> Sure you can.  How do you think I got my first job doing systems admin 
> out of school?  I didn't learn NetWare systems administration in the 
> classroom, I am entirely self-taught, and after two years, I co-wrote 
> what is still thought by many as the definitive book on troubleshooting 
> the directory service for the platform.  That led me to a job where I 
> taught people what I'd written about.

I'm puzzled as to how somebody with no formal qualifications gets to 
write a book.

>> I sound good to you guys because you know what I'm actually like. On a
>> CV or a job application, there isn't much space to communicate stuff,
>> and I fear I don't have the magical words that make me look impressive.
> 
> That's why we've helped you.  You still think you sound unimpressive, but 
> I can tell you that if I were a hiring manager looking for someone with 
> your abilities, I'd hire you on the spot.

Based on what you know about me from this forum? Or based on the 300 
word description in a text box on a web application form?

If there's a box asking what qualifications you have, and another box 
asking what commercial experience you have, it's very hard to convey 
that you're not just some loser kid who wants a job, and that you 
actually know stuff about stuff, even though you don't have the 
credentials "on paper" to prove it.

> I've kept my eyes open 
> internally, in fact, for something that would be a good fit, but (a) our 
> nearest office to you is in Bracknell (about an hour south of you IIRC) 
> and it's not  primarily a development centre.  We have an office in 
> Dublin, Ireland as well, but your expressed desire to stay in or near MK 
> really limits the opportunities, certainly with my employer.

Yeah, that's the wonders of the Internet - most people you talk to live 
nowhere near wherever you are. ;-)

>>> Well, we'll see - if they do for some reason, then it's on to the next
>>> opportunity.  And the next.
>> Sure. They do grow on trees, after all...
> 
> If you'd expand the scope of your search, that would certainly help.

Such as...?

>> Well I can't see any contact details on their website at all. (Not an
>> uncommon occurrance, actually.) I suppose I could just drive round
>> Oxford until I see a fricking big building with Wolfram written on it...
> 
> Try Google.  Search for "Wolfram Oxford Location" (without the quotes).  
> I did, first result gave a location AND a phone number.
> 
> As good as you are at research (and you are good at it), it's sometimes 
> shocking you miss the easy route.
> 
> Further, if you go to the wolfram.com website and drill into the company 
> pages, there's an application page (different than the one you filled 
> out, more specific to Mathematica it seems) and there's a contact e-mail 
> address listed at the bottom of the page:  resumes (at) wolfram (dot) com.

You're looking at Wolfram Research Inc. I applied to Wolfram Alpha LLC. 
Different company. ;-)

IIRC, Wolfram Research does have a little more contact info readily 
available.

-- 
http://blog.orphi.me.uk/
http://www.zazzle.com/MathematicalOrchid*

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