Difficulty Finding Python Developers

[Derek Thomson]

Hi Paul,

Paul Morrow wrote:
> We haven't actually
> posted a job on Monster, but we have been talking with various
> headhunters in our area and they don't have many resumes that show
> Python experience.  An so now, of course, mgt is wondering whether
> selecting Python was a mistake.
> 

Management are wondering whether some technology selection was a mistake 
because "headhunters" with not a single clue about anything technical 
whatsoever have trouble attracting people with those skills?

These "recruitment" types are merely salespeople - if it isn't spoken 
about in glossy business magazines with lots of pictures and pie-charts 
then it doesn't exist as far as they are concerned. That is the space 
they operate in. Therefore they only *attract*, in the main, developers 
who fall into that area as well. Honestly, they probably do have more 
people than they think with Python skills in their set of clients (I 
don't know *any* professional developers who don't at least understand 
Python in a limited way), but it just doesn't register in either their 
consciousness or via their reporting tools.

Secondly, if the terminology hasn't been explained to them very 
carefully via power-point slides they just don't want to know, or at 
least find it very difficult to cope in general. I've had a couple of 
calls from "headhunters" supposedly wanting Python developers. They try 
to work through the same scripts but substituting "Python" for "Java" 
all the while. It just doesn't work - and they are doing both employers 
and potential employees a disservice by attempting to do this. No doubt 
they report back that they couldn't find anyone suitable - because 
everyone they contacted responded by asking variations of, "Do you have 
any idea what the hell you are talking about?"

So, I'd consider getting new management, fast! :) With that kind of 
logic, we would all be using COBOL to this day. Where would all the 
developers for anything else come from? How would all those poor 
"headhunters" find jobs for their clients who only know COBOL? That's 
what's in all the glossy magazines!

My advice is to use internet forums where you can recruit directly - in 
cutting edge areas like Python "headhunters" are definitely *worse* than 
useless. It will be faster, cheaper, and you'll get better people.

Regards,
Derek.