Working Up

by Dwayne Phillips

Employers often ask job seekers for stolen property. Please don’t do that.

It happens frequently. The employer’s recruiter or hiring manager asks the job seeker, “Can you show us some source code (proposals, web pages, white papers, designs, etc.) that you’ve done previously?”

That’s an innocent request. That’s a good request. Let’s see your work. Surely you have pride in your work. We hire on merits. Show us your merits.

One problem is that work done for a prior employer was created under the pay of that employer. That prior employer owns that work. Hence, if I gave it to you I would be giving you something owned by that prior employer. I er uh guess that would be stolen property. Are you in the habit of dealing in stolen property?

“Oh no no no,” is the reply. “We just want to see your work. Surely, you have designed the next-generation gadget in your spare time at home, right?” I reply, “Well, no I haven’t as I don’t have the $200K design package at home.”

Folks, when I am unemployed I am unemployed. I don’t have copies of work I did for a prior employer. That would be theft and make me a thief. Do you often hire thieves? And when I am unemployed I spend my time seeking employment. I don’t write software (proposals, books, designs, web pages) all day and put them on Github for your benefit.

Please understand intellectual property and who owns what. Please don’t ask me for stolen property.