Wednesday, January 14, 2004
Good gravy, Batman! Did the floodgates just open? I'm on my way to lunch with a friend today when I get a call about an opportunity in the Ft. Worth area. Any way I can get in to the office today to speak with the recruiter about it? Absolutely! I spent nearly two hours there learning about yet another position that sounds like a good fit. Hopefully I'll hear from them tomorrow about scheduling an interview.
The Friday deadline looms closer and closer...
The Friday deadline looms closer and closer...
Tuesday, January 13, 2004
OK, so within an hour of my last post, I received two calls about jobs. One was pretty throwaway (found my resume, saw that I'd been out of work for a while, would be desperate, knew he could talk me into a sales position - NOT) but the other was from a business associate back from my Nortel days. He's starting up a new product/company and wanted to see if I was interested. Well, I met him for lunch after I signed the papers to start my new job on 1/19, and while the project was interesting, I really wasn't the right guy for it, my choice.
Then today I get an e-mail from someone I contacted before Christmas about a media/IT position in the area. He wants me to interview for the position. While I'm not willing to share the specifics right now, I'm pretty excited about meeting this gentleman this coming Friday.
So yes, this blog may be coming to an end, but it may be a different end than I was thinking just yesterday.
Then today I get an e-mail from someone I contacted before Christmas about a media/IT position in the area. He wants me to interview for the position. While I'm not willing to share the specifics right now, I'm pretty excited about meeting this gentleman this coming Friday.
So yes, this blog may be coming to an end, but it may be a different end than I was thinking just yesterday.
Monday, January 12, 2004
Wow, what a weekend. As of right now, I've accepted a position with the company who interviewed me on Friday. I'm heading down to fill out paperwork this morning. I'm still hoping to hear back from another possibility early this week and interview with them. It's a better job match with better pay, but at this point, I need to get back in the workforce. Two and a half jobless months is enough.
Here's my prediction. Within the next two weeks, I'll be working. As soon as I start working, I'll start getting a lot of hits on my posted resumes and calls from folks wanting to talk with me about jobs. That's how it's happened the last couple of times I've searched and found.
There may be a few more posts here, but I could be close to wrapping up this particular blog. You're more than welcome to check out my other blog, The Q Continuum.
Here's my prediction. Within the next two weeks, I'll be working. As soon as I start working, I'll start getting a lot of hits on my posted resumes and calls from folks wanting to talk with me about jobs. That's how it's happened the last couple of times I've searched and found.
There may be a few more posts here, but I could be close to wrapping up this particular blog. You're more than welcome to check out my other blog, The Q Continuum.
Thursday, January 08, 2004
It finally happened! I got a call back from a submission I made to a posting on one of the job boards! I spoke with the recruiter for a few moments, but my alarm technician showed up, so I had to call him back later. When I did, he was heading into a meeting, but promised he'd call me back tomorrow.
Did get e-mail confirmation from the recruiter I spoke with on Tuesday night that she did receive my resume in e-mail and had passed it on to the company. She'll let me know as soon as she hears something.
Tomorrow is my big interview. Wish me luck!
Did get e-mail confirmation from the recruiter I spoke with on Tuesday night that she did receive my resume in e-mail and had passed it on to the company. She'll let me know as soon as she hears something.
Tomorrow is my big interview. Wish me luck!
Wednesday, January 07, 2004
Absolutely nothing happened job-wise today.
Tuesday, January 06, 2004
Today was a very busy day. Not only did I do some more on-line training (helping towards some possible certification options), but I got two cold calls about jobs - both by phone. The first turned out to be nothing. The company was wanting an MCSE. I don't have the certification, but he found the MCSE keyword in my resume because I've written for MCSE certification prep books. That was a really short phone call.
The next call came in during a combined birthday party with my sister-in-law. I was on the phone with this recruiter for a total of 45 minutes over two calls (my hot cider got completely cold before I could drink it). This is definitely the most promising lead I've had yet. It's not a management position, but the position is a challenging one, like some positions I've held in the past, and it's a salary match to what I was making at my last employer. After I got home, I did some research on the company, and I like what they are doing, both in the marketplace and in the technology sector. I'm really hoping that they're going to want to talk to me. It's a six-month contract to hire gig, but the impression is that whomever they bring in on contract will be the persons they keep around for good.
The next call came in during a combined birthday party with my sister-in-law. I was on the phone with this recruiter for a total of 45 minutes over two calls (my hot cider got completely cold before I could drink it). This is definitely the most promising lead I've had yet. It's not a management position, but the position is a challenging one, like some positions I've held in the past, and it's a salary match to what I was making at my last employer. After I got home, I did some research on the company, and I like what they are doing, both in the marketplace and in the technology sector. I'm really hoping that they're going to want to talk to me. It's a six-month contract to hire gig, but the impression is that whomever they bring in on contract will be the persons they keep around for good.
Monday, January 05, 2004
I have an interview Friday with this software company. Four months into the job search, and I finally have an honest-to-God interview. Who said this was a tough market?
Friday, January 02, 2004
OK, I'm stunned. I apparently passed the tech screen on Wednesday, now the software company wants to bring me in for a two hour interview sometime next week! I really didn't expect that! So yes, of course, I'll go in for the interview. If absolutely nothing else, it gets me a practice interview for other possibilities. The recruiter will know more Monday and contact me to schedule.
I also spoke with my old contact today about the e-mail she sent me on New Year's Eve. It is definitely an "interesting" contract to hire opportunity. Without giving much detail, a long-time employee of the company (20+ years I think) left his position right around Christmas. Well, he was the only IT-type person they had, and they operate on quite a few disparate systems, which nobody else in the company knows anything about. It would be going back to my roots of wearing multiple hats (server support, desktop support, software evaluation, printer support, keeping everything together on a shoestring budget), but they're also wanting someone who is experienced in the type of work the company does. Well, I don't have that experience, and I doubt many technology people do. But I also doubt that anyone with experience in their field also has the technology expertise to keep their infrastructure up and running. Anyway, she's giving them my name for them to review.
I also spoke with my old contact today about the e-mail she sent me on New Year's Eve. It is definitely an "interesting" contract to hire opportunity. Without giving much detail, a long-time employee of the company (20+ years I think) left his position right around Christmas. Well, he was the only IT-type person they had, and they operate on quite a few disparate systems, which nobody else in the company knows anything about. It would be going back to my roots of wearing multiple hats (server support, desktop support, software evaluation, printer support, keeping everything together on a shoestring budget), but they're also wanting someone who is experienced in the type of work the company does. Well, I don't have that experience, and I doubt many technology people do. But I also doubt that anyone with experience in their field also has the technology expertise to keep their infrastructure up and running. Anyway, she's giving them my name for them to review.
Wednesday, December 31, 2003
Happy New Year's Eve!
Did the phone screen today. Don't think I really floored them with my technical prowess. However, the questioning focused on concepts rather than specific implementations, so perhaps it was more of a "do you have the capacity to do this support" kind of screening. Like all those Calculus classes you can take in college - very few companies want you to be able to do any calculus, but they want to know that you have the capacity to learn the concepts. Funny - I rather liked doing the calculus.
Anyway, I should know first of next week if they want to bring me in for a full interview. I doubt it.
Oh, but I got another surprise. I got a cold call e-mail late this afternoon from an old contact about an "interesting contract to hire opportunity." So I e-mailed her back and said, "Yeah, let's talk." This is a lot more active than I expected this week to be! Maybe this is a sign of things coming...
Did the phone screen today. Don't think I really floored them with my technical prowess. However, the questioning focused on concepts rather than specific implementations, so perhaps it was more of a "do you have the capacity to do this support" kind of screening. Like all those Calculus classes you can take in college - very few companies want you to be able to do any calculus, but they want to know that you have the capacity to learn the concepts. Funny - I rather liked doing the calculus.
Anyway, I should know first of next week if they want to bring me in for a full interview. I doubt it.
Oh, but I got another surprise. I got a cold call e-mail late this afternoon from an old contact about an "interesting contract to hire opportunity." So I e-mailed her back and said, "Yeah, let's talk." This is a lot more active than I expected this week to be! Maybe this is a sign of things coming...
Tuesday, December 30, 2003
Recruiter from yesterday e-mails me back and the software company wants to do the phone screen tomorrow, New Year's Eve. No problem. It's not like I have anything else to do but wait on family to get into town. I doubt seriously I'll pass the tech screening, as it's been years since I've done hands-on server support work, but we'll see.
Absolutely nothing else going on with the job boards. Maybe next week...
Absolutely nothing else going on with the job boards. Maybe next week...
Monday, December 29, 2003
Got an e-mail from a guy today about a job. I'm not sure I'm all that interested, but I responded to him anyway. It's a phone support position for a major software company, but it pays significantly less than what I was making (but significantly more than I'm pulling in now). He sent me an on-line skills assessment that I completed and bombed (at least according to my final score - a whopping 47%). The guys e-mails me back about the score and is impressed, because I scored in the top 90% of testers. Go figure! Anyway, he goes ahead and submits my name to the company for consideration. The company immediately comes back and says they want to do the phone screen on me. The recruiter will contact me tomorrow to set it up.
Thursday, December 25, 2003
Merry Christmas to me! I found another post through FlipDog for an IT Manager for a major broadcast company in the Dallas/Ft. Worth area. I get online to send in my resume, but only notice after I put it in that the position is open until mid-March. Nothing's going to happen quickly on that one. We'll see what happens in late February. Ha!
Friday, December 05, 2003
Another of my automated mailings arrived today telling me that there's a job in Austin at Apple that matches my profile. So, I jump on-line and submit my name for it. Working for Apple would certainly be high on my list of end results. I know from past efforts with Apple's employment system that they don't respond by e-mail. So, we'll see.
Thursday, December 04, 2003
OK, today was another fairly exciting job day today. I submitted for a post that came up, then I got an e-mail from a recruiter about a position that I'd put in for several months ago. I eventually spoke with him on the phone, and sure enough, the company is still looking for the right candidate. He said he wanted to get me in front of the hiring managers, and he'd let me know once he heard back from them. First bit of good news in some time. I never did hear back from the contact in San Antonio, so I just gave up on that. I've also had no luck reaching my contact at Dell, so I'm about to give up on that angle and try some other ways into the company.
I'm getting into the part of the year where not much happens hiring-wise, so I'm not really hopeful about what may come, but I'll keep looking religiously.
I'm getting into the part of the year where not much happens hiring-wise, so I'm not really hopeful about what may come, but I'll keep looking religiously.
Tuesday, November 25, 2003
Like I suspected, there's been pretty much nothing going on this week. But I did run across another IT Manager position this morning and sent in my information for it.
I've had absolutely no followup from the contact last Friday about the job in San Antonio. I've sent a couple of e-mails, but no response. I'll try again early next week, but if she doesn't respond then, I'll just drop it.
Heading back to Dallas later today. Joy.
I've had absolutely no followup from the contact last Friday about the job in San Antonio. I've sent a couple of e-mails, but no response. I'll try again early next week, but if she doesn't respond then, I'll just drop it.
Heading back to Dallas later today. Joy.
Friday, November 21, 2003
Wow! Today was the busiest day of job hunting yet, and the most promising so far. I found yet another posting on dice.com this morning that appears to be a good match, so I put in for it. But for the first time since I became unemployed, I got a cold call from a recruiter about a position. She originally contacted me about one posting, but as we started discussing my resume and background, she had another position that we started discussing. We spent over two hours on the phone in two separate calls discussing the possibility. It's down in San Antonio, but hey, if I'm considering moving to Austin, why not look at San Antonio, too? Anyway, she's going to discuss me with the contact, and we'll see what happens next week.
Gotta get packing, leaving town in the morning...
Gotta get packing, leaving town in the morning...
Thursday, November 20, 2003
A few more positions of interest were posted on Dell's web site this morning, so I submitted my information again. It's amazing to me the number of positions that they have posted, that have been posted for a while, that appear to be a match for me, yet I can't get anyone at Dell to contact me. Even my inside contact has seemingly disappeared from the face of the earth.
I'm heading out of town this weekend for Thanksgiving, but I'll still be doing my daily job search, even though I don't expect anything to really happen this week or next.
I'm heading out of town this weekend for Thanksgiving, but I'll still be doing my daily job search, even though I don't expect anything to really happen this week or next.
Wednesday, November 19, 2003
Found and applied for a position in Austin today. Another posting that's very close in terms of what they advertised and what I bring to the table. We'll see.
Other than that, it's been really bleak. There have been a couple of interesting posts in the last couple of days, but the overall volume of new posts is way, way down. The number of open positions in Austin is still outnumbering those in the DFW area, even though DFW is at least 6 times larger than the Austin metroplex. Yikes!
Other than that, it's been really bleak. There have been a couple of interesting posts in the last couple of days, but the overall volume of new posts is way, way down. The number of open positions in Austin is still outnumbering those in the DFW area, even though DFW is at least 6 times larger than the Austin metroplex. Yikes!
Tuesday, November 18, 2003
Found a great match for a job in Carrollton this morning I submitted my information within 30 minutes of the posting going live. The job description is pretty much an exact match for my skills and background, so I'll hopefully get at least an e-mail followup on it.
Also had lunch with some buddies at UNT today, today being my old boss' birthday. The position at UNT in the UNIX group is still open, so since I could possibly end up back there, it can't hurt to schmooze a little, right?
Also had lunch with some buddies at UNT today, today being my old boss' birthday. The position at UNT in the UNIX group is still open, so since I could possibly end up back there, it can't hurt to schmooze a little, right?
Sunday, November 16, 2003
Found another job from a different source this afternoon, so I completed their online form for the position. This was for a higher position than I've had in the past, and it's the first time I've posted for something that would be an upgrade for me. Nothing else has generated any followup contact, maybe this will.
Saturday, November 15, 2003
Found one new posting that came up late Friday afternoon and completed an on-line form for it. But the big news is that I'm going to see Blue Man Group perform at NextStage again this evening. Woo hoo!
Friday, November 14, 2003
Went to a career transition workshop this morning, or at least I showed up for the first part of it. I'll keep my specific observations to myself, but I'll summarize by saying that the environment at the "event" just wasn't my cup of tea. I was hoping to make some new recruiter contacts, but there didn't seem to be anyone there that I didn't already know.
This was the first solid lead I got off one of the employment mailing lists I've joined. There are several of these things hosted in the area, and while this one didn't work for me, there may be others that will.
Oh, scanned the job boards, nothing doing. Another Friday, not much in the job hunt. *sigh*
This was the first solid lead I got off one of the employment mailing lists I've joined. There are several of these things hosted in the area, and while this one didn't work for me, there may be others that will.
Oh, scanned the job boards, nothing doing. Another Friday, not much in the job hunt. *sigh*
Tuesday, November 11, 2003
Went and had lunch with the old work crew today. There were almost as many people there as showed up for my going-away lunch. I was really touched. Everyone was genuinely interested in how I was doing, how the job search was going, etc. As I had done in my last few weeks of work at Trinity, I kept my "upbeat" face on, and just didn't share the growing frustration I'm feeling about all of this. No offense to anyone who was there who may read this, but it's just easier to put on the game face than to really take the time to share. That, and it's less time consuming on the followup.
Anyway, nothing new on the job boards worth mentioning...
Anyway, nothing new on the job boards worth mentioning...
Monday, November 10, 2003
Talked with my contact at Dell again today. There are some newer job postings that he gave me information about. He's also going to try and talk with one of the internal recruiters directly and see what's what.
No responses from the notices I sent out last week. Nothing new on the job boards today. I think we're getting into that period called the 'end of the year' where people are taking vacations around the holidays and not much at all is happening on the employment front. Sure would be nice to at least get an acknowledgement that my job submissions have been received, but if these postings are anything like the ones I put up in February, there's no time to respond to every submission. Having worked on both sides of the employment fence this year, I can tell you from first-hand experience that it's a very tough market out there. I don't envy me.
No responses from the notices I sent out last week. Nothing new on the job boards today. I think we're getting into that period called the 'end of the year' where people are taking vacations around the holidays and not much at all is happening on the employment front. Sure would be nice to at least get an acknowledgement that my job submissions have been received, but if these postings are anything like the ones I put up in February, there's no time to respond to every submission. Having worked on both sides of the employment fence this year, I can tell you from first-hand experience that it's a very tough market out there. I don't envy me.
Saturday, November 08, 2003
It's a good thing I check the job boards on Saturdays, too. Found a posting for a position that appeared late Friday afternoon on Monster. Filled out an on-line referral form. Still haven't heard back from any of the job notices I've placed in the last 6 weeks.
Friday, November 07, 2003
Got on the job boards again this morning and found one new posting of interest. Another IT Manager position in the Ft. Worth area. Sent my name in. Nothing else of interest.
Thursday, November 06, 2003
Very exciting day today. Went and had my teeth cleaned at the dentist, then went to visit a recruiter at Spherion Technologies. He gave me some good information about the state of the job market in DFW today (not good) and offered some suggestions on places to keep my resume posted. He does have some partners who place people in Austin, so maybe I'll have him send my information down there and see what they're able to come up with.
Wednesday, November 05, 2003
Found a posting on computerjobs.com today and put my name in for that. Also received e-mail from a recruiter wanting an update for my resume. E-mailed it to her, but the position she was looking for was not within my technical specifications. Nothing else of interest on the job boards.
Tuesday, November 04, 2003
Went and had lunch with an old friend at UNT today. While I was there, I filled out an application for a UNIX sysadmin position. It pays significantly less than what I was making, but the benefits are good, and the work environment is fairly stable. We'll have to see how long it takes to get through the UNT system. No other good oppportunities showed up on-line today.
Thursday, October 30, 2003
Well, this is it. Tomorrow is the last day of work at Trinity, and I frankly don't plan on being there very long. It's been a while since I've done any posts, mostly because it's been the same old thing day after day - search the job boards, find a few interesting posts (or not), submit my name and resume for those posts that do look interesting, and not hear anything back. Tomorrow afternoon I officially enter the world of the unemployed for the first time in my life, and it's a little creepy. I'll be hooking up for unemployment as soon as possible (I've already done some of the prep work) and will see how that works. Hopefully, it'll be enough to help stretch what little money is left through the end of the year and maybe beyond.
At least now I'll be able to hunt for a new job full-time and not have to worry about having to deal with issues at the office that I frankly don't care about, but have to at least put on a good face for. Maybe I'll be more regular about updating these pages, maybe I won't. We'll have to see.
At least now I'll be able to hunt for a new job full-time and not have to worry about having to deal with issues at the office that I frankly don't care about, but have to at least put on a good face for. Maybe I'll be more regular about updating these pages, maybe I won't. We'll have to see.
Monday, October 06, 2003
See? I'm so "on vacation" that I forgot to post my last few entries, even before I left town!
Awesome weekend. Had a great time in Austin, and relished the much-needed break. I did take a tour of the Dell manufacturing facility and was very impressed with the operation. If you ever have a chance to see the Dell manufacturing operation, do it. You, too, can be amazed!
Speaking of Dell, I'm taking a look at some opportunities within the company, since I have some inside contacts. I'm not crazy about relocating to Austin, but if it comes down to a choice between accepting an offer from a company in Austin and continuing to look for a job in D/FW, it would be really hard to say "no."
Lots and lots of e-mail in my box now that I finally got my resume "blasted" out to a number of job boards and recruiters. Most of the messages are of the "come see our job postings" variety, and most of those are culling the posts from the major job boards. But, hey, whatever it takes to get my name out there. This certainly is different from job hunting in the late 90's. Sheesh.
Awesome weekend. Had a great time in Austin, and relished the much-needed break. I did take a tour of the Dell manufacturing facility and was very impressed with the operation. If you ever have a chance to see the Dell manufacturing operation, do it. You, too, can be amazed!
Speaking of Dell, I'm taking a look at some opportunities within the company, since I have some inside contacts. I'm not crazy about relocating to Austin, but if it comes down to a choice between accepting an offer from a company in Austin and continuing to look for a job in D/FW, it would be really hard to say "no."
Lots and lots of e-mail in my box now that I finally got my resume "blasted" out to a number of job boards and recruiters. Most of the messages are of the "come see our job postings" variety, and most of those are culling the posts from the major job boards. But, hey, whatever it takes to get my name out there. This certainly is different from job hunting in the late 90's. Sheesh.
Wednesday, October 01, 2003
I'm heading to the greatness that is Austin tomorrow and won't have access to update the blog for several days. I'll get to spend 3 days bumming around the town by myself, taking a well-deserved break from EVERYTHING. I'm so looking forward to that.
More job hunting, more applications, no responses.
More job hunting, more applications, no responses.
Tuesday, September 30, 2003
I've started receiving a few solicited e-mails related to the job hunt. Unfortunately, most have been looking for skills that I have, but that either I am not interested in pursuing or that I don't have enough experience. Neither is a real surprise: these headhunters are doing keyword searches on the job boards and finding these skills in my resume, but not reading the resume to see that I'm really not what they're looking for.
I did get one call today and followed up with the recruiter, even though it wasn't for a position I was interested in. I did, however, speak with her and went into more detail on my situation, so I finally at least had a discussion with a recruiter. I don't expect anything to come of the conversation, but you never know.
So I keep looking...
I did get one call today and followed up with the recruiter, even though it wasn't for a position I was interested in. I did, however, speak with her and went into more detail on my situation, so I finally at least had a discussion with a recruiter. I don't expect anything to come of the conversation, but you never know.
So I keep looking...
Monday, September 29, 2003
Did some more hunting this evening (kind of unusual for my schedule). Still nothing that exciting out there. With all the feelers I've put out, I'm just a little surprised that I haven't heard a peep out of ANYONE in the past month.
An associate pointed me to a national company that has local openings, and I went to their site and applied for a few positions within the company. It could be interesting. The postings are recent enough, and they're apparently only posted on the company's web site, so maybe I"ll be early and noticeable enough to get in for at least a discussion. This is some good news...
Sunday, September 28, 2003
Spent most of the weekend putting drops in my eyes. Starting at a computer screen is a LOT more straining on the eyes that you might otherwise think! Anyway, did find one posting of interest over the weekend - someone wanted an IT manager that could interview and start work this week (9/29-10/3). Oh well. Still, there is activity out there, so it's just a matter of time before the right match comes up.
Thursday, September 25, 2003
Started posting the newly reformatted resume on the job boards today. I'd forgotten how much work is involved in "customizing" the resumes for Monster and CareerBuilder.
No new interesting positions on the job boards, either.
Going in for LASIK tomorrow morning at Boothe Eye Care & Laser Center. No mas glasses!
No new interesting positions on the job boards, either.
Going in for LASIK tomorrow morning at Boothe Eye Care & Laser Center. No mas glasses!
Wednesday, September 24, 2003
Got my reworked resume today. Looks good on initial viewing. Unfortunately, I'm on so many drugs for the sinus infection, etc., that it's hard for me to focus, so I haven't had a chance to really look it over. I'll probably update the link to the new format in the next day or two. The good news is that I've got it in time to get it updated on the job boards in time for this weekend.
Surfed the job boards, didn't find anything of interest. Still have had no contact back from any of the contacts I've made. Same old, same old.
Surfed the job boards, didn't find anything of interest. Still have had no contact back from any of the contacts I've made. Same old, same old.
Tuesday, September 23, 2003
Back to the usual today. Surfed the job boards, didn't find anything interesting, still no update on the resume. Still getting over illness, not much fun. The stress of the job hunt is definitely taking its toll on my health.
Monday, September 22, 2003
All is becoming right with the world again. I received an e-mail from Apple Computer today about a position that opened in Dallas. Since I almost went to work for Apple back in 2000 (and I wouldn't mind working for them at all!) I decided to go ahead and followup with the posting. Again, we'll see what happens.
Outside of the Dell position postings yesterday, the weekend and this morning were a complete bust on new positions on the boards. No additional applications submitted.
Outside of the Dell position postings yesterday, the weekend and this morning were a complete bust on new positions on the boards. No additional applications submitted.
Sunday, September 21, 2003
Dell posted a number of new positions on one of the job boards yesterday morning. Some of them are in the Dallas area, and look like a good match for me. Not only am I sending in applications through the job board, but I also know some people inside the company that I'm going to milk for some information about them. Yes, I'd feel a little strange going to work for a major PC manufacturer since my hear really lies with another product (yes, I'm proabably considered a Mac bigot), but since my real calling is guiding people through whatever trouble they happen to be facing, it has never mattered what platform it has been on.
So off go the e-mails to my inside contacts to see what's what.
So off go the e-mails to my inside contacts to see what's what.
Friday, September 19, 2003
Nothing much again today as I spent most of the morning at the doctor and pharmacy. A quick scan of the job boards proved nothing new. Still waiting on the results of my resume rewrite and I need to start finding some new sites to post my resume to.
I did get a phone call from a recruiter who found my resume on Monster. I actually spoke wiht him and the next higher level screener. They're looking for a position in Arlington. Not too much detail about the position itself, I'll find out more about that if I get a followup call from them on Wednesday as promised. We'll see.
Now if I can just get some sleep again...
I did get a phone call from a recruiter who found my resume on Monster. I actually spoke wiht him and the next higher level screener. They're looking for a position in Arlington. Not too much detail about the position itself, I'll find out more about that if I get a followup call from them on Wednesday as promised. We'll see.
Now if I can just get some sleep again...
Thursday, September 18, 2003
Ugh. Don't get sick. It's not worth it. My wife went in to the doctor on Monday with a sinus infection and strep throat. Guess what I probably have?
I didn't go to work today. I did try to recover some of the sleep I lost last night, but I wasn't really successful. I've moved my LASIK appointment so I can go to the real doctor and see if I've got what I think I've got.
Not much energy to surf for postings, which is OK as there weren't many. Still waiting word on my resume, too. Hey, it could be worse. It could be raining (oh wait, it already did rain, over 1.5 inches in fact...)
I didn't go to work today. I did try to recover some of the sleep I lost last night, but I wasn't really successful. I've moved my LASIK appointment so I can go to the real doctor and see if I've got what I think I've got.
Not much energy to surf for postings, which is OK as there weren't many. Still waiting word on my resume, too. Hey, it could be worse. It could be raining (oh wait, it already did rain, over 1.5 inches in fact...)
Wednesday, September 17, 2003
Went through screening for LASIK this morning. Took *forever* to go through the process (over 3.5 hours!) but I am a candidate, and I'll only need to have one eye done. They've got me scheduled for this Friday morning. Finally, to be rid of glasses!
(For those of you possibly wondering why on earth I'd be looking as LASIK surgery in light of my impending joblessness state, I can say that I've still got a lot of money in a 125 account through work, and if I don't spend it, I lose it. So, why not get rid of glasses, especially if I only need to have one eye done? Plus, there's less risk if I only do one eye. Oh, I do have two eyes, and they're both real. It's just that I'm blind in one. The other is actually usable without correction. I could have been wearing a monocle the last 20 years, but they're hard to find these days.)
Oh, yeah. Again, surf job boards, find nothing new, hear from no one. Story of my life the last few weeks.
(For those of you possibly wondering why on earth I'd be looking as LASIK surgery in light of my impending joblessness state, I can say that I've still got a lot of money in a 125 account through work, and if I don't spend it, I lose it. So, why not get rid of glasses, especially if I only need to have one eye done? Plus, there's less risk if I only do one eye. Oh, I do have two eyes, and they're both real. It's just that I'm blind in one. The other is actually usable without correction. I could have been wearing a monocle the last 20 years, but they're hard to find these days.)
Oh, yeah. Again, surf job boards, find nothing new, hear from no one. Story of my life the last few weeks.
Tuesday, September 16, 2003
I spent about 20 minutes on the phone this afternoon with the resume reviewer. He had some very good suggestions for changes to my resume. I decided to go ahead and let them completely rework my resume, as selling myself is something that I'm really not very good at. From his description of what he thinks my resume should look like, it should set me apart as a management candidate better than a technical candidate. Now, we'll just see how long it takes them to put it together.
Found another new posting today, so I sent in for it. I can still count the number of responses I've received to my applications on no hands. (That means there haven't been any, if you weren't paying close attention.)
I'm trying really hard not to get frustrated at the lack of responses. I'm taking continual action on improving myself as a candidate (at least on paper, and not by lying), and I'm keeping on top of things daily. This job hunting thing is a full-time job in itself, however, and I just don't have the time and energy to do two full time jobs right now.
Found another new posting today, so I sent in for it. I can still count the number of responses I've received to my applications on no hands. (That means there haven't been any, if you weren't paying close attention.)
I'm trying really hard not to get frustrated at the lack of responses. I'm taking continual action on improving myself as a candidate (at least on paper, and not by lying), and I'm keeping on top of things daily. This job hunting thing is a full-time job in itself, however, and I just don't have the time and energy to do two full time jobs right now.
Monday, September 15, 2003
Did not hear anything from the resume I sent on Friday. It's still early, and I'm sure there's a lot of responses going to that post. Plus, they indicate they're accepting resumes until 9/22, so I may well not hear anything until after then.
Nothing new came up over the weekend, back to the early-in-the-week job dregs.
Nothing new came up over the weekend, back to the early-in-the-week job dregs.
Friday, September 12, 2003
Today I spent time targeting specific companies near where I live to see what openings are available. Unfortunately, not much there, either.
I did find a post that is an exact match for my skillset, based on what they have posted, and I found it within an hour of the posting time, so I sent my resume off with a nicely worded cover letter (probably the best cover letter I've ever written) and hope to hear back from them. Not exactly sure who the actual company is (a recruiter posted it) but the job description sounds like a very good fit.
I did find a post that is an exact match for my skillset, based on what they have posted, and I found it within an hour of the posting time, so I sent my resume off with a nicely worded cover letter (probably the best cover letter I've ever written) and hope to hear back from them. Not exactly sure who the actual company is (a recruiter posted it) but the job description sounds like a very good fit.
Thursday, September 11, 2003
OK, so today I decided to take a look at updating my resume. I reviewed a few resume services, and found one that does at least a free "review" of the resume before trying to sell you services. I contacted them and requested a one-on-one phone conversation for Monday afternoon.
In the meantime, I've been asked to start documenting all the things I do on a daily basis for my "normal" job that are not on my official job description. The good news is that in doing this, I identified a few additional (and important!) items to add to my resume. So, I made those updates and sent the existing resume back out.
Oh, yes. I also surfed the job boards and found nothing new.
In the meantime, I've been asked to start documenting all the things I do on a daily basis for my "normal" job that are not on my official job description. The good news is that in doing this, I identified a few additional (and important!) items to add to my resume. So, I made those updates and sent the existing resume back out.
Oh, yes. I also surfed the job boards and found nothing new.
Wednesday, September 10, 2003
Today was kind of a downer day, being so close to 9/11 and all. No calls back on any resumes I've submitted on any postings, and my "upgrade" on Monster and CareerBuilder has not seemed to generate any new hits. Oh, well. I'm sure it will take time.
October 31 is getting closer, though, and I'm no closer to getting a new gig.
October 31 is getting closer, though, and I'm no closer to getting a new gig.
Tuesday, September 09, 2003
My buddy Daniel Ferguson hooked me up with Ryze this morning via the magic of electronic mail. Ryze looks to be an interesting on-line business social networking forum. Hey, it can't hurt, can it? You can check out my (horribly underwhelming) page on Ryze with the link on the right. Did find a writer's forum on Ryze and started reading through some of the posts, as I'm still doing some freelance writing. Sent a note off to someone about some possible writing. Hope to hear back soon.
I also decided to day to "upgrade" my postings on Monster and CareerBuilder. "Upgrade" means pay money to them and they put your resume in the top of the search list. Monster at least has some additional benefits to "upgrading" in that you can access some other features on Monster. CareerBuilder's "upgrade" just puts you higher in the search list - the more you pay, the higher you go, and it's only for a month. We'll see what it does.
Oh, and I surfed the job boards and found nothing new of note.
I also decided to day to "upgrade" my postings on Monster and CareerBuilder. "Upgrade" means pay money to them and they put your resume in the top of the search list. Monster at least has some additional benefits to "upgrading" in that you can access some other features on Monster. CareerBuilder's "upgrade" just puts you higher in the search list - the more you pay, the higher you go, and it's only for a month. We'll see what it does.
Oh, and I surfed the job boards and found nothing new of note.
