The amount of qualifications one has to meet to get any work above base level is absolutely horrendous. I know this subject may have been discussed before (new member here), but I'm browsing postings in an area I want to move to in a few years to get a feel of the market there, and I'm so irritated. Even entry level positions require so many hoops to jump through when they're supposed to be bottom level, teach-me-how-to-do-everything, positions. I'm having a hard time actually believing company's are hiring people that actually meet what supposedly is required; or if they are even hiring people at all. Nearly every professional gig is requiring MA's now along with 5 to 7 years of relative job experience, plus certifications, and a partridge in a pear tree. Are company's actually hiring people that meet these standards?? Or is it just a ploy to appear as if they're hiring, but they're making it so impossible no one can ever reach what they're “looking” for? I can't help but wonder if people who somehow do get these jobs just lie on their resume or the companies settle for people that are close enough. What is the purpose of companies complaining about not being able to hire people, then shooting themselves in the foot with the impossible heights they expect candidates to reach?