Gotta love interviews…
18/07/12 11:41
Look. We get it.
You have an opening.
You need to find someone that has both the skills and personality to meet your specific needs.
It's your responsibility to attract, and sell your company to, prospective candidates.
Fine. We understand this.
But when you do get these people in front of you, at least have the common courtesy to make sure everyone you would like us to interview with is actually available to do so.
On three of five interviews I have been on recently, at least one of the scheduled individuals "we'd like you to interview with" were unavailable during the interview.
These were not short notice events. All were scheduled at least three days in advance.
Nobody wants to hear , "Mr. / Mrs. X is stuck in a meeting. We'd really like you to meet with them. Would it be possible for you to come back for a second interview?"
ARRRRGH!
We put the suit / outfit on in ninety plus degree weather.
We researched your company up and mapped out your location.
We spent our dwindling resources on fuel, train tickets, etc.
We managed to find someone to watch the kids.
Great.
And, of course, we'll say "yes" becauses we need a freaking job.
Obviously, you're the ones in the position of power here, but you're certainly not helping your company's reputation by looking disorganized and unprepared.
We're most likely only coming back for interview number two as we really need the money at this point.
Then again, some may be convinced you're a mess and look elsewhere…
Dear wireless industry, I hate you.
24/06/12 19:45
So, it’s finally happened.
As you may or may not know or cars, I am father to three tween / teen girls. I am also pretty damned cheap.
These two facts are often in direct conflict.
I am so cheap, in fact, that I am most likely the last person on the planet without a cellphone (a “mobile” for my UK friends).
I could never justify the insane prices the US telecom industry gets away with charging it’s customers. It’s truly insane.
I had a landline at work, so I never saw the need.
And, yes, as a self-proclaimed geek, I take considerable heat for it from my peers.
I did eventually break down and purchase an iPad, specifically so I could get mobile data if necessary. I can handle the occasional $20 to activate the data plan. As it’s contract free, I just kill it when I don’t need it. Very handy when away on vacation.
Of course, they subsequently killed the unlimited data option.
Screwed the consumers again! High five! Woot!
So yesterday my worst nightmare finally turned to reality.
Yes, you probably guessed it. The Wife has finally decided the girls should have phones of their own.
Her reasoning is sound - they are all becoming involved in after school activities where they will need to be shuttled about town and dropped off / picked up. They will all be away in summer camp soon. They’ll soon start wanting to “go out” (shudder).
There is also the dreaded “cool factor / peer pressure” thing rearing it’s ugly head.
Apparently my oldest (now in high school) would be considered a social outcast if anyone sees she’s still using my handed down first generation iPod touch as her only means of communication. Oh, the humanity.
The usual parent standbys such as “It builds character / It’s who you are, not what you have.” etc. doesn’t work anymore.
The Wife found a “great family plan deal” for around $100 a month that would cover all five of us.
“Uhhh. Hon, this is a voice only plan.”
“Yeah, so? They just want phones. That’s a tolerable price, and the phones are free.”
“Kids don’t actually talk on phones anymore. They tweet, use Facebook, Tumblr, Instagram… An old-school dumb-phone is probably worse for a teen than nothing at all. Where have you been for the last ten years? They need a data plan.”
“Oh… well that can’t be much more, can it?”
“I’ll look into it, but I guarantee, you’re not gonna like what I find. You can’t do five phones with data for a hundred bucks. Trust me.”
“Oh, I’ll talk to the guy at Costco.”
*FACEPALM*
So….. I have started my research.
Sweet, merciful crap! It’s worse than I thought.
I found one carrier with a decent plan that would work. Bad news is most of their “cheap” phones have specs rated in Mhz. How long has it been since you saw a processor spec in Mhz?
I don’t want to give everyone a device only to have to answer the inevitable “Dad, why won’t it let me run…” soon thereafter.
Now, some carriers and plans do have a few decent Android options.
A few I could even hack Cyanogenmod or another custom ROM onto the deal with the sad, sorry, state of the overall Android update situation. (Most all are running Gingerbread. This is old news, Google.)
Of course, they then tack on an extra “premium data fee” if you get one, which jacks up the monthly cost.
Arrrrrgh! Thanks, guys.
I cannot believe I could buy a new car for less than it looks like it will cost to get my family onboard with the modern wireless world.
I can’t be the only one in this situation.
Yeah, yeah, first world problems. I know, I know…
But c’mon.
So yeah, you have us right where you want us. And we hate you for it.
And I thought the cable company was bad….
(Also, I’m open to recommendations. Hit me up. PLEASE.)
The game is (still) afoot!
24/06/12 13:50 Filed in: Job search
So here we are. My former employer was sold & shut down back in March.
As an IT guy by trade, most of my coworkers were certain I had an advantage in the whole job hunt game.
Not exactly true.
I spend about 4 hour a day on all the major sites, digging, digging, digging…
CVs and resumes are sent. Nothing in response.
Moments of "this job would be perfect for me!" followed by more nothing.
Or the absolute worst. The “You’re overqualified” response.
Noooooo, I’m overqualified for what I’m doing now, which is sitting on my ass and being Mr. Mom. Let me come do things for you.
I’m also contacted by temp and placement agencies routinely concerning jobs that aren’t even in the same state.
Didn’t read the CV/profile, did you?
On the lucky occasion they do call, one of the first questions I get from a potential employer is "What are your Salary Requirements?" without first even talking about the actual job description. When a range is given they rarely tell you what they have in the budget for candidates applying. Arrrrrggghhh!
Now, I have been on a few interviews lately. One thing I have learned from these interviews is when they ask “Do you have any questions for me?” I really want to respond “Have you already found someone that you’re considering and you’re just interviewing me because you feel you have to at least review a few other candidates?”
It’s all very frustrating.
I simply ask the following (Yes, I know, Not going to happen. One can dream, right?) :
1. If you are going to "let me know by Friday.”, let me know; call me, eMail me, even if it's a "No", just end the agony of waiting!
2. Please give me your card so that I can follow-up properly if I hear nothing "by Friday".
3. PLEASE don't say that I'd be "perfect", that you "like me", that I'd "fit in well here" UNLESS YOU INTEND TO HIRE ME...quit leading me on.
4. Please don't talk like I'm hired if you don't intend to hire me "Oh, well, this is what you'll do day-to-day, I'll have you doing this and that…”
Whew… pant, pant… Anyway… End of rant.
I’ll keep the world updated as I progress / slowly slip into insanity / wind up making McDoubles… whatever.
Stay tuned and thanks for listening.
Telephonic moronic.
18/11/11 12:02
The above is not a telephone.
You know who you are :
Your the gut who calls people three cubicles away from you and carries on a conversation via speakerphone.
Is this something they teach in some management class somewhere? I demand you explain the "logic".
My coworkers carry on this amazingly moronic behavior and I just can't comprehend it.
Does it make you feel more important or impressive to her your voice amplified through a phone speaker?
Do you just like to hear yourselves talk? (Actually, I already know the answer to that.)
”Hey, look at me! Although I can see this dude sitting right in front of me, I'm calling him on the phone anyway!
In fact, I'm so freaking cool and busy, I'm even putting him on speaker so I can keep my hands free and be more productive!"
What...the....hell?
Are you too lazy to stand up and actually speak face to face? Too important to walk the fifteen feet to where he's sitting?
Both you and I can clearly hear the other guy's voice without you having to use the phone.
What's the point?
To make matters even worse, you're creating this crazy echo effect.
I can hear both you and the guy on the other end normally, but I can also hear the amplified response a few milliseconds later via your freaking speaker-phone. Is this annoying enough?
Oh, hell no! You have to go and take it the next level - the dude on the other side puts YOU on speaker as well!
This is just freaking AWESOME as now it sounds like four people are echoing back and forth, a few seconds out of sync.
Genius.
But wait, there's more! You then go and conference in a third party - say, for example, the guy in the cube adjacent to you - and he uses his speakerphone as well.
This then causes some type of space/time inversion collapse thingie that ends up sounding like an effect from a 1950's Sci-Fi movie.
Please. I beg of you. Just stop it. You're being total douche bags.
My manager, who sits about 20 feet away from me, is the absolute king of this.
Our cubicle walls are only about 4 feet tall. I can see him I without even standing up.
Yet, he will look directly at me - and dial me on the phone...
To make matters worse, he actually seems annoyed when I tell him "This is f-ing stupid", hang up, and walk over to where he is so we can speak normally. Amazing...
Try one of the following and stop acting like complete jerks :
- Get off your ass and walk over to the guy. He's RIGHT THERE for the love of all that is holy.
- Pick up the handset. If you really need to speak to this guy RIGHT NOW, be decent enough to give him your full attention.
- Obviously , If your hands are literally tied, you have something else pressing going on (This, or you're really, really, lazy.)
Be considerate.
I drives the rest of us batty listening to your conversation echoing, echoing, echoing...
For the last time, just cut it out.
RIP Steve Jobs
05/10/11 20:12
Rest in peace, Steve Jobs.
You made a difference.
What more could anyone want?