Our post and Reputation

[shakti5385]

Hello to all
I want to know that we all are working here. We are sharing more then 8 hour on the forums so can we add out total post and reputation in our resume??
Is it beneficial for us??

[Hack]

we add out total post and reputation in our resume??
Is it beneficial for us??

I don't see how that would be even remotely beneficial. Why would a prospective employer care about that?

[szlamany]

I could even see it working against you!

[penagate]

Who wants employees that waste 8 hours a day on internet forums?

[Hack]

I could even see it working against you!

Who wants employees that waste 8 hours a day on internet forums?

Exactly.

[szlamany]

I'm lucky I work for myself!

(although my business partner (and wife) was very skeptical about all this forum time until I got the MVP award - and it's nice benefits!)

[shakti5385]

Who wants employees that waste 8 hours a day on internet forums?

We are not wasting our time but we are sharing/increasing our knowledge, I think lot of People waste their time on the chit-chat and this is other matter.

[penagate]

Sharing knowledge is all well and good, but it's best done outside company time.

That said, the forum can be a valuable tool when you are stuck on something at work... but it's still not something I'd boast about on a résumé, unless the job description was for remote support or something.

[modpluz]

Who wants employees that waste 8 hours a day on internet forums?

thats the point...as an employer, if i would employ you, it would be as a "Professional Developer" not a "Professonal Forum Participant".
the point is we are not wasting our time here but learning and sharing(for our own good) and am saying it out loud again "I LOVE SPENDING TIME ON VBFORUMS"

[shakti5385]

saying it out loud again "I LOVE SPENDING TIME ON VBFORUMS"

Thats good so finally we are here for sharing the knowledge. And increasing our knowledge.

[Hack]

Thats good so finally we are here for sharing the knowledge. And increasing our knowledge.

Yes, but, I believe I would avoid mentioning this on your resume.

the forum can be a valuable tool when you are stuck on something at work...

Once you get the job, however, there is nothing to prevent you from telling your co-workers about the site.

[szlamany]

I'm a teacher at heart - that's why I spend so much time on the forum.

I also enjoy the challenge of discovering a method to perform odd SQL queries - they are like puzzles.

I don't spend so much time in the non-db areas of the forum as I am not as much of an expert in those areas...

So in the long run I do learn from the forum - and I do offer much time and assistance.

But I still would never mention it on a resume for a prospective employer - as my dedication to the forum is counter-productive to a full-time paid job!

[shakti5385]

But I still would never mention it on a resume for a prospective employer - as my dedication to the forum is counter-productive to a full-time paid job!

But you include your MVP award in your CV or not??

[szlamany]

But you include your MVP award in your CV or not??

Yes - I would...

And MS also mails letters to people I select with the announcement of the MVP award.

I just hope those people never start asking exactly what I do to get that award

My customers are happy to know that I am an expert in the eyes of MS - the MVP award is an indicator of that. That has merit - as they feel that MS's opinion must be worth something.

[Hack]

But you include your MVP award in your CV or not??

It is in your benefit to include mention of any type of professional award or certification.

But, that is totally different form a post count or rep points.

[RhinoBull]

It is in your benefit to include mention of any type of professional award or certification...

Although MVP is a nice and flashy thing on your resume some employeers may get spooked by it for a few reasons :

- they may've realised it came from Internet activities
- they may consider candidate to be over qualified
- personal jealousy
- etc, etc, etc...

So, it's sort of 50/50 thing.

[brad jones]

If you are trying to get hired by a web site to manage and oversee forums (I only know of one person with such a job), then saying you are a forum god is helpful. As others have said, most employers would consider it a negative - thus best to leave off a resume.

MVP status is almost always considered positive, but as RhinoBull said, it may cause some people to consider you overqualified. Regardless, I believe it is generally something you should definitely have on your resume.

<sidenote>
It is interesting that most people confuse the MVP award to mean 'expertise'. I believe it actually is more focused towards 'influence'. Meaning a person who gets an MVP award is someone who influences the community. As such, someone may help out a lot of beginning level people all the time. They may only have a slightly better than beginning understanding of something. Even so, they are being very influential to those beginners they are helping even though they may not be a real 'expert'. That person would still be a good target for an MVP award.
<end of sidenote>
Granted, if someone is looking at a resume, it doesn't necessarily hurt to let them think whatever they want

As mentioned the value of mentioning forums in an interview (not on a resume unless you are moderating) is that you can show that you are plugged into a community and thus if an issue comes up that you don't have an answer, you have a professional network that you can tap into of people that might be able to help you get the answer quicker. If you happen to have an MVP status, then this network extends even farther by including people within Microsoft (per the benefits an MVP gets).

Brad!

[szlamany]

On that expert point - I really have to agree.

I'm a died in the wool mainframe programmer from the 80's.

I started on VB with VB6 and SQL with MS SQL 2000 around 6 years ago - hard to be an expert in this area with so little experience.

But I've got a big mouth and even bigger opinions -especially when it comes to DB's and enterprise apps

[brad jones]

I started on VB with VB6 and SQL with MS SQL 2000 around 6 years ago - hard to be an expert in this area with so little experience.

It really depends on the six years of experience... I know people with over a decade of experience in areas that are not as good as some people I know with just a couple of years.

It isn't how long your experience is, but what you've done in getting it....



Brad!

[RhinoBull]

...I started on VB with VB6 and SQL with MS SQL 2000 around 6 years ago ...

But those 6 years are backed by another 20 (or so) on the Mainframe so you had very solid concept in programming ragardless of what programming language you used prior to VB.

[shakti5385]

As mentioned the value of mentioning forums in an interview (not on a resume unless you are moderating)

means if you are a moderator on the forms then you can also include it

[Hack]

means if you are a moderator on the forms then you can also include it

I don't...although, through conversations, my boss is aware that I'm a Q&A web site moderator, but it isn't on my resume.

[RhinoBull]

means if you are a moderator on the forms then you can also include it

It appears to me that our recommendations are not as clear yet so why don't you give it the try (by putting on your resume anything you want) and see the impact for yourself - I'm sure you won't be getting many interviews (if any at all) but what the heck...

Good luck.

[CVMichael]

Actually.... I DID put it on my Resume, and I DID get the job, this is my 3'rd week in my new full time programming job...

When I had the interview I mentioned about it also, but he did not seem interested, as if he did not know the implications (that it takes time to get on the first page when sorted by reputation), but I don't know for sure what he was thinking because he did not react much...

Since I got hired (even now) I am posting on vbforums from work, but only when I have free time.

I finished all stuff I had to do, and I told him (my boss) that I am finished, but he did not give me anything new to do... so... I am kinda bored right now...

Anyways... I'll go find something to read, documentation or something...

[RhinoBull]

Actually.... I DID put it on my Resume...

What exactly did you, Michael? I might be wrong but it sounds like your boss could care less about anything that's happening outside his own world (himself that is).

[RobDog888]

Who wants employees that waste 8 hours a day on internet forums?

Just wanted to add my vote along with the others that unless you are going for a web developer job or something related to the forums then I would eefinately leave it off.

In fact I would create a GPO to prevent my employees from spending too much time on the internet and lock certain sites. VBF is a valuable resource when used for your job but can also be a liability if you spend too much time on it at work when you should be working.

[shakti5385]

VBF is a valuable resource when used for your job but can also be a liability if you spend too much time on it at work when you should be working.

But where we are wasting out time here, we are here for learning and I think that there is no end of learning.

[penagate]

well then why don't you sit at home and learn instead of going to work.

[shakti5385]

well then why don't you sit at home and learn instead of going to work.

Learning is necessary for earning, and I am learning for earning and increase knowledge.
And if you give me money for sit at home instead of going to work then I am agree.

[penagate]

You should make your custom title "Learning for earning".

[shakti5385]

You should make your custom title "Learning for earning".

It's our thinking sir

[iPrank]

My boss owns 2/3 forums. I didn't mention abut VBF in my resume, but soon he figured out that I always Copy-Paste code from VBF.
Well...that didn't change anything. As long as I finish the day's job, its alright.