I’ve previously mentioned that my company is trying to staff a QA lead position. It’s been posted on craigslist and the Joel on Software Jobs board. At least I knew enough not to waste money on Monster ($550 for a month of worthless resumes matched by keyword? I can do that with Google for free!) and CareerBuilder, but I wasn’t prepared for the sheer deluge of unqualified applicants.

The ad has been on craigslist for less than 72 hours, and I already have two dozen resumes. Of those, a dozen were discarded out of hand due to material lack of qualifications, and most of the balance didn’t articulate the skills, experience, and attention to detail that I’m looking for. So far, only one applicant has warranted a phone interview.

At the same time, the Joel on Software posting has yielded only one applicant, but the applicant is clearly qualified and knows how to distinguish between informal English as one might use when talking to a drunken college buddy, and formal English appropriate for, say, a job application.

So, the lesson for me is, craigslist can produce a deluge of unqualified resumes to rival Monster, for a small fraction of the price, while the Joel on Software board can produce a dribble of more qualified resumes far superior to Monster. When it comes time to hire a dev, I know what I’ll be doing.