I saw a great job posting tonight. . . . . .

I was browsing through CareerBuilder this evening, looking for a QA job I hadn’t applied for and what did I find but a position that fit all the skills I possess!  I applied for the position but screwed up on the cover letter.  You know how on CareerBuilder you can use a previously created cover letter. . . . I messed up and left an old date on the letter.  On the bright side the job posting had a name and a phone number attached so I’ll be calling first thing in the morning for this one.

Its been a rough couple of weeks but this position is the best fit I’ve seen in many weeks.

DSK

Unemployment expected to go to 8%. . . . . . JUST GREAT!

While watching the evening news one of the financial reporters closed her comments on the big day on Wall Street by saying that. . . . “we haven’t seen the worst yet. . . . . unemployment could rise to 8% over the next 2 years”

Now that’s just such good news for those of us ALREADY on unemployment. . . . . NOT!  Have you ever gotten the feeling that all the fear in the economy is being stoked by the so-called financial gurus we see on the TV?  I do!  However, as I’ve stated before I feared that things will need to get much worse before they begin to get better.  Now it seems I’ll have trouble getting “under employed” let alone employed!

DSK

Sending out my resume between quarters

The cool thing about laptop pc’s is the maneuverability they offer.  Sitting on my couch watching the great Brett Farve I am able to apply to 9 job postings on CareerBuilder. . . . . . on a Sunday afternoon!

Many of these positions are in the Pharma business so I don’t expect much but I’ve opened my self up to all possibilities. . . . .also lowered my price too!

UNDER-EMPLOYMENT here I come!

DSK

SCD #6 – The Friday night lights dimmed. . . .

I went to my girlfriend’s son’s high school football game on Friday night. . . . . he’s junior RB/LB and has some skills.  His team is above average too.  This was an away game so we sat with parents we normally wouldn’t be around during a home game.  Whoaaaa!  What a group of jackasses!  Not all of them just a group of 3 or 4. . . . . including a MOM!

Hey I’m all for encouragement but this group of dads went well beyond that.  They were yelling at the kids, denigrating the coaches, very loudly pointing out players and their mistakes. . . . .well within earshot of the players parents.  And such ego. . . . .always pointing out a bad tackle or missed call and how they would do it different and BETTER.  And lord I haven’t mentioned how they got on the officials. . . . . .  What was so funny is these so called football experts showed no knowledge of the game or how it is coached.

Ya know its easy to sit in the stands and criticize kids. . . . .kids!  This was over the top.  They didn’t even seem to realize some of the parents of kids they were harassing were 10 feet from them.  Finally in the 3rd quarter a parent confronted the group. . . . . .BRAVO!  The loud mouths quieted down. . . . .well except for the gutter mouthed mom sitting next to me.

I know many of the kids on that team.  They’re good kids. . . . . they play hard. . . .and they play to win.  They’re playing their hearts out every Friday night. . . . . they got beat this night but they’re warriors!   Sometimes parents are ASSHOLES!!!

DSK

A very slow week in the job market. . . . at least for me

This was one of the slowest weeks of my recent job search.  I had 2 hits and both came from a Craigslist ad I put on the Philly listing.  I’ve lowered my salary requirements and while it did increase views on CareerBuilder it did nothing on Monster.  In fact I lowered my requirement by 15K on Monster and I only had one additional hit.  I’m starting to get nervous that my skill set is more than lacking for today’s job market.

A part time job is assured as the money is almost gone.  I continue to look at alternatives.  This weekend should be nice because my daughter is home from college

I fear that until the economic crisis has subsided a bit nothing good will be flowing in the job market.  I believe that we won’t settle down until after the election!  So at least 3 more weeks of this chaos.

DSK

Modification to resume seems to have increased views. . . . Duh!

I made a minor modification to my resume on both CareerBuilder and Monster.  I moved my salary requirement down 5K.  That simple (yeah right!) adjustment has seemed to increase views.  I’ve had more than 30 views on CareerBuilder (including 2 saves) since the change and 1 hit on Monster.

The market is so saturated right now.  I believe many of us in the IT world could be heading for a period of under-employment.  So many folks need work that I believe we’ll see many taking salaries much under their previous rates.  I don’t like it but you hit a point where you need to adjust.  Now I only adjusted 5K but its something I had been putting off doing.

DSK

Got a call on my Craigslist ad. . . . .

I received a call from a recruiter at 9am this morning concerning a QA Manager position.   What was nice about the call, beyond the obvious potential of a JOB, was that this recruiter found me on Craigslist.  What’s more interesting, and encouraging, is that my add was about 2 weeks old and he still found me.

As for the job, alas I am not hopeful    I meet all the requirements for the position except for 1. . . . . automated testing experience.  I continue to be frustrated.  Its not like I can even go out and get some training on a tool.  First there’s 2 or 3 that are used in the industry and the training alone can run $500 a pop.  I’m unemployed I don’t have the money for that.  Secondly, and more important is that most jobs want business experience with the software. . . . . you don’t get that with training.

Gotta keep my head up!  The Craigslist hit was encouraging.

DSK

The Oct 7th Mass Resume send. . . .

I was out on CareerBuilder and I found a good looking QA position that just went up today.  So I applied.  If you know CareerBuilder you know that you then get a listing of similar positions that you can “Quick Apply” for.  Its been a slow first two days of the week so I said what the heck. . . . . . . . I went through and checked off 14 other QA positions that I had a potential (I SAID POTENTIAL) fit for.

So there you have it. . . . . . . . 15 resumes sent in under 10 minutes.

Its been a tough week for everyone!

DSK

I’ve had it and I’m not going to take it anymore

I had a recruiter contact me today via email.  The email title was “Experienced Software Tester available for full time/contract work (Phila/NJ)“.  When I read the email the job was for a .NET developer!  I quickly wrote back asking the recruiter, who resides in PLANO TEXAS, what on my resume states that I am a .NET developer.  That was a rhetorical question since NOTHING in my resume would lead anyone to believe I have ever been a developer.  I finished my email asking that this recruiter stop wasting my time.

The best part is this recruiter, who resides in PLANO TEXAS, wrote back!  She wrote back saying her day was so crazy and she made a mistake because she’s working two positions in Philly.  She asked me to “not jump down her throat”.  It made me laugh.  I’m suppose to feel sorry for her?  I have had it with recruiters who are just phishing for people who meet specific job qualifications, recruiters who don’t read my resume, recruiters who just don’t get it.  I’m suppose to feel sorry for her?  I’ve been out of work for 9 months!  I want a job, I don’t have time to feel sorry for me, let alone feel sorry for someone who has a job!

If you have a “Software Testing” job in the Central New Jersey (including NYC and Philadelphia) area please contact me at ‘dkrauss@att.net’ and I’ll forward you my resume.  If your a recruiter from outside this area you had better have someone I can speak with in my area or don’t waste your time.  Someone in PLANO TEXAS can’t help me get a job in NJ.  No knowledge of the area and no knowledge of the markets!

Yeah I’m fired up. . . . . . I’ve had it and I’m not going to take it anymore!

DSK

Ohhh yeah one final thing. . . . . . . AFLAC stop calling me I don’t want a sales job!

Its just another manic Friday. . . . . .

Blahhhhhh!  This week has just sucked.  I really thought I had things going on Wednesday but nothing came of anything.  The recruiter I work with took yesterday through Monday off (or he’s not around at the very least) so any prospects coming through him are on hold at best, or dying on the vine at worst.

It seems like the job market is sparked (at least in the QA world).  There are jobs out there.  Now I have to get one!

DSK