[UPHPU] Re: [UPHPU-jobs-announce] Part Time PHP Developer

[Mac Newbold]

Today at 3:16pm, Wesley Jordan said:

> I find it odd that all of the people that are calling this a terrible
> opportunity and saying that it should be avoided like the plague didn't even
> bother to call and get details.  I want to thank Tyler who is the only one that
> stood up for it.

We know nothing about the job in question other than what you told us, but 
what you told us before and what you're telling us now don't seem to jive.

> The facts are simple for those who are interested.  My client is in the middle
> of rolling out their software to all of their stores on the East Coast. The guy
> that built it is out helping to train the store employees on how to use it. They
> brought me on board to help with the bugs and to write new modules and such, but
> the workload is overwhelming so we need somebody else that can help out.  I
> never said anything about getting a GURU and didn't expect to at the $12-$15
> per hour.  For those of you that need help reading between the lines, this is
> an Entry Level Position for somebody that knows how to write both PHP and
> JavaScript.

I don't think anyone assumed you wanted a Guru, but you were asking for 
"experience" without really saying how much experience you required. In 
general, when I hear "entry level" I interpret that to mean "no experience 
required", or in other words, someone who is "entering" the profession, 
rather than already established and has some experience.

> If you really want a workstation one can be provided for you.  I personally
> dislike working on other peoples dev PCs because it takes me so long to get
> them setup to my personal preferences, and with all of the software that I am
> accustomed to using.  I almost always use my own laptop because it's configured
> exactly the way I like it, and I can transition from my home office to the
> customers office much easier.

That sounds to me like something that should have been mentioned in the 
listing then. Saying that you must bring your own laptop on-site is very 
different than saying "we have a box for you if you want, or you can bring 
your own". The former is probably something to be suspicious of, while the 
latter means "flexible" rather than suspicious.

> The customer has been extremely good about paying.  In fact, if I don't invoice
> the day they expect it, they come to me asking how much they owe.

That's good to know. The person who mentioned this was not talking about 
this particular job, but other similar jobs they'd had in the past, and 
while yours may not be like this, I agree with them that it is something 
to keep in mind. In Utah, "fiscally conservative" often gets turned into 
"cheap" or "unwilling to pay", which can be a big concern for people 
working those type of jobs.

> Also, there isn't much micro-managing involved here.  You're given tasks to do
> and then expected to do them, just like with any other company.  We have
> meeting to discuss the status of the project every couple of days just like any
> other company.  And when there are issues that come up where we may need you to
> stop doing whatever you're doing and fix a bug that was just found so that a
> store employee can do something they need to do.  If you consider that
> micro-managing then so be it, but I don't see it that way at all.

Maybe I over-reacted to what you said, but it seemed pretty clear to me:
"This customer wants to see you working so telecommuting isn't permitted"
What else would "wants to see you working" mean? Everyone I have 
ever worked, in any industry or position, is satisfied to see that my work 
has been getting done, whether or not they see me doing it. What you said 
in the posting seemed to be a notable departure from that. What you're 
describing in the paragraph above isn't micro-managing. It is usually 
described in job postings as "on-site work required" or something to that 
effect, but "wants to see you working" gave a totally different 
impression.

> If you're interested in this position please give me a call at 915-8858 or email
> me at wesley at twinpeakstech.com or you can IM me on Yahoo or MSN using the id
> wnjordan at yahoo.com for both of them.

I hope we haven't offended you in any way. All of our observations were 
based simply on what you said and our own previous experiences. I'm glad 
you clarified the position, since the one you're now describing sounds 
very different (to me, anyway) from the one listed in the posting, and 
much more desirable.

If they're open to having a small team do the work for them, rather than 
an individual who comes on-site, we'd be happy to give you an estimate on 
the work you need done. Our hourly rate is significantly higher than what 
you're offering, but we also would be billing you for many fewer hours, 
and producing results of a higher standard of quality.

Thanks,
Mac

--
Mac Newbold		MNE - Mac Newbold Enterprises, LLC
mac at macnewbold.com	http://www.macnewbold.com/