Liquid Nonsense

Looks like we're getting ready to start another round of hiring here at work. I have to admit that I actually somewhat enjoy this aspect of my job. Most of the incoming resumes will cross my desk at least once for initial gut-reaction to what the person has to say. Everyone from a masters in nuclear engineering to a bachelors in business has applied for a development position at the Company (For those of you that don't know where I work, feel free to ask. My employer requests not to be identified in writing). I guess that's the joy of being at one of the top growing tech companies in the country.

What I definitely don't like about the hiring process is how we're starting to become really corporate about it. Everyone here is complaining that we keep getting these lackluster resumes from people that are more like "middle management candidates" than solid developers. I just sort of assume this to be a by-product of the field. All the creativity beaten down into submission after a lifetime of drudgery and hoop-jumping for the Man. So I ask back what their initial gut-reaction to the resume is and all I fuckin' get back is "it's formatted poorly," or "the headings are out of order," or "these should clearly be listed in reverse chronological order." What the fuck?! The citizens on the inside of corporate America don't even realize how badly they've been beaten into submission. They want the developers that can think outside of the box, the developers that show ingenuity and brilliance, the developers that fucking rock...but, using a font with serifs or having three pages instead of two is enough to never get a callback. That's just total horseshit in my mind.

Have I mentioned just how much I hate the world of business? That isn't entirely true. Business itself I don't particularly have problems with. Depending on the day you catch me you might discover my more libertarian tendencies and hear me extoll capitalism. Don't get me wrong, I believe in survival of the fittest. Especially economically. What I don't believe in is business that completely marginalizes the human element. Nothing turns happy college students with bright futures into cogs faster than their first REAL job. The lure of money, stability, and promotion in favor of ethics, liking your coworkers, and some daily dynamics.

Seriously, am I that much of a hippy? Can there really be that many people out there that actually want this lifestyle? Most of my coworkers are married, but what time are they spending with their families? My personal life, especially with respect to relationships, is vastly more important than some arbitrary deadline. I recognize the need to perform well to earn for one's family, but not at the expense of not spending as much time as possible with the family. I'm paid to work 40 hours a week, and that's all I'm offering. It isn't that I don't want success or something like that, it's that I feel my pay represents a company borrowing 40 hours of my life a week so that I can spend the remaining time using my earnings as I see fit and with whom I see fit. It is not "40 hours, unless it takes 60 to get the job done." That just means the project was incorrectly scoped.

I'm scared. I'm scared that I may someday have no choice but to work like this for some reason. It's awful. It's choking my creativity. Satisfaction, minimal. Intellectual curiosity, minimal. I'm going to go buy some granola, Birkenstocks, and patchouli scented incense and sit at home so I can play with my photography interests, dink around on my computer, and not feel like I'm contributing to rampant consumerism.