The Byte Stops Here

Ok, as promised, I'm covering some hiring issues I've had over the past couple years.

One of the first things that comes to mind, when looking at a developer's experience, is whether they have had any experience building things from scratch, or is most of their experience in just maintaining existing applications.

Now, don't get me wrong, the issue isn't actually that simple. If you read Andy Singleton's blog post (of Assembla fame), he talks about how the number one developer qualification, in his opinion, is being able to build from scratch.

On the other hand, maintenance has its own benefits. You get to see the application grow over time, understanding and work on its weaknesses, respond to client feedback and re-work/refactor to improve etc.

The reason I bring this up, is that during the interview process, I ask about the applications they have worked on. A lot of times you will find contractors who jump from one new app to another, and with no sense of what happened to that, how it progress, whether what they built created value, or even actually solved the business problem it was built for. This is an extreme, and just building from scratch with no long term perspective is a negative in my book, no matter how good an "architect" you were.

To other group I often find, is people who have just maintained apps. They might also be contractors who got brought on to maintain an app, or people who originally built and stayed long into the maintenance phase. The problem I find here is that often times, contractors especially, will say: "Well, we just maintained it. We had to adopt to the coding standards (or lack thereof." Basically, there was little innovation. They were not allowed to rock the boat, re-factor heavily, or even understand why the app was built in the first place. I often ask this group, what their experience is with frameworks, and the few that know what I'm talking about, mention that the client saw the benefits of transitioning to one, but they never did anything. The large majority who maintained apps come back and say, "framework??"

One word of advice: If you're maintaining an app, and you have no experience with using a framework, at least spend some time on the side working on them, and be familiar with them. If you are just maintaining apps, and stuck in your little world keeping the status quo, then I can't work with you. That ain't life on the bleeding edge, right. ;)

So whatever your case, understand where you are. Trying to build apps from scratch, but also stick with them for some years before you move on. These are the people who are often the most balanced: they can speak to client needs over time, the evolution of the app, and even the dire straights of being stuck in maintenance mode. If you are in one extreme case or the other, look for an opportunity to try the other extreme and come towards the middle.

As I've been trying to hire for several different ColdFusion positions over the past few months, I've come across a lot of interesting folks and I've made a ton of interesting observations. While I won't name names, I would say that there are definitely some people I would never work with. Like Sean Corfield, who maintains a list of people whom he would never hire, I've started my own list.

More stories and observations to come!

You heard me right, we're hiring like crazy. Just a reminder.

We have openings for:

• Web Developers
• Sr. Web Developers
• Architects / Principal Engineers
  
• Dev. Managers

Our team became smaller over time due to the economy, and as people moved on to try different things, and we're ready to hire.

We'll even consider working with people with visa and/or relocation concerns!

We're a well-oiled machine, formal product development lifecycle, mature development process with the Mach II framework, and we're looking at tweaking our existing SaaS application and building new applications using new frameworks. Time to learn new things and take them to the next level.

Plus you'll get to work with me, a long time CF guy, and Adobe Community Expert. :)

For more details, view my earlier post:

http://www.bytestopshere.com/post.cfm/job-opening-work-with-me-now-with-job-description

Please note: The location is on site here in Sunny SoCal and pay is DOE.

Here is our standard job description for those interested.

Sr. Web Application Developer - ColdFusion

eCivis, a known leader in providing web-based applications solutions to local governments (software as a service) is seeking an advanced-level programmer who lives to push ColdFusion and object-oriented web development to the edge. If you are interested in working with leading-edge frameworks and combining new technologies with solid development practices, we want to talk to you.  Join our unique, market-leading information and technology firm as part of an excellent development team building innovative web-based enterprise applications. Learn more about us at www.ecivis.com.

The Web Developer / Technical Lead will drive the direction of the company’s technology solutions, define and implement best practices and build lean, powerful and extensible functionality.  This position offers significant responsibility and growth potential. 


Primary Responsibilities:

•    Assist in the design and development of object-oriented web applications based upon best practices.
•    Ensure proper operation and intelligent enhancements of existing web-based products and services.
•    Ensure development consistency and strive for continued development innovation.
•    Maintain best practices to meet department goals and assist in adapting the department to future changes in technology.
•    Help assess risk related to technology and resources, and assists in minimizing that risk.

Ideal candidate should possess:

•    3+ years developing complex ColdFusion applications
•    Applied knowledge of Object Oriented ColdFusion MX architecture and ColdFusion Components (CFCs)
•    Knowledge of Mach II, Model Glue and other OO Frameworks
•    Understanding of XML structure and Design Patterns
•    Experience with SQL Server, Stored Procedures and Indexes
•    Solid communication skills
•    Demonstrated skill for documenting development  
•    Strong understanding of complex SQL database-driven products
•    Knowledge of JavaScript and CSS
•    Strong problem-solving and debugging skills


Preferred qualifications:

•    Macromedia Certified ColdFusion developer
•    Product Development Experience
•    CVS and/or Subversion Experience
•    Understanding of Network Infrastructure in a web development environment
•    AJAX

If you meet these qualifications, we invite you to submit a resume’ and cover letter, including a complete salary history via e-mail: technology <at> ecivis.com or fax: 626-578-6632.  Please no phone calls or postal mail.  Only qualified candidates will be contacted.

We're looking for a Sr. Web Developer/ Technical Lead / Architect type person in Southern California.

You would be working on a ColdFusion-based SaaS web application. Its a very driven and dynamic company. I can't say enough! You will be working on a product that changes the lives of millions.

Obviously our application is built using best practices and a touch of practicality - Mach II, ColdSpring, and Reactor. We will probably be doing ColdBox in the future.

Read more about the company @ www.ecivis.com.

Feel free to leave a comment, and I can provide more details.

UPDATE: You can also email me at technology <at> ecivis.com.