I've been thinking a lot about the nature of controversy lately, and I've concluded that regardless of whether you love or hate the weekly Ruby personality cult showdowns... at least we're a lot more fun to watch than those other guys. My experience has been that the overwhelming majority of people that are drawn to Ruby are unfailingly nice, interesting and creative. Yet, we have something of a reputation for being arrogant and elitist as a whole. Are we lucky to have a supportive Ruby scene in Toronto? It's possible, but I firmly believe that the only way to undo the unfounded negative connections that people internalize is to demonstrate our true nature in a selfless and intimate way.
Employment.nil? is a job fair for Ruby developers in the GTA that will happen on June 6th at The Gladstone Hotel from 11am-6pm.
In Toronto, Ruby developers are friends. We help each other out when times are tough, we recommend talent when we're too busy, and we find each other for proactive social networking — the meaty handshake and beer kind — when we're looking for the next gig.
We're not competing; we're building something bigger. Did you know that we started Rails Pub Nite to encourage people to form companies and compete with us? In those early days, we had zero competition and it was hurting our credibility. Competition wasn't just good for Unspace, it got us off the ground.
There will be no computers of any kind allowed!
Some folks have been perplexed by our insistence on leaving the MacBook Pro at home. This will force an opportunity to speak passionately and eloquently about their work, and why they love Ruby. All too often, the almighty demo serves as a crutch for geeks that are rarely called upon to demonstrate their social tact. Frankly, some people do not know how to be personable, and the secret is that practice makes perfect.
After all, good companies and potential partners are looking for the right combination of attitude, skill, and experience. All too often, non-technical people are intimidated into hiring lame developers simply because of a mile long list of acronyms on their resume.
The event is free to the public and there will be quiet places to meet with potential clients or employers. There's only room for about 40 boards, and they are available on a first come, first served basis. We expect and encourage junior Ruby developers to participate as well as more experienced Rubyists; honesty really is the best policy, especially when paired with a great attitude and a willingness to learn quickly.
Participation will cost $15 for students, $20 for individual contractors, and $30 for small companies for each bristol board they want to put up.
More information will follow, but we intend there to be desirable prizes for things like best poster. We're going to promote this event, and we hope that you will treat the occasion like your next gig depends on it.
Are you hiring or looking for a technology partner for your new start-up? There is no better place for you on June 6th! Come and meet the best developers in the city.
We Rubyists are in a prime position to take advantage of the economic downturn and use it to our advantage. It's an awesome time to start-up, or use some down-time to learn new tricks or even try a new hobby. We can demonstrate that we're not just clever early adopters, but an honest to goodness community that creates opportunity while everyone else waits for the sky to fall. Rubyists are not risk-averse and by definition many of us are early adopters... there's a huge number of would-be entrepreneurs looking for your skill-set right now.
What should you do to prepare? Well, in addition to busting out the magic markers, sparkles and stickers, we recommend that you put some choice screen shots and maybe a chart or diagram up as a centerpiece on your board. Make sure that everything is legible at a reasonable distance, and if you're keen to show off your code then we suggest printing it off and sticking it in a duotang. You should also bring business cards to hand out. The goal is to show a potential employer or business partner why you'd make a great addition to the team. It wouldn't hurt to think through some of the basic questions a random visitor might ask you:
Why should I use Ruby instead of X? Does Ruby scale? Is Ruby ready for The Enterprise? These might be tired to the point of cliche, but it doesn't matter when someone wants to hear your explanation. In fact, knowing the answers to these questions is a big part of why people hire us: a bleeding-edge Ruby developer is going to bring a valuable new perspective that we take for granted.
Learn more and sign up at http://rubyjobfair.ca/ and watch #rubyjobfair
Press, sponsors, or people with ideas to promote the event please drop us a line at info@rubyjobfair.ca. We heartily encourage you to put the Employment.nil? badge above on your blog!