Cover letters, short and sweet in the body of the email. Don't bother with long cover letters, they do not get read.
Give a why interested in position in cover letter or email.
Make sure every skill asked for in posting is listed or addressed in resume.
Take away irrelevant information from resume, even if this makes your resume very short.
Put your name in the subject line. Makes it easy to keep track of you and separate you from the 500 emails with the position title in the subject line.
Don't worry about sending the resume from work or Yahoo or whatever. Email address the resume is coming from isn't that important.
Immediate feedback/contact is important. List a phone # or email address that you will see right away, and respond back right away.
Hiring can take a while, it's never too late to send in your resume.
Simple is better when it comes to resumes
Tell them you have what they are looking for and then prove it in the resume and interviews.
Put one weird thing in your resume, they will remember you.
Wednesday, June 06, 2007
Thursday, May 31, 2007
Did I mention I moved to Texas?
Wow, where to start.
We put our house on the market in Pierre on Valentines day and my last day at work was on March 2nd. We were supposed to start loading the truck on March 2nd but a major blizzard hit and I couldn't even get the truck. I got the truck the next day but it was cold and snowy and I ended up taking out the neighbors mailbox sliding around in a 26' truck with a 10' trailer on the back. It took us until March 6th to get the truck loaded and the house all cleaned up. When we left Pierre it was 20ยบ and snowy. We made it to Omaha the first night where I managed to get the truck stuck in the mud. I pulled up to see if there were rooms available at a hotel. The hotel was full and I thought I would circle the truck around the hotel and pull out the back way as it is nearly impossible to back that big of a truck with a trailer on back, up. When I got to the far side of the hotel the parking lot was even narrower and there was no way out. There was a 20' stretch of grass and then the parking lot for a Home Depot. I decided to drive across the grass rather than try to back out. The grass was muddy and the heavy truck sank right in. An hour and $60 later we were unstuck. I was in the truck with the two youngest boys. Richard, my oldest was driving the pick-up truck with Robert, my second oldest and the goldfish keeping Richard company. Sue and Amy were in the Van with the dog. We had walkie talkies that we used to talk back and forth with. March 7th we left Omaha and drove straight through to Dallas. After a few hours, we found a hotel where we could park the truck and bring the dog in. (That was a Wednesday) Thursday, March 8th and Friday, the 9th we looked at rental houses. The rental market was pretty bleak. To get a house big enough for all of us would have cost us $1500 to $2000 a month. The agent that was working with us said he knew a banker that would give us a loan on a house even though we still had a house in South Dakota. So Saturday, March 10th we started looking at houses to buy. Amazingly, we found a house we liked, could afford, was empty and the owner was willing to let us rent it until we closed. I was getting worried as we were paying $300 a night to say at the hotel, Uhaul was angry and wanted their truck back, and I was supposed to start work on Monday, March 12. Our offer on the house was accepted Sunday afternoon. I left for work from the Hotel and came home to our new house. Sue and the kids got the keys from the realtor, checked out of the hotel and started unpacking. That first week was a long one. Lots to learn at work, lots to do at home. We closed on the house on March 24th and are now making two house payments.
Everyone seems to love Texas. Right now the weather is perfect, it has been in the 60's, 70's and 80's so far. They tell us that summers here are hell. Summers were very warm in South Dakota so I am not overly concerned about that. We will see how it goes as we get further into the summer.
We put our house on the market in Pierre on Valentines day and my last day at work was on March 2nd. We were supposed to start loading the truck on March 2nd but a major blizzard hit and I couldn't even get the truck. I got the truck the next day but it was cold and snowy and I ended up taking out the neighbors mailbox sliding around in a 26' truck with a 10' trailer on the back. It took us until March 6th to get the truck loaded and the house all cleaned up. When we left Pierre it was 20ยบ and snowy. We made it to Omaha the first night where I managed to get the truck stuck in the mud. I pulled up to see if there were rooms available at a hotel. The hotel was full and I thought I would circle the truck around the hotel and pull out the back way as it is nearly impossible to back that big of a truck with a trailer on back, up. When I got to the far side of the hotel the parking lot was even narrower and there was no way out. There was a 20' stretch of grass and then the parking lot for a Home Depot. I decided to drive across the grass rather than try to back out. The grass was muddy and the heavy truck sank right in. An hour and $60 later we were unstuck. I was in the truck with the two youngest boys. Richard, my oldest was driving the pick-up truck with Robert, my second oldest and the goldfish keeping Richard company. Sue and Amy were in the Van with the dog. We had walkie talkies that we used to talk back and forth with. March 7th we left Omaha and drove straight through to Dallas. After a few hours, we found a hotel where we could park the truck and bring the dog in. (That was a Wednesday) Thursday, March 8th and Friday, the 9th we looked at rental houses. The rental market was pretty bleak. To get a house big enough for all of us would have cost us $1500 to $2000 a month. The agent that was working with us said he knew a banker that would give us a loan on a house even though we still had a house in South Dakota. So Saturday, March 10th we started looking at houses to buy. Amazingly, we found a house we liked, could afford, was empty and the owner was willing to let us rent it until we closed. I was getting worried as we were paying $300 a night to say at the hotel, Uhaul was angry and wanted their truck back, and I was supposed to start work on Monday, March 12. Our offer on the house was accepted Sunday afternoon. I left for work from the Hotel and came home to our new house. Sue and the kids got the keys from the realtor, checked out of the hotel and started unpacking. That first week was a long one. Lots to learn at work, lots to do at home. We closed on the house on March 24th and are now making two house payments.
Everyone seems to love Texas. Right now the weather is perfect, it has been in the 60's, 70's and 80's so far. They tell us that summers here are hell. Summers were very warm in South Dakota so I am not overly concerned about that. We will see how it goes as we get further into the summer.
Some creative writing
I will call it: The Professor, ramblings, thoughts, stories and other such nonsense delivered in a soda pop induced haze.
Entry number 1. The old ex-lover.
I have a date with death and it is all my fault. Just like Pandora could not leave that box alone, I could not leave my wife's past alone. Living in the shadow of a legend can be very hard on a fellow, even if I did win the girl, I knew in the back of my mind that just like Godzilla never really dies, neither had Dixie Daw. Dorothy*, my wife loved him deeply; who wouldn't love him. Even I loved him in a strictly platonic male sort of way. In secret, I followed his movements around the country. Always making sure my prize, Dorothy* was far away from him and safe. Then one day the most horrible thing happened, I found Dixie Daw's secret writings, the place where he bares his soul. I was shocked, crippled, speechless, utterly stricken when I read that all of his secret writings were dedicated not to his wife, Wendy, but to my beloved wife, Dorothy*. I had to know what was going on here. Did the handsome and popular Dixie Daw still have designs on my wife, Wendy*? After weeks, even months of stewing about this, I crafted a plan to find out more. I would email Dixie Daw and ask him. I tried to be coy in my email pretending that the world is full of mild mannered English majors who are married to Dorothy*. My honest heart betrayed me and I was forced to confess all to the now much older and fatter Dixie Daw. Dixie was a terrible liar and though he swore up and down that he no longer felt so much as a twang for Dorothy*, I knew he did. This knowledge has driven me mad over the last year and I have slowly come to the realization that Dixie must die. Now, it's a well known fact that you (the rhetorical you) can't kill Dixie Daw. No one can kill Dixie Daw, he's immoral...er...immortal. And that is how I know I have date with death, for sure as the sun comes up, I have to fight Dixie, I have to fight him with my bare hands. It will be, a fight to the death. Dixie will win, he will kill me, this I know, so the bible tells me so. Unless, I bring a gun...
*the names have been changed to protect the innocent.
Entry number 2. My good friend Dixie.
I am a real fashionista, I love to look really good. I was shopping for some shoes the other day.....
Entry number 1. The old ex-lover.
I have a date with death and it is all my fault. Just like Pandora could not leave that box alone, I could not leave my wife's past alone. Living in the shadow of a legend can be very hard on a fellow, even if I did win the girl, I knew in the back of my mind that just like Godzilla never really dies, neither had Dixie Daw. Dorothy*, my wife loved him deeply; who wouldn't love him. Even I loved him in a strictly platonic male sort of way. In secret, I followed his movements around the country. Always making sure my prize, Dorothy* was far away from him and safe. Then one day the most horrible thing happened, I found Dixie Daw's secret writings, the place where he bares his soul. I was shocked, crippled, speechless, utterly stricken when I read that all of his secret writings were dedicated not to his wife, Wendy, but to my beloved wife, Dorothy*. I had to know what was going on here. Did the handsome and popular Dixie Daw still have designs on my wife, Wendy*? After weeks, even months of stewing about this, I crafted a plan to find out more. I would email Dixie Daw and ask him. I tried to be coy in my email pretending that the world is full of mild mannered English majors who are married to Dorothy*. My honest heart betrayed me and I was forced to confess all to the now much older and fatter Dixie Daw. Dixie was a terrible liar and though he swore up and down that he no longer felt so much as a twang for Dorothy*, I knew he did. This knowledge has driven me mad over the last year and I have slowly come to the realization that Dixie must die. Now, it's a well known fact that you (the rhetorical you) can't kill Dixie Daw. No one can kill Dixie Daw, he's immoral...er...immortal. And that is how I know I have date with death, for sure as the sun comes up, I have to fight Dixie, I have to fight him with my bare hands. It will be, a fight to the death. Dixie will win, he will kill me, this I know, so the bible tells me so. Unless, I bring a gun...
*the names have been changed to protect the innocent.
Entry number 2. My good friend Dixie.
I am a real fashionista, I love to look really good. I was shopping for some shoes the other day.....
Monday, April 09, 2007
Simon
I met Simon in January in Denver. I have nothing nice to say about this man. He mislead me, and caused me to hide and leave this blog for several months. Now I am back and will blog for all the world to see, including Simon and his precious, albeit overly liberal, DRCOG.
So what's the story behind all this?
In January I interviewed with Denver Regional Council of Governments. The phone interviews went very well. I was impressed with the organization. At the time, they were impressed with me. Well, Simon Montagu, the man who was heading the interview process, called me up and told me I was flying to Denver for an all-day interview. He asked if I had any questions before the interview and I mentioned that I had "googled" him.
I flew down to the interview, spent a very nice, but grueling day talking with many folks at DRCOG. Simon and others lead me to believe that a job offer was pending. At the end of the day, Simon and I met one on one. He told me that he deiced to Google me and that in the process he found this blog. I am not ashamed of anything I have written here in this blog. Simon went on to make me feel guilty for having this blog and was even so bold as to tell me where he found problems in my blog. I also think during this process he was trying to get me to commit to a salary offer much less than what I was currently making. Only in retrospect do I now realize old Simon was playing me. Drop some bad news on me with the hopes that I will drop my offer. I didn't change my negotiating stance. I said, here is what I am making now, and I will consider any offer you put forth. I leave Simon's office fully expecting at least an offer in two weeks. (That's how long it takes to get an offer of employment approved, Simon tells me) BULL CRAP!!!! He could have approved that offer in two days.
On the Monday after the interview I get a very friendly email from the HR person with benefits information. I ask her a question and she emails me the answer right back. That afternoon I emailed a follow-up question and did not hear from her for three days. The answer she gave was cut and paste right from the same stuff she had sent me before. I am no chump, I figure it out pretty darn quick that the "two-week" approval process is not going to happen.
I waited out the two weeks and then, so I could better prepare for the interview I had for the job I have now, I emailed Simon asking for some feedback as to why I wasn't offered the job. His reply was, Oh yeah, we aren't offering you the job now and I can't talk about why right now but all the candidates were not the "complete package" we were looking for. Simon knew this on the Monday after I left Denver but let me sit for two weeks without telling me. Simon also promised that though he couldn't talk abou it now, he would be happy to talk about why I did not get the job offer. That was two months ago. Somehow I don't think Simon intends to get back to me. Two words: Jack Ass.
I will tell you what DRCOG's complete package is: Expert at ArcIMS and ArcSDE, programming skills out the wazoo, several years of DBA experience, experience managing people, PM experience, marketing experience, training experience, great interpersonal skills, opposed to the consumption of meat, opposed to cars of any type, opposed to republicans and capitalism and willing to work for $45,000 a year...IN DENVER.
So Simon, I am back out there baby. Bite me.
So what's the story behind all this?
In January I interviewed with Denver Regional Council of Governments. The phone interviews went very well. I was impressed with the organization. At the time, they were impressed with me. Well, Simon Montagu, the man who was heading the interview process, called me up and told me I was flying to Denver for an all-day interview. He asked if I had any questions before the interview and I mentioned that I had "googled" him.
I flew down to the interview, spent a very nice, but grueling day talking with many folks at DRCOG. Simon and others lead me to believe that a job offer was pending. At the end of the day, Simon and I met one on one. He told me that he deiced to Google me and that in the process he found this blog. I am not ashamed of anything I have written here in this blog. Simon went on to make me feel guilty for having this blog and was even so bold as to tell me where he found problems in my blog. I also think during this process he was trying to get me to commit to a salary offer much less than what I was currently making. Only in retrospect do I now realize old Simon was playing me. Drop some bad news on me with the hopes that I will drop my offer. I didn't change my negotiating stance. I said, here is what I am making now, and I will consider any offer you put forth. I leave Simon's office fully expecting at least an offer in two weeks. (That's how long it takes to get an offer of employment approved, Simon tells me) BULL CRAP!!!! He could have approved that offer in two days.
On the Monday after the interview I get a very friendly email from the HR person with benefits information. I ask her a question and she emails me the answer right back. That afternoon I emailed a follow-up question and did not hear from her for three days. The answer she gave was cut and paste right from the same stuff she had sent me before. I am no chump, I figure it out pretty darn quick that the "two-week" approval process is not going to happen.
I waited out the two weeks and then, so I could better prepare for the interview I had for the job I have now, I emailed Simon asking for some feedback as to why I wasn't offered the job. His reply was, Oh yeah, we aren't offering you the job now and I can't talk about why right now but all the candidates were not the "complete package" we were looking for. Simon knew this on the Monday after I left Denver but let me sit for two weeks without telling me. Simon also promised that though he couldn't talk abou it now, he would be happy to talk about why I did not get the job offer. That was two months ago. Somehow I don't think Simon intends to get back to me. Two words: Jack Ass.
I will tell you what DRCOG's complete package is: Expert at ArcIMS and ArcSDE, programming skills out the wazoo, several years of DBA experience, experience managing people, PM experience, marketing experience, training experience, great interpersonal skills, opposed to the consumption of meat, opposed to cars of any type, opposed to republicans and capitalism and willing to work for $45,000 a year...IN DENVER.
So Simon, I am back out there baby. Bite me.
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