I am a software engineer who has noticed a significant change in hiring practices over the last several years. Most companies looking to hire now seem to go solely through recruiters instead of conducting their own searches. Over 95% of the postings on job boards, including craigslist, are by recruiters. In turn, recruiters seem to solely look at checkbox skillsets - both in their posting as well as their screening.

This situation has left me unable to find out any significant information about the company or the type of work being done prior to actually responding to an advertisement. It also leaves me two options - accept the first position that is offered through a recruiter or hope that a position offered through an alternate recruiter will be a better fit, since each recruiter is not usually interested in sending alternatives to a job-searcher who has turned down a position.

Personal networking is another option, but for most of us that is fairly limitied.

Therefore, I have begun this site in the hopes of collecting information useful to all of us in our job searches. If enough data is available, each of us can do their own legwork and search for companies and work they they truly think will be an excellent fit.

If you are in a similar position and would like to use this information, please also do your part and post the information that you have as well.

Thanks!!!