I'm not currently looking for work at the moment, employee or contract-wise.  However, there are a few things for any recruiters to consider:

  * I'm nice to recruiters.  If you call, I have a policy of being interested in almost anything, even if I don't think it's a good fit at first.  Why?  Because I'm a curious individual that likes to look at all opportunities, and you provide opportunities (despite your getting paid by the employer).  That being said, you shouldn't forward my resume to anybody when you know I don't fit there.  I'll "let" you do that, but you are ultimately responsible for the quality of your search.

  * I like to know the name of the company before doing any work figuring out if I'll like the job spec.  I know you're not supposed to tell me.  No, I'm not going to bypass your commission.  I know it's a lot of money.  I just like to know the circumstances of the company before I commit to it -- where I work is like an investment.  If I don't think the company is going anywhere, I won't invest in it -- nor will I work there, even if you have a need and are willing to pay for it.  I'm not really in it for the money, but the opportunity.  If I were in it for the money, I'd be a hedge fund manager.

  * You got here most likely via a search engine.  You might want to learn how to use the + and - operators to narrow down your search.  I look at the server logs when I get a call and see how you got here.  Most search engines give help pages for more advanced features.  You're getting paid a lot, so use the intelligence you're being paid for.

  * Given that, if it's not in the Pacific Northwest, particularly in Portland, Oregon, or it's not someplace where I can live downtown and not have to drive, then you have to pay for me to get there.  I'll ride my bike if I have to, but I'm not going to spend time wasting my time behind a steering wheel, sitting down, doing nothing.  Working remotely is also an option, but that all depends on the type of work needed -- you have to be realistic.

  * Right now there's a labor shortage.  Expect to pay with that in mind.  When there's a labor surplus, you guys don't pay reasonably anyways, so you win some, you lose some.  Welcome to the age of at-will employment.

  * You have to be ROI-aware with a supply of capital.  If you can't make the investments to make the money, you're wasting my time.  You need to realistically be able to budget for hardware to perform the tasks needed, if hardware is involved.  Go back and get an MBA (in a program that stresses statistics) if you don't know what I'm talking about.

  * Engineering know-how has to permeate the middle management.  Yes, they are two different problem domains -- engineering and management.  However, the management needs to be capable of engineering or have a history of engineering know-how.  I mean this all the way to the executives.  Senior execs that lack technical engineering skill need to be able to engineer in at least some softer field.

  * I'm a fast learner and am adaptable.  Don't look at my resume for the bullet points on it -- as I've probably forgotten more about what I did in the past than what I will work on in the future working for you.  That's why it's called research and development, not code monkeying.  If you need a code monkey, I hear Bangalore is nice.

  * I like to think about the entire stack I'm working with at the moment and contribute to its architecture if there are flaws from the engineering standpoint.  I also like to work out the architecture in advance before setting out to building the system.  Unless it's a contract position that pays very well, I like to feel that I've put some form of ownership and responsibility into what I've created.

  * I'm an evangelist synthesizer of sorts and am very familiar with processes and procedures for quality control.  If you extend your agile/extreme programming methodologies too far, you're not going to be working on a real platform for future development.  While there's something to be said for getting to market quickly, there's even more to be said for getting there with the correct framework.  The Internet is riddled with old-comers and filling out with new-comers who have built solid foundations.  The geocities and the AOLs of this world are dying.  People are getting more savvy and have come to ignore shiny demos without a purpose -- well, VCs aren't there yet, but they lag the marketplace in this matter.

  * The passphrase is: Invisible Pink Unicorn.  This passphrase signifies that you have at least skimmed this note.