IT Employment

yes, you are right. Maybe I looked too much confident in myself, or maybe the fact that the persons within the entire IT departement of the firm had not more than 2 and a half job experience, and I had a bit more - and sometimes, I presume, THIS is something that is hard to beat. And be sure I am not stressed. In fact, these are facts of life, they are supposed to exist. What I want is just to have a better perception of what/how does it works the thing.

My experience indicates the five currencies are as applicable to employee selection as to any other business transaction. The currencies are time, money, knowledge, security, and prestige, and the transaction has to provide an aggregate increase.

Time is not generally a key factor in hiring unless there is a related time sensitive objective - a project due date for instance.

Money is generally the last factor and comes into play when two roughly equal candidates are being decided between.

Security is a factor, especially with the position that includes a group interview. The manager may be concerned that a strong candidate might represent his future replacement if the manager does not feel secure in his job. Potential peers may feel their position within the group is at risk, or may be looking for someone to fit above them in the order as an ally and buffer.

Security is also at work when an internal candidate is given preference over a new hire. By hiring from within, those doing the hiring are reinforcing a policy that may later work to their advantage.

Knowledge is a factor. The candidates are considered based on the additional knowledge they bring to the organization.

The final factor is prestige. Each candidate considered impacts the prestige of the selecting individual or group. What passes as personality issues are quite often prestige issues. Potential peers will often decide against a candidate who clearly will outshine them. At higher levels, hiring the star performer is often a prestige enhancer. The same applies when the candidate will not directly compete in the same space - say a network engineer brought in by a team of system developers.

Each opportunity has its own mix and weights to these five currencies, but it is rare indeed when a new hire does not represent a positive gain in the aggregate of these currencies to those doing the hiring. If you can determine how the hiring group values each of these currencies, then you can focus your interview responses to show the most positive value.

Wow what great stuff, Oldefar. Just for fun - as I don't think captive employment will ever pay me what I'm making as a consultant - I applied for a job where I'd be managing someone to whom I once reported. And that person has applied for the 'insider' promotion. Based on your formula, I don't have a snowball's chance in a microwave of getting that job, do I?

Glad you liked the insight - Michael Vickers introduced the concept to me as a sales technique a couple of years ago.

The fact that the job would place you over a former boss is not necessarily a factor. He would not be the hiring manager, just competition for the job.

The inside position works on security currency at large companies up to middle level management. Note how many senior level positions are filled from outside. This is because at the senior level the emphasis is on prestige (our CEO used to run well respected company X), knowledge (personal network as much as industry specific), and security (yes, the board hired a jerk but it wasn't our fault - he was well respected in a similar position before).

Assuming the money is the same for both of you, your chances are very much related to how the hiring manager perceives the value you bring him in knowledge, security, and prestige.

YES!
You are very right, when you've done well the homeworks, you should know what they want. I want to say again, I don't want to blame anybody, just to have more ideas about "how things work" - it's a new world for me (European experience is almost meaning nothing it seams to me, although IT work is the same everywhere).
About money, well, I have to say that sometimes (almost every times) they do represent an important step towards their objectives. But, yes, there are always exceptions.
Great post Oldefar, many thanks!

When moving from North America to Europe your experience is hard to describe. It begins in high school, A and O levels vs Grade 12. Then College and UNiversity certifications differ. About the only thing that is consistent is medical and educational degrees.

It makes it hard for an employer unlesss they understand the other county's system and requirements for education.

is a two ways relationship europe - america/autralia/asia or "viceversa". I just don't understand why if talking about IT, they think that difference is that high. In fact, computers are the same everywhere in the world, software, NOSs, etc., still the same, language almost everywhere = english. So?
Where's the difference - unless we talk about "work experience in an american/european/asian/australian environment", but that's another storry. The fact that IT is outsourcing is the proof that there is no really difference between one or another guy. (unless the money thing, of course :))
If we talk about education, well, on a regular base, as a hiring manager, I suppose I have done my work and decided what candidates must have as a MUST. The rest, the better the candidates are, the happier I am :).

everything is subjective. I am very aware of this fact. What I was not able to understand at the time, it was only the fact they said to "you were the best but ...", which rised a serious question about "what whent wrong then". Never got the answer. If they'd said - "thank you for your interest, but we found another one who suits our needs better", believe me, I'd never had this thread open.
I am very aware that life is not only "good and sweets" but also a lot of "hard work" and sometime "bad things". But I am one of the people for which every foot in the b*t is at least a step forward :).
And yes, credentials are some kind of "Open Sesame", no more, no less, and yes, once the door is open, as usually, we have always two options. Although I am not very convinced that credentials = knowledge, I was facing the fact that good people without "credentials"="certs" where left out for exactly their lack of them.
Thank you for sharing your impressions, I also thought about this being like some kind of a "pocker game" : never know what the next card will bring you, but still, you love the game, the tention and the satisfaction of a good "card".
BTW, I am not a cards player and in pocker I am even wors, but I haven't found any other "metaphora" for describing the situation.
I loved Forest Gump, especialy a description of life: "life is like a box of chocolate, you never know what you really get". But I think this is exactly what makes life to be wonderfull.

Cheers!