Re: Ralph from ProSearch found an IT job

[Robert <http://dummy.us.eu.org/robert>]

--- Elaine <http://www.hotmail.com/~et> wrote:
> Do you remember this guy Ralph?  Wonder if he had legal experience....
> 
> He does feel Craigslist is worth it.  Have you had anymore responses
> from there?

No, I haven't.  But, unlike this person, I don't post my resume to
craigslist several times a day as he had suggested.  I guess that, if
you did do that, you could post several different resumes in the hopes
that one will be found.  (Currently, I only post my resume at beginning
of every month since it says on their site for 30 days.  I guess what
this says is that most people who use craigslist are too dense to use
the search facility.  Oh, well.)

Also, the thing about keeping in touch with previous interviewers (#4
below) is also an important factor mentioned in this "Overnight Job
Search Strategy" book, in addition to using them to find other companies
and contacts.  (I finally finished this book and am going to re-read it
because it's chock full of good info.)

Ralph says that the Bay Area economy is improving.  I think it was, but
it seems to have gone into a holding pattern at this point.  The number
of job listings increased substantially in Dec & Jan, but has since
stayed the same.  I fear it may not change again until the November
election is over.

On another subject, that interview with the company in San Jose went
fairly badly.  But, I don't yet know my competition, so who knows what
will happen.

> >To: http://www.yahoogroups.com/~ProSearch_Community
> >From: "Ralph" <http://www.speakeasy.net/~ralph_greenberg>
> >Date: Tue, 02 Mar 2004 20:27:17 -0000
> >Subject: [ProSearch_Community] Found A Home
> >
> >
> >I would like to take a moment to share with you some of my own tips
> >that I've learned over the year or so since I've had a full-time
> >permanent position:
> >
> >1.  Post your resume on Craigslist.org daily (if not 2-3x a day --
> >post, delete, re-post).  This is the best website out there to be
> >discovered.  My last three positions (2 - contract; 1 - permanent) I
> >was contacted by someone who saw my resume on Craigslist.
> >
> >2.  Accept contract work if it's offered.  There is a lot more
> >contract work available than full-time employment for people in IT.
> >[There is a great staffing agency in the South Bay, called West
> >Valley Staffing (http://www.westvalley.com), run by Steve Guerzon.
> >If you call him, please let him know I referred you to him.]  For the
> >longest time, I didn't want to consider contract work, but after
> >being out of work for 6 months (January-June 2003), I was grateful
> >for the contract opportunity.
> >
> >3.  Be flexible on the type of work you accept as well as the salary
> >you demand.  I can't tell you how many times I heard from people in
> >my group (computer services) about how they would only accept such
> >and such a job with such and such a salary.  You might not like to
> >hear this, but the market has changed and you better change with it.
> >Salaries and jobs are not what they used to be.  I used to be an IT
> >Administrator and my first contract job was doing help desk at
> >$25.00/hour, and my second contract job, also doing help desk
> >(through West Valley), paid $31.25/hour.
> >
> >4.  If there is a company you don't get hired from, and you want to
> >work there, keep in touch with the hiring manager.  This is how I got
> >the most recent permanent position at the firm in Oakland/Sacramento.
> >I stayed in touch with the hiring manager by sending her a holiday
> >greeting via e-mail last year.  I interviewed with the firm in
> >mid-4th quarter 2003, and though they hired someone else, they still
> >thought of me when they had to let that person go.  Needless to say,
> >I jumped at the opportunity to work for them.
> >
> >I'm grateful for the experience I had with ProSearch.  I learned a
> >lot of good skills, including the importance of networking, but the
> >best part of the experience was to work with my success team.  Some
> >of the members I still do keep in touch with.
> >
> >On a final note, the employment environment is improving in the Bay
> >Area, you just have to be flexible about where you will work
> >[commuting distance], how much you will work for and what you will do
> >for that amount.
> >
> >Best wishes to you all in your search and quest for employment.
> >
> >Sincerely,
> >
> >Ralph Greenberg