tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5025658250647966842024-03-08T14:36:10.707-08:00Mandatory VacationI would like my Senior Comic Book Reader and Video Game Player job now, please.Mandatory Vacationhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02349805508595711717noreply@blogger.comBlogger92125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-502565825064796684.post-18284568733160303872009-03-08T21:17:00.000-07:002009-03-08T21:17:00.255-07:00Maturity is relative<a href="http://mandatoryvacation.blogspot.com/2008/05/lies-my-recruiter-told-me-youre-not.html">These idiots</a> e-mailed again. The ones who said I was charging too much the day I got two offers at that rate. I wouldn't have talked to them at all, but, you know, economy, etc, and it's the first contact I've had in two business days. They still say I'm charging too much, but at the number I quoted them, they're right.Mandatory Vacationhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02349805508595711717noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-502565825064796684.post-87085162577912205932009-03-05T21:18:00.000-08:002009-03-05T21:39:15.942-08:00Nothing in life is guaranteedThe phrase "contract worker" is a misnomer. I can be fired at any time, and they can change the terms of my employment at any time (although I'm free to leave instead). I don't actually know if I'm required to give two weeks notice, but I've never signed anything saying I am, so I suspect not. Nonetheless, I feel it is morally wrong for either party to change the rules midway through the game. When I start a job, I commit to it for the length of time we agree on.<br /><br />Companies don't seem to see it that way. There can be little things, like my company extending the contract by four months without asking me, and then moving the end date up by a week. I didn't mind too badly, since if I didn't want to keep working I could have quit, and they changed the date far enough in the future that I could plan.<br /><br />Then there's friend #1, who has more than once been let go early because he, quote, finished all the work. That's a bad incentive system right there, but on the other hand, he was hired to a job and he finished it. That's a bad incentive system, and they should have been upfront about it so he could charge for the risk premium, but it doesn't stay in my craw.<br /><br /><a href="http://www.techflash.com/microsoft/Full_text_Microsofts_email_on_temp_worker_cutbacks_40324692.html">Microsoft's latest bullshit sticks</a> in my craw. They're cutting the pay of all contractors by 10% mid way through the contract (the post says it's unconfirmed, but several friends have since confirmed it). That's not right. People turned down other opportunities in part based on salary expectation, and they know that, and now Microsoft doesn't want to pay for the fact that they recruited the talent when it was scarcer for, tops, 11 months, and generally much shorter.<br /><br />It gets worse. I didn't know this, but according to the ever informative internet commenters on that site, the contracts they sign with the agencies <i>are</i> binding. They're getting around this by refusing to send more work to agencies that refuse to cut their rates. I had a whole rant against MS prepared, but now I'm pissed at the agencies. They want me to take a pay cut so that they can make money on other people later (and remember that anyone working there now is subject to the hundred day quarantine period between this contract and their next one, so this isn't really guaranteeing them their next job), despite the <b>huge</b> cut they take out of the money Microsoft gives them. Most contractors would remain profitable even after 10% was taken out. Previous to this, my attitude was that I would take a contract with MS if they could pay well enough, since other options are limited, but now I worry about rewarding the agencies' bad behavior.<br /><br />On the other hand, agencies like Volt and Excell, as well as numerous smaller ones, have built their entire business around MS. At most they have a few other clients to occupy their contractors during their quarantine period. They were made an offer they couldn't refuse. Fuck Microsoft for extending itMandatory Vacationhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02349805508595711717noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-502565825064796684.post-84511620862757740862009-03-05T21:15:00.000-08:002009-03-05T21:15:00.808-08:00I got two e-mails and a phone call today. Which would be great if I hadn't said to use e-mail and removed my phone number from my public profile (now that I've double checked this, I'll be asking anyone who contacts me in the future how they got the number), and it wasn't the third contact in four days from one particular company, asking for the same information. I checked my records, and what do you know they did the same thing a year and a half ago, when my resume wasn't even available: three e-mails from two people over a week and a half. Once more and I will seriously consider outing them on this blog, except I can't see how that would accomplish anything, they already look like idiots to anyone they try to recruit. I suppose the company they contract for, and it's only one company (you've heard of them), might care, but I doubt it. I'm still debating how snarky my reply should be. One on hand, the economy sucks. On the other hand, their are 400 companies that contract for the megacorp, 200 of which recruit for them alone, and they all have my e-mail address. And it would have to be a boatload of money to justify putting up with these idiots.<br /><br />Speaking of idiots: today's phone call had something in common with Monday's (which was from my <strike>stalkers</strike> enthusiastic fans): a triumph of hope over reality. Monday's caller was really, really hoping I'd be available to start in two weeks, despite the fact that the availability date I gave me was five weeks in the future. It didn't hurt to ask. Today's caller was hoping I had five years experience testing databases. Now, recruiters* are stupid, so I can see how he couldn't tell from my resume I only had a year of DB work, because it's all greek to him. But maybe he could have noticed that I only had three and a half years of post-college experience, and my college work wasn't testing. That's just math, although there is the tricky thing where you have to remember years are base 12.<br /><br />I really, really want to reward the good recruiters. Despite what I said above, my recruiter is actually quite good, and actually understands the things he recruits for. But a given agency only has so many jobs, and I'm not actually willing to take a pay.Mandatory Vacationhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02349805508595711717noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-502565825064796684.post-12002140142480101102009-03-04T18:38:00.000-08:002009-03-04T18:38:00.364-08:00Don't be anonymous on DiceTurning off anonymity on dice, got two e-mails by end of day. This seems dumb, since I included my real name and e-mail address on my resume. I vaguely remember a similar effect the first time I used dice, although not so severe. What the hell?<br /><br />I'm also fairly annoyed at one recruiter. He chose the earliest possible time I gave to talk on the phone (which was not my preferred time), then called 20 minutes late. When I refused the call, he did not leave a message, but called back an hour later. I picked up but rescheduled for- wait for it- the preferred time I gave in the original e-mail.Mandatory Vacationhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02349805508595711717noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-502565825064796684.post-91040516770563404792009-03-02T20:33:00.000-08:002009-03-02T20:33:00.529-08:00The economy sucks and dice is selling outMy current contract doesn't end for a month (assuming they stick with this end date- it's changed three times already), but the economy sucks so I put my resume on dice this morning (around 10 AM). It's gotten four views in the intervening 16 hours, and no one has offered me a job at all. I'm really glad I held off making fun of all those people who couldn't find work.<br /><br />Of course, the economy isn't the only explanation. I put my resume up anonymously because there's no way to share your name but not your phone number, and I'd like to avoid taking 400 calls while I'm working in a conference room with a dozen other employees. I suppose I could use a 555 number, the way certain job posters do, but that seemed cheap, so I just put my real name and e-mail address in the resume. <br /><br />Or it could be Dice's new policies, which I am not at all happy about. You can pay a fee to get more information about whose searching for you, and to get bumped to the top of searches. I don't see how it could possibly be worth it- eyeballs are abundant compared to resumes in the tech industry. But beyond that, there's no way this could possibly be ethical, since they take money from corporations to search resumes as well. I'm beginning to look for alternatives, but monster does the same thing, plus has terrible database security, and hotjobs hs never impressed me. If anyone has other alternatives, please post and let me know.Mandatory Vacationhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02349805508595711717noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-502565825064796684.post-36364540435105381502009-03-02T19:57:00.000-08:002009-03-02T19:57:00.240-08:00The hell is wrong with you peopleGot one phone call today, from the same company that e-mailed me, but apparently it was an independent incident, working from an entry in their private database. Given that, I don't think he had a right to get angry at me for not being available on his timetable. And no, rephrasing the question does not change the fact that I have a pre-existing commitment going well past the day you want me to start your job.<br /><br />Found a job I'd be perfect for while screwing around on dice. It requires one year less experience than I have, and I tend to try for jobs requiring 1-2 years more, but I'm well suited for it, it would further some goals, and it looks high level enough that I'm considering applying. It's listed by an agency though, so I'm going to give them some time to see if they contact me first.<br /><br />Note to recruiters: if you're going to copy and paste a <span class="yshortcuts" id="lw_1235537804_0">text message</span>, rather than translate it into a real requirements list, at least cut out the gender specific pronouns.Mandatory Vacationhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02349805508595711717noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-502565825064796684.post-15656476112243216592009-03-02T06:47:00.000-08:002009-03-02T06:47:00.256-08:00The economy sitll sucksResume has been up for slightly less than 24 hours, has been viewed 7 times, and I have one e-mail. Under the circumstances, I'm not going to get super haughty about the fact that they're asking for information they already have.Mandatory Vacationhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02349805508595711717noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-502565825064796684.post-90342155378649722352009-01-15T15:10:00.000-08:002009-01-15T15:10:00.545-08:00On the plus side, the economic collapse has done wonders for my traffic numbersI usually post on a substantially delayed schedule, to preserve anonymity. Of course, there's some topical things that simply doesn't work for, and the economy is one of them. Of course, I haven't had much to say on it for the past three months, but shhh.<br /><br />So here's my impression of the job market I'm facing: SDET contractors are still okay. According to my inside source, the number of contracts coming in is normal for the year, although more people are coming to my relatively well off metro area to compete for these jobs. I'm still getting harassed by agencies desperate for a good SDET. So my hypothesis that contractors are<br /><br />The employees that have jobs aren't doing much better. Benefits have taken a massive cut, and payroll deductions are on the table. My salary has stayed exactly the same.<br /><br />As for developers, I just don't know. My best source is a co-worker who loudly proclaims that there are no jobs to be had, one just has to sit in the mud and wait for the economy to recover. She's a nice person, but I get the feeling she has higher self esteem than her performance warrants. She's been laid off four times, the longest of those lasted a year (after the tech bubble popped). So we'll call that "no information." If anyone has a story to share, feel free.Mandatory Vacationhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02349805508595711717noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-502565825064796684.post-16492656880364425972009-01-11T14:59:00.000-08:002009-01-11T15:07:45.066-08:00Lies my recruiter told me: really, actually liesLong ago I <a href="http://mandatoryvacation.blogspot.com/2007/10/lies-my-recruiter-told-me-stay.html">wrote</a> that it was best not to indicate one had a long term career goal during an interview, because employers don't want to be your stepping stone. This is bullshit. Or rather, it may be true that they don't want to be a stepping stone, but they <i>really</i> don't want to hire an idiot with no ability to plan for their own future. I have heard this from multiple people with hiring influence at multiple companies. My new advice is as follows:<br /><br /><ol><li>Indicate that you have a plan, if not a goal. It's okay if that plan is "learn more about industry X and discipline Y and reevaluate in 3 years."</li><li>Your plan should not be set in stone.<br /></li><li>Goals are okay too, with the same caveat that they should not be set in stone.</li><li>The plan you give should have a space for the job you're applying for.<br /></li></ol>Mandatory Vacationhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02349805508595711717noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-502565825064796684.post-64195700640795580922008-10-18T11:35:00.000-07:002008-10-18T17:34:38.636-07:00Job prospects in a bad economyI have a long standing hypothesis that opportunities for contractors actually go up during recessions, because contractors are an inferior good in the economic sense of the word. For those who aren't up on econ theory: when times are bad, the price of a used car goes up and the price of a new car goes down, even though people prefer new cars to old, because fewer people are buying new cars and more people choose to buy used over new. Likewise, if the price is the same most businesses would rather have a permanent employee than a contractor, because of the benefits of continuity and the reduced cost, but in an uncertain financial environment prefer contractors because getting rid of them is free. Recently, my recruiter confirmed this.<br /><br />What I did not anticipate was how this would affect recruiting companies. Last week I got eight calls and e-mails (three of which were the same company with the same offer. I sense some inter-department competition). Of those that actually gave positions, rather than instructing me to send them my resume or asking me to do their job for them, they were either for a stable company that has the reserves to ignore the recession, or a company that just got a second round of venture capital that (I assume) is run by idiots. So there are still jobs to be had, and the recruiters are hungry.Mandatory Vacationhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02349805508595711717noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-502565825064796684.post-70191321042475078372008-09-25T19:15:00.000-07:002008-09-25T19:17:54.780-07:00When it's okay to use work internet for personal issuesI'm getting an inordinate number of hits from financial institutions.Mandatory Vacationhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02349805508595711717noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-502565825064796684.post-22910595090733901802008-09-13T10:04:00.000-07:002008-09-13T10:04:11.337-07:00HR Newbie: More bad advice<a href="http://hrnewbie.blogspot.com/2008/09/more-bad-advice.html">It is possible to arrive too early to an interview</a>. I have to cope with bad traffic and parking when I'm interviewing, so if things ever went well I might end up getting there more than half an hour before the stated time. I guess the thing to do at that point is hang out outside or in the building lobby, because I can see how arriving too early sends a bad signal.Mandatory Vacationhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02349805508595711717noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-502565825064796684.post-85629609352916177892008-07-31T21:14:00.000-07:002008-07-31T21:28:32.797-07:00Obviously, things have dropped off a bit. After I got a job, the daily who-called-me seemed less important (for the record, two e-mails and two phone calls, but that was anomalous).<br /><br />But some things I are just too important. For example, there is no good time to use the phrase "skank ho" in a job interview. Although if your <a href="http://failblog.org/2008/04/15/job-application-fail/">rejection letter</a> uses the phrase "you scare us", you probably don't have much to lose.Mandatory Vacationhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02349805508595711717noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-502565825064796684.post-4664325422514375562008-07-24T17:23:00.000-07:002008-07-24T17:44:24.441-07:00I either need to hit something or take a showerPutting up with bullshit is part of dealing with recruiters. Generally it doesn't bug me, because they're so <span style="font-style: italic;">bad</span> at it that getting upset would be like getting mad at a toddler who insists he's allowed to stay up til 2AM. It's a lie, but it's not like he's put you in jeopardy. So I tolerate when they ask me what kind of day I'm having, even though they seem remarkably uninterested in the answer (Pet peeve: recruiters who take a long time to get around to telling me they're a recruiter, at which point I tell them I'm unavailable, and they say thanksforyourtimebye and hang up before I've even processed it. If you value your time that much, maybe you should get to the point faster). <br /><br /><a href="http://www.ere.net/2008/07/18/recruiting-passive-candidates-in-tough-economic-times/">This guy</a>, on the other hand, is vile. Reading him feels like reading those articles where the writer goes undercover as a used car salesman. Just for an example:<br /><blockquote>You must never tell the person about the job, even the actual title, until you have conducted a quick work history review. Start the conversation by asking your prospect if she’d be open to discuss an opportunity if it were clearly superior to what she’s doing now. Most people will say yes, then immediately say “Great. Could you please give me a quick overview of your background, and I’ll then give you a quick overview of the job. If it seems mutually interesting we can schedule some time to talk in-depth.” You have applicant control when the person says yes. You lose it if your job is less appealing than the one the person has now. By having the candidate talk first, you can look for potential areas where your job is bigger. If not, you’ll have developed a relationship with the candidate that will allow you to ask for referrals.</blockquote><br /><br />Words cannot begin to describe much I want to kick him in the nuts. And the worst thing is that his techniques won't work substantially better than cold-calling, but take a lot longer; if you read carefully, he's focusing on meeting an in-house quota for contacts, not actually placing people in jobs, much less finding good candidates for his client companies. I can't imagine they'll be thrilled to know he's head-hunting using techniques guaranteed to select the stupid and weak-willed.<br /><br />Bonus evil: You can see his bullshitting in action. <a href="http://askamanager.blogspot.com">Ask a Manger</a> left a comment with some very good objections ("If you call me out of the blue and demand that I give you an overview of my current job before you tell me about the position you’re calling about, I’d be really annoyed"). And he responds by trying to redefine the word "demand" and then implying that the recruitee is somehow imposing on the recruiter (oops, I mean a "highly-regarded executive recruiter who handled multiple executive-level positions"). A tip: the person making cold calls is never the one with the power. That means it's up to you, Mr. highly regarded executive recruiter, to prove why I shouldn't hang up right now.Mandatory Vacationhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02349805508595711717noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-502565825064796684.post-56824318468159828232008-06-04T11:38:00.000-07:002008-06-04T11:38:00.343-07:00ResergenceTwo phone calls, after days of low volume communication. When I tell them I already have a job, they always say "Oh, I thought you were on vacation.", which leads me to think I have inadvertently penalized those who actually read my instructions. *sigh*Mandatory Vacationhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02349805508595711717noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-502565825064796684.post-44263936289040593892008-05-26T19:49:00.000-07:002008-05-26T19:49:01.451-07:00post-offers updateFour e-mails, three from the blacklisted company (one of which was for a PM position- the fuck?), one from some other group, one phone call with a third offer, and some back and forth negotiations.Mandatory Vacationhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02349805508595711717noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-502565825064796684.post-40200287453729604432008-05-26T15:09:00.000-07:002008-05-26T15:09:01.127-07:00Miscellaneous inteview tip: keep your right hand freeAlways hold things in your left hand, especially as people are leaving or entering the room. You will have to shake hands and it does create awkward moments when you have to juggle your coat, notebook, pen, can of soda, and paper copy of your resume in order to do so. And if you're me, you'll drop something.Mandatory Vacationhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02349805508595711717noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-502565825064796684.post-3457147698529545302008-05-23T22:28:00.000-07:002008-05-23T22:28:00.965-07:00Lies my recruiter told me: you're not worth that muchOne of the measures I use to asses whether I'm charging the right amount is how often people refuse to pay it. If no one will pay it, it's obviously too high. If everyone will pay it, it's too low. The rate I gave generally caused recruiters to pause, then say "I'll see what I can do" , which seems like a good hint that I've hit the sweet spot.<br /><br />One person took a more active approach.<br /><blockquote><pre><tt><tt>Your rate is too high for SDET positions, so if you don't hear from<br />many recruiters, I suggest in a couple of weeks you lower your rate a little<br />bit.</tt></tt></pre></blockquote>Admittedly, it's a high rate. On the other hand, I had just gotten two offers at that rate. One of which was for the same large company most of her jobs are for. I can't help but think that maybe she's underestimated me.<br /><br />Now, I wouldn't have minded if she'd simply said "sorry, we don't pay that much." which is a perfectly reasonable thing to say, even if it will cut her off from the top talent. But either she's a complete incompetent who can't find good placements, or she's trying to increase her profit margin by lowering my salary. Neither of these things fills me with a desire to work with her. In fact, it inspired me to make a blacklist, length one. I put up with the hamhanded manipulations of most firms because they're fun to laugh at and if I threw out everyone who tried to push my salary down I'd never work with anyone, but I draw the line at outright lying. A company that is willing to lie that brazenly will take every opportunity it can to squeeze me, and I don't want to spend my time fighting them.<br /><br />This isn't exactly a huge loss, as these are the morons who have tried and failed to enter me in the system four times. They're also nationwide, and I am very, very tempted to list the corporate name here, but I know too many lawyers. Even though I'd win any defamation suit they brought (the truth being an absolute defense and all), I don't want to risk the loss of anonymity. But if you want to find out whether a potential company excells or not, e-mail me (domain name @gmail.com).Mandatory Vacationhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02349805508595711717noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-502565825064796684.post-21791531608330783392008-05-23T19:06:00.000-07:002008-05-23T19:06:03.009-07:00Game over. I win againOne in-person interview, one phone interview, and three e-mails:<br /><ul><li>one specific job from a company I already had a relationship with</li><li>one from a different person within that same company, telling me my rates are too high (more on that later)</li><li>one reply to a previous mail. He had invited me to apply for an SDE position, I explained I was looking for SDET. He wrote back with the promise of many SDET positions, and as proof attached descriptions of five SDE positions he had open.</li></ul>In addition, I got two excuses to bring back the "choosing a job" tag. More on that later.Mandatory Vacationhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02349805508595711717noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-502565825064796684.post-38450492566109721032008-05-23T16:00:00.000-07:002008-05-23T16:29:06.849-07:00Get paid to quit your jobI haven't used Zappos, but apparently it's an online shoe store that has really good customer service. How do they get it? By <a href="http://discussionleader.hbsp.com/taylor/2008/05/wy_zappos_pays_new_employees_t.html">paying employees to quit</a>. After four weeks training (at full pay) and one week on the job (also full pay), they offer employees $1000 to leave. And as the company has grown, the amount they pay quitting employees has risen. The argument is that they only want really dedicated people, and what better way to test dedication than paying someone to leave? The problems as I see them are:<br /><br /><ol><li><a href="http://www.janegalt.net/archives/009455.html">Better workers are more likely to leave</a>. The $1000 is a lot more tempting when you expect a month-long job search than when you expect a yearlong search.</li><li>People who know they will hate the job might be willing to go through the five weeks to get the $1000 payoff.</li></ol><br />The benefits:<br /><ol><li>The aforementioned weeding out of the undedicated. I find the whole company loyalty thing vaguely creepy, but I can see why they would value it.</li><li>Cognitive dissonance will lead the employees who stay to be happier and more dedicated than they otherwise would have been. With absolutely no data, I declare this to be the most valuable effect of the program.<br /></li><li>There will be threshold/snowball effects that make employees happier more dedicated still.</li></ol>Things I would have to know before declaring this a good program:<br /><ol><li>What employees who take the buyout go on to do</li><li>Comparison of any quality metrics between employees who stay and those who go.<br /></li><li>Average tenure of employees who stay, compared to similar jobs elsewhere</li><li>How much does the program cost Zappos (compared to the benefits calculated from the above data points)</li><li>I'd like to know the wages of the Zappos employees, but honestly, all the other data captures the relevant points better</li></ol>If I remember correctly, Zappos is the same company that pays you if you return shoes. That is a piece of brilliance. Assuming they have some kind of metric to prevent serial returners, it's a great way to demonstrate confidence in their product and compensates for one of internet shopping's big costs, and on the way leads to a lot more impulse purchases.Mandatory Vacationhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02349805508595711717noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-502565825064796684.post-79868261126345611322008-05-22T20:38:00.000-07:002008-05-22T20:38:00.521-07:00Good news everyone, the recession is over.Two phone calls while I was in an interview, one e-mailed dev contract, two perm positions (one dev at a company that had previously turned me down, one test at my former employer), one large contracting company that had already contacted me (four times) but apparently failed to put me in their database, one test contract I'd already rejected from another recruiter (that one I was completely unqualified for).<br /><br />I was going to blow off the recontact from the large agency, but figured it couldn't hurt to check. Turns out I'd never gotten into their master database. I suspect the problem was that I told my first contact that I couldn't give her a salary range without hearing their benefits, and she never e-mailed me those.Mandatory Vacationhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02349805508595711717noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-502565825064796684.post-27181458750037099392008-05-21T22:29:00.000-07:002008-05-21T22:29:00.620-07:00Are you even trying anymore?One half-hearted form letter not specifying a position, one incredibly enthusiastic letter for a position whose requirements have almost zero overlap with my qualifications,* and for a dev position. Well done, internets.Mandatory Vacationhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02349805508595711717noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-502565825064796684.post-78597641518602662572008-05-20T22:32:00.000-07:002008-05-20T22:32:00.533-07:00Still the prettiest member of the fellowshipI was beginning to get concerned when I didn't get any e-mails today. I even initiated a couple of recontacts that came to naught. Then, as I was leaving work, I got a call from a very interested recruiter with a very appropriate job. He's driving out to meet me tomorrow, and I may end up with an interview on Thursday. When it looked like transportation might be an issue, he said he could arrange it for me (it ends up working out). And the job looks quite interesting.Mandatory Vacationhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02349805508595711717noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-502565825064796684.post-22401045697911186792008-05-20T16:19:00.000-07:002008-05-20T16:19:01.241-07:00Other techniques for getting paid what you're worth: give headhunters different numbers. That way you can search for the really lucrative jobs without cutting yourself off completely. I use a complex formula based on the following factors:<br /><ul><li>Did the recruiter follow my contact instructions?</li><li>How annoying is he?<br /></li><li>How frustrating was work today?<br /></li><li>How much time did I waste in traffic?</li><li>How aghast is he that I insist on knowing the non-monetary compensation offered before I list a monetary wage?</li><li>How many recruiters have I talked to today?</li><li>How bad are my allergies?</li><li>Did my cat do something adorable today?</li></ul>It seems to work fairly well, although to be fair the really high quotes haven't produced anything yet.Mandatory Vacationhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02349805508595711717noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-502565825064796684.post-29029035934020851032008-05-19T23:40:00.000-07:002008-05-19T23:40:00.452-07:00Okay, maybe the economy does suckNo fresh contacts today, but I did get a call on Saturday (wtf?) from a firm I'd already heard from, and discovered a voice mail left last Friday while I was interviewing (the missed call got masked by another from someone I didn't care about).<br /><br />My resume is up to an even 50 views on Dice, one week after posting. Assuming no duplicate views, that's a 20% conversion rate, which seems perfectly reasonable considering it's easy to confuse my resume for that of a developer.<br /><br />There's 3 or 4 threads kicking around where I responded to someone who has not yet responded to me. Given that I spent my valuable time politely telling people that their job was completely inappropriate but thanks for considering me, I feel I'm owed some sort of response. Don't make me start deleting mail without responding people.Mandatory Vacationhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02349805508595711717noreply@blogger.com0