Yes, I’ve been missing again. So there’s some catching up to do on the blog. Been a little busy around here the past few days.
The job hunt continues, but there are some decent prospects. I’ll say no more for the moment (cross your fingers). The one unfortunate item during the hunt is the lack of tech stuff here in Prescott. Everything I’m finding is in Phoenix (shocking).
Yesterday I popped by the local Mac reseller (they have one here) and chatted for a while (waiting on the Zyrtec at Wal-Mart). No booming tech work, and most computer and network types in the area end up in Phoenix. Quite a long ride. We’ll see how it all works out. I’d really like to pitch a flag here and call Prescott home, so where there’s a will there’s a way….. Right?
Mid-day I had a knock at my door. One of my neighbors is an avid rock climber. Early 60’s, and this guy has a grip you wouldn’t believe! I’ll be getting a tour of the good spots on Thursday. I’m not in any shape to set out on something yet, but hey I can give bouldering a whirl again. My neighbor was thrilled to chat, and thinks we can get me up and going in no time (ah, glad he’s confident).
Today has been another day on the computer. To break it up I hit the dermatologists office. He’s thinking that it is something airborne which is affecting my skin. So we’ll be trying some type of cream for 2 weeks. I’ll see how that goes. Maybe once the pollen season is done here it’ll improve.
Shifting Gears
During my job hunt I’ve come across a disturbing new trend, and I thought I’d share it. When the 90’s tech boom was in full swing, recruiters called anyone who owned a computer many times per week. Job offers were insane. If you wanted to hop jobs once or twice a month you could. Recruiters and headhunters would even call me in the office (bad manners gang).
Now things have changed. Many of the fly by night companies have expired, and with their expirations many people have lost out on the early retirment dream. Sorry all. And with those changes, a new approach to finding tech jobs.
Recruiters usually called with many offers. Now there are new “recruiter” types scouring the Internet job boards. These guys offer something different. They will charge you to review your resume and then send it to companies across America. For $1K -$2K you can have your resume “spammed” via snail mail to many large companies. Do they currently have a position to fill? I don’t know. Do they appreciate your junk mail? Not sure either.
In the past 2 weeks I’ve been hit up by 4 organizations offering the same service. Resume customization, and then a mailing campaign to select companies.
I’ve always been annoyed by the 419 scammers. They play on people’s greed directly. They’re also easy to identify (the english is horrible). But these new resume services….I don’t think they’re a far cry from the gang of thieves doing the 419 scams. Maybe some people land jobs thanks to these groups, but from what I’ve found on forums and private blogs, they take your money, schedule a few calls with you, and then tell you they’ve mailed out your information. If you get a call, great. If you don’t get a call….are you sure they did what they advertised?
Clearly the world of tech head hunters has imploded. Companies used to pay them big bucks to find the right person. Now it seems they’re charging employees for an extra shot at getting in the door. Problem is, as an individual it’s pretty darned hard to verify the job they’re doing for you. Be careful out there all!
Off to see why my power blinked out. Probably the wind storm we’re currently experiencing. If I flew a kite today I’d end up in Flagstaff!
Entries (RSS)