Responded to an ad today that was perfect for me:
Experience [sic] WEB developer with 5+ years experience using the following: ASP, IIS, JavaScript, VBScript, COM, ADO, Search Server, MS SQL Server.... Excellent communication skills and ability to interact with both technical and non-technical people.... CANDIDATE must start immediatly!!! [sic]
So, after sending my resume, I got an immediate response:
Do u live in NY or NJ?
This struck me as a bizarre question to ask in reference to a Manhattan job (who cares where I plan on commuting from?), especially when my address is on the resume I had just emailed to her (as well as on my website, which I also invited her to view). Nonetheless, I responded and let her know that I live in Queens.
Is there a number I can reach you..now!
Two minutes later, we are talking on the phone. Her:
Now I need you to be completely honest with me: forget about school, forget about network management, forget about tech support, just tell me how much actual IT experience you have.
Me:
I come from an agency background where I have served as the lead technical person on creative teams. I don't have very much experience working with IT.
Her:
So, you're not a lead web developer?
Me:
I was the lead application developer-- the main technical person-- on teams of website developers.
Her:
Ok, well the ad you responded to was for a Lead Web Developer. We'll keep your resume on file.
I must figure out how to handle this situation differently in the future. It's wearying to miss out on a job which perfectly matches my skills because of a strange (but probably solvable) communication problem.