Must-have (knockout if absent)
IBM i (iSeries / AS400) platform experience
RPG — RPG III, RPG IV, RPGLE and ILE RPG
CL (Control Language) programming
DB2/400 and SQL on IBM i
Query/400
Embedded SQL
Data queues
Journaling
7+ years of relevant hands-on experience
Nice-to-have (added advantage, not disqualifying)
Web Development
IIS (Internet Information Services)
SOAP Web Services
XML
Skill Decoder — What You're Screening For
Use this to sanity-check a CV and to sound credible on a screening call. If a candidate cannot speak to most of these in their own words, they are likely not a genuine match.
Term
What it means / why it matters
IBM i / AS400 / iSeries
Different names for the same IBM midrange platform. A candidate who says iSeries or System i is describing the same thing — don't screen them out over terminology.
RPG III / IV / RPGLE / ILE RPG
Generations of the RPG language, oldest to newest.
Solid candidates have moved through them and can modernise fixed-format (III) into free-format ILE code.
CL programming
Control Language — scripting that ties programs and system commands together on IBM i. Core to any real AS400 developer.
DB2/400 + SQL on IBM i
The native database on IBM i. Look for both classic DB2/400 file work and modern SQL access.
Query/400
IBM i's built-in reporting/query tool. Common in legacy shops for ad-hoc reporting.
Embedded SQL
SQL written directly inside RPG programs. Signals a contemporary, database-driven approach rather than pure record-level file I/O.
Data queues
IBM i mechanism for passing data between jobs/programs asynchronously — used for integrations and messaging.
Journaling
Database change-logging on IBM i, used for recovery, commitment control and auditing. Key in banking/industrial contexts.