Tony,

I am starting to see a lot of job requirements listings like this for DBAs, system admins, and software developers.

We know, and some managers know, that no one has all those skills. People can't live fast enough to acquire them all. And, the technology keeps changing, which makes them a moving target.

I say "some managers" because I am seeing a trend in the industry toward what I call "career managers". These are almost completely non-technical people who climb the corporate ladder by taking few risks and living on the backs of their subordinates. Their expectations are too high, their knowledge too low, and they are looking for superstars to help keep them successful so they can continue to climb. These types of managers tend to be the ones that place job postings requiring multiple lifetimes worth of experience. They are also the ones that won't hesitate to work their people to death so they can survive and get promoted.

I've gotten to where I ignore the fact that I don't meet all of a job's posted requirements because no one does.

I've also noticed that the proliferation of these types of job postings are largely contributing to the phenomenon of "resume spamming". More and more job seekers are sending out resumes for jobs for which they do not meet the posted requirements. Who knows? Sometimes a person gets lucky.

The sword cuts both ways. If job postings defy rationality, job seekers respond in kind.

LC