rone | i wonder if i'll ever get another job in this valley

(Before you panic, i am still gainfully employed and have no reason to doubt this will continue for a while.)

I was recently contacted by a recruiter who found my résumé on the Web. The dotcom's job req began: "You're smart, you're fast, and most importantly, you always get it done. Admit it, you're a rockstar."

I had to suppress the urge to backhand my craptop's screen. So instead i wrote this and asked the recruiter to pass it onto the responsible party:

This is embarrassing. I wouldn't hire someone who calls himself "a rockstar" any more than i'd want to work somewhere that looks for one. It sets the wrong tone for this sort of work, implying that this person is going to hog the spotlight. The only worse term i can imagine is "cowboy".

You know what? Systems administration is hard work, and it gets harder every day. Companies want you to know at least a bit of everything and to be awesome at something. The line between network and systems administration has blurred, and the line between DBA and sysadmin is blurring as well. Staying current is a tough chore, especially when you've been working all day. So spare me your "rockstars" because the last thing i need is to deal with some strung-out narcissist with root access.