Face-to-face confirmed for Monday -- zero hour, 9am. Expected to be an all-day affair.
One of my co-workers took retirement -- today is her last day. Just gave her a hug. Knew her almost nine years, now she's dust in the wind. Ask not for whom the bell tolls.
Thursday, May 31, 2012
Wednesday, May 30, 2012
Seeking New Challenge -- 2012.05.30
Applied for 5 jobs at my company...actually just swept out my saved job queue. Some of the listings had expired, including the Anchorage job.
First phone interview with a hiring manager. Passed the sniff test, will come in for a 6-hour face-to-face next week. Sounds like fun...
Found another job that the missus has proscribed -- Cell Tower Technician.
Applied for 1 job on Careerbuilder -- recent luck has made me pickier...will break that.
First phone interview with a hiring manager. Passed the sniff test, will come in for a 6-hour face-to-face next week. Sounds like fun...
Found another job that the missus has proscribed -- Cell Tower Technician.
Applied for 1 job on Careerbuilder -- recent luck has made me pickier...will break that.
Tuesday, May 29, 2012
Seeking New Challenge -- 2012.05.29
Things To Do While Waiting For A Phone Interview
1) Look up various option trading strategies such as Butterfly and Iron Condor.
2) Look up your interviewer on Google.
3) Google "Radio Spectrum Market" to see how the FCC is analyzing free-market solutions to the impending "Spectrum Crunch"
4) Look up cool uses for prstat.
5) Contemplate calling your recruiter because the interviewer is an hour behind schedule.
6) Refresh your knowledge of SQL.
7) Suppress your jones for SWTOR.
8) Try to remember all of the ways your past deployments have broken.
9) Wonder if starting an all-consuming activity will trigger the call.
10) Consider the possibility that I was supposed to call the interviewer but my recruiter mixed it up.
11) Smile, close my eyes, and listen to Beethoven's 7th/2nd in my head. It worked for King George VI apparently...
Looks like it was #10.5 -- my recruiter forgot to pass me on to the hiring manager...
I'm still a bit in the red on the Universal FU meter, so I let it slide...
Back to the grind. Applied for 4 jobs on Careerbuilder.
1) Look up various option trading strategies such as Butterfly and Iron Condor.
2) Look up your interviewer on Google.
3) Google "Radio Spectrum Market" to see how the FCC is analyzing free-market solutions to the impending "Spectrum Crunch"
4) Look up cool uses for prstat.
5) Contemplate calling your recruiter because the interviewer is an hour behind schedule.
6) Refresh your knowledge of SQL.
7) Suppress your jones for SWTOR.
8) Try to remember all of the ways your past deployments have broken.
9) Wonder if starting an all-consuming activity will trigger the call.
10) Consider the possibility that I was supposed to call the interviewer but my recruiter mixed it up.
11) Smile, close my eyes, and listen to Beethoven's 7th/2nd in my head. It worked for King George VI apparently...
Looks like it was #10.5 -- my recruiter forgot to pass me on to the hiring manager...
I'm still a bit in the red on the Universal FU meter, so I let it slide...
Back to the grind. Applied for 4 jobs on Careerbuilder.
Monday, May 28, 2012
Sunday, May 27, 2012
Seeking New Challenge -- 2012.05.27
Took yesterday off.
Forgot to wish my sister a happy birthday. Will do that tomorrow.
Applied for 1 job on Careerbuilder.
For some reason I keep going back to 1-800-GOT-JUNK...it was "Undercover Boss".
Forgot to wish my sister a happy birthday. Will do that tomorrow.
Applied for 1 job on Careerbuilder.
For some reason I keep going back to 1-800-GOT-JUNK...it was "Undercover Boss".
Friday, May 25, 2012
Seeking New Challenge -- 2012.05.25
My boss asked me about my job search -- it's gratifying to know she didn't feel comfortable doing what she had to do.
Applied for 1 job in the company. Some of the possible jobs expired before I could apply. Will try to minimize distractions.
Applied for 1 job in the company. Some of the possible jobs expired before I could apply. Will try to minimize distractions.
Thursday, May 24, 2012
Seeking New Challenge -- 2012.05.24
Took a day off from work to do the face-to-face, and cruising job boards to generate more leads.
Applied for 5 jobs on Careerbuilder.
Time to apply some creativity to my job quest. My over-dependence on job boards, recruiters, and my company's internal needs is already producing a feeling of being in a rut.
Applied for a job at THQ (they publish the Warhammer 40K series of games.)
Followed up on 3 jobs I applied for last week. Left 2 voice mails, 1 had their phones disconnected. Things are tough all over...
Spoke with a recruiter and account manager. We seem to like each other, and they checked my refs. Will followup with them next week. For now, back to looking for more jobs.
Rejected at THQ. Too bad.
Applied for 5 jobs on Careerbuilder.
Time to apply some creativity to my job quest. My over-dependence on job boards, recruiters, and my company's internal needs is already producing a feeling of being in a rut.
Applied for a job at THQ (they publish the Warhammer 40K series of games.)
Followed up on 3 jobs I applied for last week. Left 2 voice mails, 1 had their phones disconnected. Things are tough all over...
Spoke with a recruiter and account manager. We seem to like each other, and they checked my refs. Will followup with them next week. For now, back to looking for more jobs.
Rejected at THQ. Too bad.
Wednesday, May 23, 2012
Seeking New Challenge -- 2012.05.23
I was wrong.
The call was not from the guy who bailed but from someone else. So I'm calling them back.
Also, one of my co-workers is having her retirement party today and I forgot to bring something. She was one of the first people I met when I came to work on my current assignment. The bunker mentality is hurting me...
Making the call paid off. Spoke at some length with the recruiter and account manager. Going face-to-face tomorrow.
Also took a Solaris test -- not sure how well I did.
The call was not from the guy who bailed but from someone else. So I'm calling them back.
Also, one of my co-workers is having her retirement party today and I forgot to bring something. She was one of the first people I met when I came to work on my current assignment. The bunker mentality is hurting me...
Making the call paid off. Spoke at some length with the recruiter and account manager. Going face-to-face tomorrow.
Also took a Solaris test -- not sure how well I did.
Tuesday, May 22, 2012
Seeking New Challenge -- 2012.05.22
Busier than usual day at work, little time to even look at job postings.
Taught my replacement how to merge in Subversion -- most of my merges are release tags to trunk, a relatively trivial exercise. Today we merged our last release tag to a branch that is several (maintenance) releases old. Provided somewhat of a challenge. Even messed up while trying to show my replacement how to get out of trouble.
The good news is that with Subversion, you can blow away your local (working) copy and try again. With Harvest, you would have to release your locks without updating. Not difficult once you get practice, but the first couple of times will have you sweating a little.
Some view version control / configuration management as a rather mystic art or a bother. Those who did well in set theory shouldn't have too much trouble.
Also, the person who blew me off earlier called me back, and left a message, which I haven't checked. Understanding why the conversation was sidetracked then will help me decide how to proceed.
1) He was telling the truth and needed to check the status of the listing -- but why didn't he call me right back?
2) He had to go to a meeting or was otherwise sidetracked -- understandable. But what firm or person (who usually bill their client double what they pay their body) places more value on a meeting than on a potential placement?
3) He had somewhere else to go -- well gee, so do I.
4) He changed his mind about my usefulness.
For now, the exchange still has a bad taste, and not sure how acting like nothing happened will affect my status. Just know there's no sense in desperation until closing time...
Applied for 1 job at my company.
Applied for 4 jobs on Careerbuilder.
Taught my replacement how to merge in Subversion -- most of my merges are release tags to trunk, a relatively trivial exercise. Today we merged our last release tag to a branch that is several (maintenance) releases old. Provided somewhat of a challenge. Even messed up while trying to show my replacement how to get out of trouble.
The good news is that with Subversion, you can blow away your local (working) copy and try again. With Harvest, you would have to release your locks without updating. Not difficult once you get practice, but the first couple of times will have you sweating a little.
Some view version control / configuration management as a rather mystic art or a bother. Those who did well in set theory shouldn't have too much trouble.
Also, the person who blew me off earlier called me back, and left a message, which I haven't checked. Understanding why the conversation was sidetracked then will help me decide how to proceed.
1) He was telling the truth and needed to check the status of the listing -- but why didn't he call me right back?
2) He had to go to a meeting or was otherwise sidetracked -- understandable. But what firm or person (who usually bill their client double what they pay their body) places more value on a meeting than on a potential placement?
3) He had somewhere else to go -- well gee, so do I.
4) He changed his mind about my usefulness.
For now, the exchange still has a bad taste, and not sure how acting like nothing happened will affect my status. Just know there's no sense in desperation until closing time...
Applied for 1 job at my company.
Applied for 4 jobs on Careerbuilder.
Monday, May 21, 2012
Seeking New Challenge -- 2012.05.21
Today I found some accomplishments and put them on another version of my resume.
I have 8 jobs waiting in my company job cart for which I haven't yet submitted myself.
Here's why --
1 belongs to a relatively new division -- not sure how long the company will commit to it.
1 is so vaguely worded I have no idea what I would actually do.
1 is in Anchorage and I've already written about it elsewhere.
1 seems to be out of my reach qualification-wise.
1 is a project manager position, probably the most loathsome job description in corporate America.
1 seems to target recent graduates.
1 demands strong interpersonal skills, a highly subjective term.
1 is a job with which I've had some contact -- and it provokes pity every time I think about it.
Too picky? Maybe.
Started to apply to UPS but gave up after the nth form.
Applied at Nielsen.
I have 8 jobs waiting in my company job cart for which I haven't yet submitted myself.
Here's why --
1 belongs to a relatively new division -- not sure how long the company will commit to it.
1 is so vaguely worded I have no idea what I would actually do.
1 is in Anchorage and I've already written about it elsewhere.
1 seems to be out of my reach qualification-wise.
1 is a project manager position, probably the most loathsome job description in corporate America.
1 seems to target recent graduates.
1 demands strong interpersonal skills, a highly subjective term.
1 is a job with which I've had some contact -- and it provokes pity every time I think about it.
Too picky? Maybe.
Started to apply to UPS but gave up after the nth form.
Applied at Nielsen.
Sunday, May 20, 2012
Seeking New Challenge -- 2012.05.20
Didn't work much this weekend -- stared as my resume for a couple of hours.
Been thinking about my strengths and weaknesses -- and maybe I should try to improve my persuasion skills.
Goal for tomorrow -- go through my old docs and develop a list of accomplishments.
Been thinking about my strengths and weaknesses -- and maybe I should try to improve my persuasion skills.
Goal for tomorrow -- go through my old docs and develop a list of accomplishments.
Friday, May 18, 2012
Seeking New Challenge -- 2012.05.18
Followed up by phone on 2 jobs.
The first followup my contact sounded a bit sad but she had a pleasant French accent.
The next 3 I got voicemail and left messages. Friday calls probably not the best idea...
Received 3 email confirmations.
My company has a job listing in Anchorage -- with the max relocation package -- but my only qualification is that I've lived there before. So having moose in my backyard wouldn't bother me.
True story -- I once convinced my friend a moose dropping was a malted milk ball (Whopper) and he almost ate it -- but I lost my nerve and smacked it out of his hand before he could eat it.
Having grown up there, I wonder if returning as an adult almost 40 years later -- along with holding down a job and paying bills -- would kill the magic.
And despite my girlfriend's insistence that she would follow me to the ends of the earth, she's probably not ready for the following:
The first followup my contact sounded a bit sad but she had a pleasant French accent.
The next 3 I got voicemail and left messages. Friday calls probably not the best idea...
Received 3 email confirmations.
My company has a job listing in Anchorage -- with the max relocation package -- but my only qualification is that I've lived there before. So having moose in my backyard wouldn't bother me.
True story -- I once convinced my friend a moose dropping was a malted milk ball (Whopper) and he almost ate it -- but I lost my nerve and smacked it out of his hand before he could eat it.
Having grown up there, I wonder if returning as an adult almost 40 years later -- along with holding down a job and paying bills -- would kill the magic.
And despite my girlfriend's insistence that she would follow me to the ends of the earth, she's probably not ready for the following:
- Snow from October to March
- Subzero (Fahrenheit) temps
- 20 hours of sunlight in the summer, 20 hours of darkness in winter
- Beaches made of rocks and water so cold it's painful to wade into it
Thursday, May 17, 2012
Seeking New Challenge -- 2012.05.17
Received 1 reply from my company.
Applied for 10 jobs on Careerbuilder.
Received 1 callback. Talked to the recruiter on that callback, who might have set a world record for bailing on a call.
Said he "had to check whether the job was still open." So either he heard something or saw something he didn't like.
Applied for 1 job at Shaw Group (they build power plants.)
Applied for 1 job at Southern Company (they run power plants.)
A thought has occurred to me - now that I'm in Interview Mode, some of my exploration might suffer. That will not happen. Starting now, 1 hour / day minimum to chase my dreams.
Applied for 10 jobs on Careerbuilder.
Received 1 callback. Talked to the recruiter on that callback, who might have set a world record for bailing on a call.
Said he "had to check whether the job was still open." So either he heard something or saw something he didn't like.
Applied for 1 job at Shaw Group (they build power plants.)
Applied for 1 job at Southern Company (they run power plants.)
A thought has occurred to me - now that I'm in Interview Mode, some of my exploration might suffer. That will not happen. Starting now, 1 hour / day minimum to chase my dreams.
Wednesday, May 16, 2012
Seeking New Challenge -- 2012.05.16
Applied for 1 job in the company.
Applied for 1 more job at EA. Got a rejection letter same day. They care, maybe I'll bug them again soon.
Applied for 2 jobs on Careerbuilder. They have a lot of postings that don't seem to be non-linear (n postings : 1 actual position.)
Time to turn up the wick...
Applied for 1 more job at EA. Got a rejection letter same day. They care, maybe I'll bug them again soon.
Applied for 2 jobs on Careerbuilder. They have a lot of postings that don't seem to be non-linear (n postings : 1 actual position.)
Time to turn up the wick...
Tuesday, May 15, 2012
Seeking New Challenge -- 2012.05.15
Two responses from yesterday's work -- though one was to ask for a resume (oops!)
Applied for 3 jobs in the company.
Applied for 2 jobs on Craigslist.
Applied for 2 jobs on Dice.
Applied for 1 job on EA Jobs.
Applied for 1 job on EA Jobs.
Phil mentioned to Gary that I'm on surplus -- which makes me feel a little ashamed, having tapped the well of Gary's generosity more times than I'd like.
One application that I did not complete wanted my whole life story (including refs) up front. Reminds me -- time to line up some refs.
One application that I did not complete wanted my whole life story (including refs) up front. Reminds me -- time to line up some refs.
Monday, May 14, 2012
Seeking New Challenge -- 2012.05.14
Friday 5/11 -- Applied for 5 jobs in the company.
Saturday 5/12 and Sunday 5/13 -- No activity. Shaved beard.
Monday 5/14 -- Going into "Prepare For Interview" Mode. Had my hair cut.
Here's a funny -- one job is for a Software Configuration Manager w/SVN experience. But the recruiter mistakenly believes that SVN stands for Social Venture Network (svn.org) when more likely it means Subversion (subversion.apache.org)
Also, I was asked to provide my SSN to apply for the above job. I'll push that opp to the bottom of the pile.
Applied for 3 jobs through dice.com.
Applied for 2 jobs from craigslist.
Dropped 2 jobs from dice.com -- one was part-time, the other not as appealing upon second look.
Dropped 3 jobs from craigslist -- one was part-time, the others seemed beyond my qualifications.
Sunday, May 13, 2012
Seeking New Challenge
Was told Friday my last day is 7/10. Was not the only one -- both of us probably had the softest skill sets on the team. Felt a twinge of the sadness that comes from rejection, but also felt some relief -- all jobs have some duties that one bears with tolerance.
What I'll miss --
Talking politics
Deploying code
Writing how-tos
Hands-on strike training
What I won't miss --
Compliance
Computer-based strike training
Told the missus once I knew. We discussed options. She set the following boundaries:
No gigolos
No war zones
Thursday, May 10, 2012
Celebrity Shows I'd Pay To Watch
(Inspired by Celebrity Nightmares Decoded)
Seems like every entertainment idea either starts with celebrity input or eventually converges on a celebrity angle.
Celebrities vs. Zombies (alternate title -- Zombie Cannibalism)
Celebrity Minesweepers
Vile, Humiliating, and/or Dangerous Things a Celebrity Will Do To Get Work
Celebrity Random Political Careers
Celebrity Lab Test Subjects
Celebrity Panhandling
Celebrity Organ Donation (Pre- And Post-Mortem)
Celebrity Ice Cream Trucks
Celebrity Bullfighting
Celebrity Excretions / Hemorrhoids / Constipation (aka Celebrity Acting Lessons)
Celebrity Insomnia Attacks
Celebrity Bad Sex Experiences
Celebrity Michael Jackson Stories, Jokes, Child Sex Junkets
Celebrity Sausage Factory
Celebrity Congressional Hearings
Celebrity Chemo/Radiation Therapy
Uncontrollable Celebrity Priapisms -- with an entire episode dedicated to Charlie Sheen
Celebrity Spelling Bee
Celebrity Motorcycle Jousting
Celebrity Kamikaze Attacks
Celebrity Chainsaw Massacre
Celebrity Paybacks / Penance -- where celebs sit in stocks and everyone with a grievance (assistants, hairdressers, etc.) spews their bile and throws food at them
Celebrity Plastic Surgery Disasters
Seems like every entertainment idea either starts with celebrity input or eventually converges on a celebrity angle.
Celebrities vs. Zombies (alternate title -- Zombie Cannibalism)
Celebrity Minesweepers
Vile, Humiliating, and/or Dangerous Things a Celebrity Will Do To Get Work
Celebrity Random Political Careers
Celebrity Lab Test Subjects
Celebrity Panhandling
Celebrity Organ Donation (Pre- And Post-Mortem)
Celebrity Ice Cream Trucks
Celebrity Bullfighting
Celebrity Excretions / Hemorrhoids / Constipation (aka Celebrity Acting Lessons)
Celebrity Insomnia Attacks
Celebrity Bad Sex Experiences
Celebrity Michael Jackson Stories, Jokes, Child Sex Junkets
Celebrity Sausage Factory
Celebrity Congressional Hearings
Celebrity Chemo/Radiation Therapy
Uncontrollable Celebrity Priapisms -- with an entire episode dedicated to Charlie Sheen
Celebrity Spelling Bee
Celebrity Motorcycle Jousting
Celebrity Kamikaze Attacks
Celebrity Chainsaw Massacre
Celebrity Paybacks / Penance -- where celebs sit in stocks and everyone with a grievance (assistants, hairdressers, etc.) spews their bile and throws food at them
Celebrity Plastic Surgery Disasters
In Honor of Steak Shapiro
I'm not a big fan of sports talk, but Mr. Shapiro has a pretty cool name. And it gave me an amusing half hour or so of thinking up other cool names.
Crabb
Phish / Physh*
Cucumber
Banana
Lamb
Caviar
Chutney*
Apple*
Cherry*
Pineapple
Shrimp -- a great name for Steak's spouse or kid
Spaghetti
Rose
Cabernet
Peach
Hotdog
Pizza
Chocolate
P-nut
Macadamia
Cabbage -- stretching here a bit
Hericot / Bean
Spinach -- maybe Steak has a niece?
Martini
Cosmo*
Cake
Shake
Pie
Jello*
Raisin
Figg / Phigg
Pigg / Pork
Toast
Dumpling
Pudding
Merlot
Soup / Soupy*
Potluck
Squash
Chili*
Bacon
Sammich
Bonbon
Gravy
Tater
Or maybe some school subjects --
Psych
Calculus
Gym
* already taken
Crabb
Phish / Physh*
Cucumber
Banana
Lamb
Caviar
Chutney*
Apple*
Cherry*
Pineapple
Shrimp -- a great name for Steak's spouse or kid
Spaghetti
Rose
Cabernet
Peach
Hotdog
Pizza
Chocolate
P-nut
Macadamia
Cabbage -- stretching here a bit
Hericot / Bean
Spinach -- maybe Steak has a niece?
Martini
Cosmo*
Cake
Shake
Pie
Jello*
Raisin
Figg / Phigg
Pigg / Pork
Toast
Dumpling
Pudding
Merlot
Soup / Soupy*
Potluck
Squash
Chili*
Bacon
Sammich
Bonbon
Gravy
Tater
Or maybe some school subjects --
Psych
Calculus
Gym
* already taken
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