Reply to: He got a job as an AD Designer!!

[tractor]

..

Between the introduction of WfW and MCSE type certification, there was no choice but to bluff it. There were no exams, there was no experience; how many times have we laughed here reminiscing about daft agents demanding 2 years experience of MS Access before it was even out of beta? It was all about the most successful bluffer and to a degree still is; my last role was with a large org and there were so many permy bluffers it was unreal but as most of them stand around all day in meetings talking about decision making and which parts of a project to de-scope this week because it's too difficult they remain in post - mostly because the whole industry is rife with it including their boss and their bosses' boss.

In any event, all the big s/w companies do it with their products - I'm still waiting for one to be released that does the job it was intended for perfectly!

Good luck to the bod the OP refers to! If he gets found out, tough on him, if he doesn't, fair play, there was no argument then Only downside is that there is one more of us and one less role.

[SimonMac]

If he's managed to blag the experience but can actually do the job good for him, if it goes tits up he will be found out quite quickly and the hiring manager will get shafted for being dumber than your mate

[JoJoGabor]

I did almost e same to get my first contract. Not a design role but they wanted somebody to have experience of Ad, it was back in 2001 or so. I said I had, I hadn't but couldn't get a job without it. I knew I could do the job and got grilled on it at interview and passed.

The problem nowadays is most interviewers don't check a level of competence. The last four interviews I have had, not one technical question was asked to prove my experience. If I interview somebody who claims to be an expert in a technology I will make sure they can prove it in interview. It amazes me how many people come from great looking roles at huge organisations but can't answer the simplest questions on their specialist technologies.

[ctdctd]

Hm, the OP said his mate blagged a job as an AD designer for a small clientco.

If all he needs to do is design and implement a single design and associated group policies, then yes, it probably is something he can Google assuming he's technically able to pick up the skills.

Most stuff can be tested on a VM on a single powerful desktop without breaking anything!

Multi site or multi domain, start looking for the next gig now!

Good luck

[SueEllen]

How would you feel if you'd paid for a builder to extend your house, and then learnt that he'd never done it before - only read about it?

You don't know how builders work in England.

As long as they have a mate who knows what to do and have access to youtube they are ok if they haven't done it before.

Also a builder will only be truly skilled in one trade and project management, or just project management. A good one if he realises it's completely out of his skills will use subcontractors. The bad ones will just do it and not give a f**k.

[Wanderer]

So you think it's OK to have some contractor working on a project who only has experience of reading a book on the subject?

Are people saying they never blag their way into a job? Woops. I do and have done for donkeys years.

Just because I don't know anything about the thing I'm going to be working on doesn't mean I can't figure it out and get the job done. Everything I know has been learnt on the job and quite often that involves jumping in the deep end with a can do attitude and a willingness to put in the hard graft to learn the technology.

Don't get me wrong, I won't lie if they say "have you done X, Y and Z" but but if they say "can you do X, Y and Z" and it's something I want to do then the answer is hell yes, can do!

How would you feel if you'd paid for a builder to extend your house, and then learnt that he'd never done it before - only read about it?

I had a big building project done. The builders taught me everything I know about blagging it.

[northernladuk]

Thing is it isn't just about the tech knowledge from the book, it's about application in a large environment, the controls that go with the, the process, the best practice and all the other process based stuff around the clients use of the technology.

You pass a test to say you can build a server and turn up on site when the server is halfway around with world with 5 different groups responsible for it, a server wrapper around it, build docs, change control and so on... Not a chance.

[rurffy]

Win 7 printer issues more involved than AD schema design?

I'll have a pint of what you've been drinking...

Depends on what you call difficult though .

P.S
I drink whisky - 65% Acl You might wanna try

[stek]

He got a job as an AD Designer!!

Like i said, he said no much work there as of now. Personally speaking... AD is not something difficult - i even think desktop support is more difficult than 3rd line support . If you know the BOOk work for AD you will pass, but book work will not help for Desktop support lol. (Example ; The annoying Win7 Printer offline issue lol).

Win 7 printer issues more involved than AD schema design?

I'll have a pint of what you've been drinking...

[rurffy]

You've a point, however when you commission a builder it should be up to you to ask what\how many houses chap has extended before, what mistakes did he make, what has he learned and how will he ensure those errors do not happen on my house.........(obviously similar questions to Contractor in Interview, regarding AD Design)

Will be interesting if the OP, lets us know if Chap is still happily engaged there.........

Like i said, he said no much work there as of now. Personally speaking... AD is not something difficult - i even think desktop support is more difficult than 3rd line support . If you know the BOOk work for AD you will pass, but book work will not help for Desktop support lol. (Example ; The annoying Win7 Printer offline issue lol).

[SeekingIT]

Indeed - However!

So you think it's OK to have some contractor working on a project who only has experience of reading a book on the subject?

How would you feel if you'd paid for a builder to extend your house, and then learnt that he'd never done it before - only read about it?

You've a point, however when you commission a builder it should be up to you to ask what\how many houses chap has extended before, what mistakes did he make, what has he learned and how will he ensure those errors do not happen on my house.........(obviously similar questions to Contractor in Interview, regarding AD Design)

Will be interesting if the OP, lets us know if Chap is still happily engaged there.........

[MyUserName]

Surely, their background is not the point.

If the guy can do the job but has no experience then what difference does his lack of experience make - he can do the job.
If the guy has lots of experience but cannot do the job then what difference does their experience make - he cannot do the job.

[kingcook]

What are you, five years old or something? Get a grip.

So you think it's OK to have some contractor working on a project who only has experience of reading a book on the subject?

How would you feel if you'd paid for a builder to extend your house, and then learnt that he'd never done it before - only read about it?

[SueEllen]

He might actually be good.

I've worked alongside contractors who knew what they were doing backwards and got canned or moved on, and I've taken over their work knowing SFA at the beginning.

Some clients both big and small don't care if you don't know it as long as you work hard fixing it for them and don't delay the project longer than it would take to get a replacement.

[DigitalUser]

No because 99.99% of the time I would be wasting my time. The general advice is you are only as good as your last contract and also in this market there will be a host of people applying for the same role with many more years demonstrable experience.

I guess once in a blue moon I might get lucky but it just isn't worth my time.

As lucky as he has been getting the gig he will get found out and then it is up to the client what to do with him. I would bet on him getting walked to be honest so..

400 a day will be nice until he get's canned and then spends 3 months on the bench because this opportunity will not happen again or 170 steady work and get some skills to back his knowledge up and grow in the role.

If I found a contractor had blagged it on my project I would be straight in asking him to be removed. Gives us all a bad name.

What are you, five years old or something? Get a grip.