Quite suddenly, I am inundated with companies that wish to speak with me: Adobe, Apple, Fujitsu, VMWare and Intermountain Technology Group! Naturally I am most interested in the first two, and they would also have the best commute. The last two are in Palo Alto, and I don’t want to drive that far if I can help it. But I am not going to pass up any conversations for that reason.
I had a lengthy phone interview today with VMWare. I was expecting the usual 5-10 minute phone screen, but we talked for an hour and a half, essentially a full-on interview. The person liked me well enough to recommend that I come in sometime next week for a the usual on-site grilling by numerous people. I went into the phone call thinking it was a long shot as far as being interesting (since it doesn’t involve any Mac programming), but now find the position much more interesting.
The Adobe job is a 6-9 month contract. I received email from a manager at Adobe whom I know, asking if I was interested, and if I could be hired through the contracting agency Adobe uses. That same day I received a phone call from that same contracting agency, about the same position, even though they hadn’t spoken with Adobe yet. Contracting is short-term but pays extremely well.
The Apple position is one of many I had applied for online with no response. It seems the only way to be noticed by Apple is to have willing friends on the inside. And the closer your friend is to the actual position, the better. (Thanks, Wendy!)
All this since March 1st. Is my popularity determined by the calendar? (Maybe.)
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I say hooray!
But I won’t say “g— l—” because, according to Noelle, I just jinx things when I do.
Seriously. Both times I was interviewing, if Kevin said the GL phrase, I was done for.
Happy taht you essentially are going to go back to work, sad that you won’t get to enjoy being Mr. Mom anymore – I miss being unemployed…. (off to find some wood to knock on)
wowowow, praying that you end up with exactly the right one at the right time for the right pay and the right commute that God has in mind for you.
Glad to hear of the new opportunities. Yay!
I have sent out resumes, but its the insiders that get the hiring manager’s attention. It worked when I was the hiring manager. It’s like +10 to your save vs. being ignored.
Although I am “retired” from the tech space, I’m starting to get calls from three year old resumes. Here’s my theory:
1. Half the people left the industry (yesterday’s Merc) and many left the Bay Area.
2. Companies kept the high-price talent, and loaded them with the work they gave to cheaper people. (Note the absence of traffic at 5 and traffic jams at 8 PM)
3. There’s no more margin to squeeze out of people working 80 hour weeks. So they have to hire.
4. The headhunters finally have an opportunity, since the HR departments can’t find talent on their own.
The numbers are in your favor!
Jor: You are a true D&D geek.
Mike O: Something definitely seems to have shifted. For me, it’s all since March 1st. And as far as the “high-price talent” who are the company superstars: “I’m glad I’m not a gamma; they have to do all the dirty work. But I’m glad I’m not an alpha; they’re so bright that they’re overworked all the time. I’m happy to be a beta.”