people who are
proactive and have a good design sense. You must be a proficient
programmer. You must be willing to take design direction, and work under
an established set of procedures. Work availability varies.
I read this as:
- You must be cheap
- You must have lots of experience
- You must not value that experience (see points 2 via 1)
- You must work really hard and under pressure
- You must do what we tell you
- You still may not get any actual work
There’s no mention of the types of work, the flavour of the projects, or why I might be interested.
On top of all this, it was instantly evident that the responder hadn’t read my application - I had actually detailed my most recent experience with Rails (and other relevant technologies) on several “real-world” projects.
The fact is:
If you are good at your job, you can choose the work you do.
Finding good people is hard, regardless of industry, but particularly in software development. The employment or negotiation process is as much about the potential employer selling the role as it is about me proving I am good at what I do.
I’m certainly not saying you need to treat me like a God of Code, but perhaps you should actually read my job application …