[asdasf]

Differing expectations doesn't mean one set of expectations is wrong. If someone claims they can do database administration, and then I ask them a basic question like what indexes would you need to create for an example query, and they have no idea, they are not capable of database administration. They mean "I can type apt-get install mysql-server" when they say they can admin databases.

[jblow]

I would say that said applicant is very clearly wrong.

Sure, there are a lot of people out there who exaggerate on their resume, but this has nothing to do with the existence of people who actually do know things.

[asdasf]

I would say they are wrong too. But the PA ad is almost certainly looking for exactly that level of skill, while using words that sound like they are looking for someone who actually knows what they are doing. So when the guy writes a response to it acting like their requirements are absurd, he isn't crazy, he is just getting a different mental picture of the requirements than the PA people had in their head when they wrote it.

[PeterisP]

Well, but any competent software developer who works with databases can (and often does) build database structures, indexing, query optimization, etc. A specialized DBA can do it better and much more, but the database needs for a small company often can easily be met by the 'side-skills' of someone who is primarily a programmer.

[asdasf]

I have literally never seen a single "competent software developer" who understands indexing or query optimization at all. All I see is spray and pray style indexing (create indexes semi-randomly until things seem fast enough).