February 28, 2006
Countdown: 10 days
D.A. Harvey Dent: We received a letter from Batman. 'Citizens of Gotham. Gotham City has earned a rest from crime. But should the forces of evil rise again to cast a shadow on the heart of the city, call me.'
Alexander Knox: Question. How do we call him?
Commissioner Jim Gordon: He gave us a signal.
Batman (1989)
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February 27, 2006
Countdown: 11 more days
Hat tip to the blogless 4th Axiom:
New York is where I'd rather stay.
I get allergic smelling hay.
I just adore a penthouse view.
Dah-ling I love you but give me Park Avenue.
--Green Acres
Just 11 more calendar days, 9 more work days, until no more Micromega Corp.! It really has been a joy as well as a deep, searing, soul-crushing pain in the arse.
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08:23 AM
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February 26, 2006
Moving Targets, Moving Insanity
It's just under three weeks until I start work in New York, and I can't think about anything else. I guess that's legitimate since I am moving over 800 miles away and I don't have a place to live. Everything just happened so fast!
So, next Saturday, I'm flying up to look at apartments and flying back in on Sunday. Then I'm flying back up, probably on the 12th. I'm trying to find time to go to the Georgia Aquarium and dinner with a few of my friends. And of course I have to go see the Peacock's.
I have to find a property management company to rent out my house. I have to get my house cleaned up and in order to rent it out. They have to find people to rent my house. I have to pack up my whole freakin' house. I have to find a way to move everything (at least the stuff I intend to bring with me) up there.
I started packing up some things and taking stuff down from the wall and I'm struck by two things: 1) I have a lot of junk and 2) my house looks crazy when it's empty.
I have to sell my car!
I am sure there are a million other things that I'm forgetting.
Oh! And to get an apartment in NYC, I have to bring with me: two years of tax statements, a pay stub, a letter of employment, and bank statements. I don't know why the Federal B. I. won't just release my file to them; it would be easier.
I find that I'm actually less worried about the big things like selling my car and renting my house, though. Those are actually fairly simple items. What nags at me are the little things. I have to find a new gym. I have to get a new cell phone. I have to tell everyone my new cell phone number. Will I get cable? What about the internet? Where will I go grocery shopping? Where will my mom sleep when she comes to visit? These are all easy enough things, I know, but they're what I keep thinking about.
Really, I'm just so excited about all this. I know I'll work it all out as needed, but thinking about it is unavoidable. So, I'm good for nothing right now. I just want to think about New York and talk about New York and just go to New York.
Yehaw!
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February 25, 2006
My Clueless Boss
So, when I told my boss that I was giving her my notice, she asked me if there wasn't some other job I could do within the company.
This is the same woman who, when I had problems with my former boss -- her employee whom she had documented as a poor manager -- she said she would talk to me and then refused to talk to me for two months. Then, she had the human resources department call me and suggest that we "plan my transition out of the company." And most recently she has apparently forgotten my job function.
Let me elaborate on that last part. My job is primarily one of technical sales support. I have the ability to translate technical things into the language that marketing people speak. I talk to clients and sales people all day. I am an expert in my company's widgets. And in April, our national client conference is coming up. At this conference, clients will be strolling about and sales people will be talking to them and trying to present all of our products and services to them in order to get the wheels rolling on new deals.
Now, if you're like me, you may think based on the two bits of information above (me, sales support + clients & sales people at conference) you're thinking that I my attendance at client conference is a given. Not so. Apparently, this was not obvious to my boss. This concerned me, so I gave her a call and talked it over and she made it clear that she is aware of my job and does definitely see the value in my attending client conference.
A week later, she writes and says that she wants to save money and have me only attend the pre-conference training, but not the conference itself. I gave her my explanation again about how that doesn't make sense and told her that if she doesn't see the value there, then I shouldn't go.
Client conference is a moot point now, but she has a lot of nerve asking me if I'd like to move to another position in the company when she clearly does not understand or value my current position.
Then, when she asked how much notice I was giving her, she acted like I was a complete ass for just giving her two weeks notice.
Excuse me?
Woman doesn't understand or appreciate my job, but she wants me to hang around longer. Weird.
Just one of the reasons why I'm leaving. Clearly, I've been in the looney bin too long.
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07:45 PM
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February 24, 2006
You Drop the Bomb on Me
Well, everything is a go!
I have to talk to my boss, but then I'm turning in my notice.
Interestingly, another one of my coworkers also announced his two weeks today. Looks like there's something going around!
March 10th will be my last day at Micromega Corp.!
YEHAW!
Update: Notice has been given! I have officially resigned my position! WOOHOO!
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02:16 PM
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Offer #2: Dud
Slamdunk called me back and said that they "would not be able to match or even come close" to the other offer.
Sad, but ok, really. I don't know if I would take it even if they were able to beat the other offer by $5K. $10K, then probably. $15K and I'm sold, but that's jsut crazy talk and anyway they said they couldn't even match.
I'm just so excited about the other jobby-job.
Meanwhile, that other job is being very slow about sending me the paperwork. I'm going to pester them today because I'd really like to put in notice.
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09:53 AM
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February 22, 2006
Offer #1 Recieved!
During my phone follow-up interview with Slamdunk, I received a message from Stretch. They've extended an offer and the price is good!
I'm still going to see what Slamdunk does and I may try to nudge them up a little.
But this is awesome news!
But, holy crap, I have so much stuff I have to take care of now. I need to start making a list.
Update: I have let the other company know about the other offer and extended to them the chance to counter. I told them I need to get back to the other company no later than Friday. I'm targeting March 16th as my start date! Let the bidding war begin!
Update 2:Ooookaaayyy... I don't like when people say "I will send you something today" and then they don't. This is especially irritating with regard to items involving my future employment. Like official offer letters. SEND ME MY PAPERS!
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One More Step Forward
Just got a call from Slamdunk this morning requesting another phone interview. So, it looks like this one is moving forward!
Woohoo!
(I totally should have created a new category for my job hunt posts...)
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February 21, 2006
Mac is Back in Town
I'm back!
My trip to New York was great. First, let me tell you the touristy stuff I did:
- rode the boat around Manhattan
- went to the top of Rockefeller Center
- rode the Staten Island Ferry
- visited the Bonx Zoo
- visited the Metropolitan Museum of Art
That stuff was tons of fun. I haven't mentioned him, but I have a new friend in NYC who lives in Brooklyn and he let me crash at his place during my visit. So, we visited all five boroughs of New York.
I even got to attend a meeting of the NYU Objectivists, which was also great fun.
But I was distracted during my visit, partially by the fact that I had three interviews lined up during my visit.
Interview 1 - The "slamdunk"
This interview went very well, of course. The job is a good job, so don't mistake my saying it seems to be a slam dunk for me saying I don't want it.
It will get me back to the tech and the delivery side of things where I want to be for the time being. The company is also young, so there is a lot of opportunity for success and really making a difference in the direction the company goes as it ages.
So, I met with two directors and their Human Resources recruiter and our conversations were all very positive. I wasn't asked any questions I couldn't readily answer impressively.
I think I represented myself well. Curiously, I didn't get as much affirmative feedback from the hiring manager this time around. That could mean nothing, but it could also mean that they struck upon another good candidate. So, there's a bit of uncertainty in this opportunity that I didn't sense before. We'll see!
Interview 2 - The "head hunter"
I don't know if I mentioned these people before. They're a recruiting company there in Manhattan that claims to specialize in filling tech positions like developers, project managers, etc. I'm extremely skeptical of them.
For instance, during my initial phone interview with the recruiter she asked me what an RFP is. Now, if you haven't worked in technology, you may not be familiar with Requests For Proposals. Basically, when a company is shopping vendors, they will send out something like a combination wishlist and questionnaire. The vendors then respond to it describing their capabilities and how they think they can meet the requesting company's needs. These are extremely common. For them to not know what an RFP is shows a shocking level of ignorance regarding the basic elements of technology sales. Perhaps they don't specialize in sales, but even creating RFPs is something managers in technology need to know about.
There were a few other little signs here and there that made me doubt thier experience and their dedication to placing me.
What I like about this recruiter is that they do insist on meeting every candidate face-to-face. Recruiters build their business by placing good people and since this agency works exclusively in the tri-state area (NY, NJ, PA) they demand to meet every candidate
But once in New York the recruiter didn't seem to listen to me. She seemed very cavalier about the whole thing.
First, she called me 40 minutes before our scheduled appointment to cancel. I had a reservation with my friend at a swanky restaurant for lunch and then we had another appointment lined up after my afternoon appointment with the slamdunk company. (See above.)
I rushed out of the other appointment and down the street to their offices, though, to meet them. Once there, it was as if she couldn't remember anything I had told her before. She asked me the same questions as before and she seemed as disinterested as before. At one point in the interview she asked, "So, what sort of position are looking for?" and I told her that I was looking for a project management role. And she asked me to describe what sort of responsibilities I would like and after describing them at some length she asks, "Oh, ok. So, you're looking for something in project management."
At one point, she asked me what salary range I was seeking. After I told her, she raised an eyebrow and somewhat incredulously, "And are you finding anything in that range?" I gave a quick, tight smile and responded evenly, "I have two other interviews lined up during my visit."
So, anyway, I met with them and so now, theoretically, they're going to look for jobs for me.
I have almost 6 years experience in sales, project management, product management, and development. Finding a job for me in my price range really shouldn't be that big a problem for a well-connected technology recruiting firm with more than 25 years of experience to work with. Like I said: I'm skeptical about these folks.
Interview 3 - The "stretch"
This is the company I was really excited about. Based on previous conversations, this one sounded very promising. The interview only made it sound better for me. Not only does it seem like I'm particularly well-qualified for the position (it's almost like their job description was written from my resume) but it's also exactly in line with my long-term career goals.
The bad part of this interview, though, was that I didn't get to talk about myself very much. They spent 90% of the interview either telling me about the job (Actually, trying to sell the job to me!) or answering my questions about the job. Another 5% was spent shuffling about (I spoke to five different people) and the remaining 5% was where I supposedly got to strut my stuff. I'm afraid that one can't strut very far in 6 minutes.
But, on the upside, the last part of the interview was conducted almost entirely in the future tense. "You will be working on the MegaCorp account." "The Account Director is on vacation, but you'll work a lot with her." And so on.
Everyone I spoke with was very positive. One guy I spoke with said, "Well, you've got my vote."
At the end, the hiring manager wanted to know when I could start. I told him that I would like at least three weeks (for people who've attempted to find a place to live in Manhattan, you'll know that this is a very short amount of time) and he said that they could definitely remain flexible.
Right now, I have to just wait a little. I'll mail thank you notes out tomorrow and then I'll wait until next week to let them stew a little. If I haven't heard back by then, I'll tag them about next steps.
So, a few question marks and x-factors out there, but over all, very good news!
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10:00 PM
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February 16, 2006
Flibby Will be Out of Town
I'm headed off to the ATL to get on an aeroplane to NYC here in less than two hours. I will be gone all weekend long, but you can expect to have some kind of update on the whole interview thing and my trip perhaps late Tuesday or sometime on Wednesday.
Woohoo!
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10:44 AM
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February 14, 2006
Who Kicks Ass? I Do!
Well, the phone interview with the kickass company was very cool. I have a face-to-face interview lined up to take place during my visit this weekend.
So, it looks like timing won't be a big issue in choosing between these opportunities afterall!
Yehaw!
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11:57 AM
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February 13, 2006
A Conundrum
Late last week, I got a call from this other company about a really rockin' opportunity they have open right now. The HR Recruiter lady said that, but for one technical requirement, I looked like I would be a perfect for the job. I was hoping to get a phone interview last week or early this week so I could have the face-to-face interview during my trip to NYC on Friday.
Sadly, I didn't heard from them last week and the lady called today to schedule the phone interview for the worst day on my schedule all week: tomorrow.
Worse, the hiring manager himself is going on vacation tomorrow afternoon and won't be back until next Tuesday. I couldn't make any of the open slots the hiring manager had on his schedule for tomorrow, so I had to take a slot for next Wednesday.
So, here's my problem: I have an opportunity for one company that I think is a slam dunk. After my interview on Friday, I feel confident that I will be extended an offer. But this opportunity looks SUPER awesome and has much more potential for growth and profit -- I just haven't had enough exposure to the manager to know for sure and whether or not I will be given an offer, is still pretty iffy at this point.
So, if I get an offer on the slam dunk, let's say, midway through next week, I could post-pone making a decision for a few days, I'm sure, but probably not long enough to flesh out the lead on the super-awesome stretch job. If I take the slam dunk, then I have a job but it's not the greatest. If I turn down the offer for the slam dunk, I may not get the stretch job and that I'm back to square one. Of course, other offers may pop up, but for now these two are the most solid of any that I can see right now.
I don't have to make a decision on this right at this moment, but I like to prepare my strategery.
Part of me, of course, says, "Stick it out for the kick-assin'est offer you can get!" and the other part says, "Secure your beach head and execute a plan for steady expansion." Both have merits. The greater the risk, the greater the reward.
Well, we'll see how things go on Friday.
Update: Due to a series of fortunate (A meeting moved on my calendar) and unfortunate (some family emergency for the hiring manager of the kickass job) events, my phone interview is going to happen today after all!
Now, if everything works out the way I want, I'll be able to stall on the slam dunk and pressure the kickass a little and avoid making uninformed decisions about things.
Yehaw!
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06:46 PM
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A Word on Usability
Um. If you are building a website that has a mirror site in another language, just go ahead and put the links over to the mirror site in the language of the mirror site.
For instance, if you're linking from an English site to the Spanish version, write "Espanol" instead of "Spanish." Sure, most Spanish speaking people may recognize the English name of thier language, but why make it more difficult.
Also, native speakers of other languages, say Korean, may not readily recognize that "Korean" is the same thing as "베트남어." I'm just saying they might not.
Give it some thought, K?
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01:12 PM
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February 11, 2006
Bored Insane
I'm at my parents' house this weekend. They don't do much other than watch TV and sleep.
The most entertaining thing is watching them try to use the internet. Last night, I introduced my mom to the tabbed browsing wonders of FireFox. She said, "We don't use this thing enough to do it properly."
And after I showed them the glory that is Google maps, they still insisted on getting out a PAPER atlas to plan their anniversary vacation.
Sometimes, I think I was adopted.
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04:37 PM
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February 09, 2006
There's a Lesson Here Somewhere
Soooooooooo... I've only sent resumes to every person in the western world who is hiring in NYC. And I've sent my resume to some recruiting companies. And all that good stuff.
Well, things started out slowly. And I was super-excited to line up interviews during my visit to the NYC next weekend. But things seem to be changing because I've recieved two phone calls already this morning.
It's time for a reality check, folks. Yes, I'm the bomb. I rock most steadily. But I really don't believe the job market is so hard up that people need to be blowing up my cellie like this. Hello! I'm an IT professional! Email! Don't call. EMAIL!
I'm starting to wonder if I should have sent my resume to the entire world. Curse my impressive qualifications! (Totally kidding. Buy now while supplies last.)
This is like that one story where that one guy wants something a lot and then he gets what he wants but it's really too much for him. Yeah, like that, but not because I called Bank of America this morning and they said that I can put as much money in my checking account as I want.
So, really, the lesson here is this: get out your pocketbook, folks, daddy needs a new pair of shoes. And some suits. And ties. And a pimped out apartment. With one of those gigantic flat TV's. And a view of skyscrapers. K. You get the picture.
There's a price for everything. Call me! No, wait. Email me!
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11:15 AM
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February 08, 2006
Who Do I Have to Set on Fire?
So, the mosselmen are burning things down because some Danish newspaper published some cartoons.
I didn't know we were allowed to do that, so my question now is, what do we need to destroy to get Ed, Edd, and Eddie and Camp Lazlo off the air? Because I am offended by those cartoons.
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08:02 PM
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Things I Find Out After Everyone Else
Lionel Richie is black.
I mean, not that there's anything wrong with that.
But no one told me.
Also, Nicole Richie is adopted. (She is white.)
(Not that there's anything wrong with that either.)
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07:48 PM
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Not Good Advertising
Picture it:
Black screen. Words fade in and out:
"50,000 people a day get STD's..."
"... that can cause burning, itching..."
"... And the unexpected pain..."
"... of never being able..."
"... to have a baby."
Then a happy couple appears on the screen. They are walking and one walks on one side of a chain link fence while the other person goes on the other side. These words appear:
"... Other than abstinence..."
"... there is only one way..."
"... to protect yourself."
The couple entwines their fingers together through the fence.
"Use a condom every time."
The couple kisses... through the chain link fence.
The music fades and the narrator says, "Trojan: The pleasure you want. Protection you trust."
Now, I don't know about y'all but while I might trust a chain link fence to protect, say puppies, I really don't trust it to protect me against STDs. What concerns me more is the association of a chain link fence with sex. I don't think that sounds very pleasureable.
Maybe they could do something other than a chain link fence. Like maybe plexi-glass. Like the kind in prison.
I mean, when I think of prison, I think of sex. Kinda. Don't you?
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07:46 PM
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Overheard in Office Chat
In reference to the Viral Billiards Game that Ice Scribe showed us:
Flibby: My pet peeve isn't the direction but the speed.
Cow Oker: yeah.
Flibby: Sometimes, I just wanna tap it, not throw it at 100 mph around the screen.
Flibby: And also, I don't believe the balls are bouncing right.
Flibby:Like, according to physics.
Flibby:1) there doesn't seem to be any loss of energy on impact
Flibby:2) there's no compensation for spin, so the angles of the bounces seem to be off sometimes.
Flibby: But, I might be asking too much.
Cow Oker: yeah, i noticed that too
Flibby: And the balls look like boobs.
Cow Oker: hahaha
Cow Oker: a small complaint
Flibby: I guess they could look like vaginas and that would be really effed up.
Cow Oker:very effed up.
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Actual Prices May Vary
Well, I have two interviews lined up in the NYC for next Friday. One is with a headhunting firm and the other is with a real-live company who, of course, wants to hire me.
Woohoo!
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04:06 PM
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February 07, 2006
Crashing...
I didn't go back to sleep after I woke up last night until AFTER my alarm clock went off. I was watching the news when it went off and I hit the snooze button and suddenly, I snoozed. For 9 minutes... and then again... and then again...
So, I got a total of three and a half to four hours worth of sleep last night and I'm totally crashing now.
Just want to ... take... a ... little... nappy... nap...
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01:22 PM
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4 AM... Can't Sleep
So, yesterday I got a call from a head hunter and an email from a job prospect asking for a phone interview. Two hits in one day!
Then I had this dream. I was at an interview with this company and there was a panel of four interviewers. Two of the people I didn't know. One of the other two was a woman I work with now; she's really cool. The other was Robin Meade from CNN Headline news.
So, I was really comfortable going into the interview, but then this guy -- one of the two people I didn't know -- started picking on Robin. He started calling her names and insulting her and stuff. After I tried to bring the conversation back on track a couple of times, he started yelling at me and everyone in the room.
Then I got up and said to the rest of the panel, "It's clear that you guys have some other things to discuss. I'll follow up with you tomorrow regarding next steps and perhaps to schedule a new interview." And I shook their hands to leave.
They stopped me from leaving though and said they had staged the fight to see how I handle difficult situations in which someone acts unprofessionally. And they said that I handled it better than any other candidate and that they wanted to offer me the job. I was really happy and told them that we should discuss compensation at our next meeting and I left.
My coworker (the woman on the panel that I know) followed me out and wanted to chat. We talked for a little bit but I told her I needed to go and call my mom to tell her about the interview. Then, Robin Meade called and asked me what I wanted to make. I told her I wanted $70K to $85K per year to start, but it would depend on the other benefits and incentive plan options. She just laughed and told me that I would be making over $100K and wanted to know if I had a number in mind up there.
I just told her I had no perspective on the matter so whatever she could get for me would be fine but that I would think about it and get back to her.
Then I got in my car and woke up.
That was an hour and a half ago and I still can't sleep. I need to wake up in less than 2 hours.
I think this night might be shot.
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04:05 AM
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Some Tips to Hiring Managers
I've been a hiring manager in my company and I know that finding good candidates is really tough. But now that I'm on the other side of the table in this deal, I'd like to offer a few more tips to hiring managers:
Go ahead and state your pay range. A smart candidate knows that this is negotiable to an extent and that means both ways. If they aren't qualified, you'll pay them less to give them a job. If they're a documented superstar, they'll demand more from you. I think the argument people have against disclosing salary ranges is that some people will apply just for the salary. That's certainly true, but the opposite is also true: some qualified will not apply (or won't put as much effort into applying, like by composing a customized cover letters) because you gave no indication of salary.
USE THE HIRING SITES' FEATURES PROPERLY. If you want candidates to apply by email and not by sending their resume via the job board mechanisms, then use the option to turn off the job board's apply button.
Make your online application usable. If you're going to create your own custom online employment application, don't ignore the basic rules of interface design. You can't assume that applicants are so desperate for a job that they'll muck their way through anything you put out there.
That's it for now.
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03:52 AM
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February 03, 2006
The Exorcism of Your Mom
Trey Givens thinks he's so cool.
Well, I can make a clicking sound kind of like Emily Rose.
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10:28 PM
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February 02, 2006
That Thing Under the Bed
I've heard that some 80% of positions out there are filled by referral. I've found that when referred to a particular job things tend to move much more quickly and smoothly.
But there are 20% of positions filled by other means and given that I don't have any contacts I can leverage for project/product/account management positions in technology firms in Nueva York, I'm kind of stuck in that no man's land.
I wonder how those jobs are filled, though. I mean, are people really using Monster?
Monster is running a radio commercial right now that says, "Applicants who post resumes to Monster are twice as likely to get the job than applicants who don't." They clarify this to mean that this is among just those candidates who use Monster.
I've been sending resumes and cover letters out via Monster like a crazy person. If a position sounds even remotely suited for me and my career goals, then I send my resume to it. It would be foolish to assume that everyone else isn't doing the same thing.
I guess Monster is a good thing for the 20% people like me because we can get our resumes out to many more companies than without it. And I suppose Monster is good for recruiters who get many more resumes to choose from and they can sort through resumes by just searching keywords.
But all this "mass marketing" of my skills is kind of frustrating. Well, frustrating isn't exactly the right word because I'm not frustrated yet. I've only been looking for a job for a little over a month.
I've heard that the average job search takes 3 to 6 months and since I'm looking for a job out of state, I think it's reasonable to think that this could take a bit longer.
So, I'm not frustrated yet.
But still. It'd be nice to hear SOMETHING.
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08:43 PM
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