Joel offers a way for first-class software developers to upgrade their careers.

“I’ve been saying for ten years that the top developers have a choice of where to work, and the top employers need to work harder to attract them, [...]]]> “Upgrade your career” is a new article yesterday (Thursday 11/5/09) from Joel Sposky at Joel On Software.

Joel offers a way for first-class software developers to upgrade their careers.

“I’ve been saying for ten years that the top developers have a choice of where to work, and the top employers need to work harder to attract them, because the top developers get ten times as much work done as the average developers.

And yet, I still keep meeting ridiculously productive developers working in shitholes.

We’re going to fix this, right now.”

Joel explains that his other site, Stack Overflow, which hosts programmer discussions of software technology, will include a way for programmers to post their resumes, which will be linked to their Stack Overflow accounts and participation in the discussions.

“We’re going to completely turn the job market upside down, for the best software developers and the best companies.

This is a talent market. Developers are not even remotely interchangeable. Therefore, recruiting should work like Hollywood, not like union hiring halls of the last century.

In a union hiring hall, downtrodden workers line up like cogs, hoping to make it to the front of the line in time to get a few bucks for dinner.

In Hollywood, studios who need talent browse through portfolios, find two or three possible candidates, and make them great offers. And then they all try to outdo each other providing plush work environments and great benefits.

Here’s how Stack Overflow Careers will work. Instead of job seekers browsing through job listings, the employers will browse through the CVs of experienced developers.”

My conclusion: If you’re what Joel calls a “rock star developer,” here’s a great opportunity.