Today's gem of a job ad...

[Alf W]

Aww bless! How old do you think the person who put this ad together is that they still hold A-level results to be an important factor.

I'm tempted to email back enquiring whether an A, B and two Cs is equal to three Bs or if it would rule me out of contention.

IT Technical Services Manager / IT Infrastructure / Manchester


Location: Manchester, Lancashire
Salary: £45000 - £60000 per annum + Benefits
Company: Circle Recruitment
Job type: Permanent
Date posted: 27/04/2009 18:11:37

IT Technical Services Manager / IT Infrastructure / MCSE / Manchester / Cheshire

IT Technical Services Manager with an extensive IT infrastructure and IT Consultancy experience is required by a blue chip South Manchester / Cheshire organisation. You should have extensive experience working in high level of IT technical roles, ideally with experience of IT Consultancy, management experience and have the proven track record of working in a complex and diverse IT infrastructure. You should also have experience of ideally Microsoft, Cisco and Oracle technologies

On top of the relevant experience you must have come from an excellent education background, at least 3 B's at A level and BSc Honours degree or higher in a related degree.

This is a fantastic role for a leading blue chip media organisation that...........

[PM-Junkie]

....or that I took A'Levels back in the day when they actually meant something, and were difficult to pass?

[Mich the Tester]

Dear Sir,

Thank you for your advertisement in my local newspaper seeking an ICT Manager.

Due to the huge number of opportunities open to people with my highly rated skill set and first class education I shall not be taking your vacancy into further consideration, but shall file your vacancy for consideration should I ever suffer a serious brain haemorrhage or the loss of decorum associated with the later stages of syphilis.

Yours faithfully

Mich the Tester

[CheeseSlice]

I saw a technical architect role like this a few weeks ago. It required A levels in particular subjects & grades, at least a 2:1 degree from a redbrick university, and a Phd was an advantage.

Found out who the company was, and it was set up by a couple of academics, both with phd's.

The only people in the professional world who seem to value phds are people also with phds. For most people I know who did one, it was just another spin of the university wheel and actually set them back 3 years in career progression.

[expat]

Aww bless! How old do you think the person who put this ad together is that they still hold A-level results to be an important factor.

I'm tempted to email back enquiring whether an A, B and two Cs is equal to three Bs or if it would rule me out of contention.

Or how sad it is that there are universities that take students who can't rustle up 3 Bs at A-level, and give them science honours degrees?

[Mich the Tester]

Or how sad it is that there are universities that take students who can't rustle up 3 Bs at A-level, and give them science honours degrees?

Oi! A levels used to be difficult (for three year olds).

[KentPhilip]

I saw a technical architect role like this a few weeks ago. It required A levels in particular subjects & grades, at least a 2:1 degree from a redbrick university, and a Phd was an advantage.

Found out who the company was, and it was set up by a couple of academics, both with phd's.

The only people in the professional world who seem to value phds are people also with phds. For most people I know who did one, it was just another spin of the university wheel and actually set them back 3 years in career progression.

As opposed to setting your career back by 20+ years by becoming a contractor?

[Menelaus]

Oi! A levels used to be difficult (for three year olds).

This may be to weed out the muppets with a BA in media studies from ex-technicalcollege university, surely and an A-level in PE?

[Mich the Tester]

As opposed to setting your career back by 20+ years by becoming a contractor?

Careers are for permies. Contractors send invoices just as long as is necessary, and then retire.

[Mich the Tester]

This may be to weed out the muppets with a BA in media studies from ex-technicalcollege university, surely and an A-level in PE?

A bit of a roundabout way of doing that; why not just ask them what degree they have and from which university?