Hi! Yeah, it’s kinda weird that the last time I updated this was in what, August? When I was still looking for jobs? Well, how about that…
Let me first say that I must be the World’s Worst Interview-ee, because I can’t recall a time when I walked away from an interview feeling like it was a positive experience and gotten hired. The only time I’ve ever done well on an interview hasn’t been because I’ve done well on the interview, it’s due to one of two things: either the employer already planned on giving me the job, or they said “what the hell” and decided to give me a chance. (Oddly enough, this seems to carry over to relationships, as well; only there 90% of it has been “what the hell, I’ll give her a chance” lol.) On both occasions, I can say with confidence that employers have been extremely pleased with my job performance, and every job I’ve ever had I’ve received nothing but glowing reviews on…it’s just that initial hiring part that never seems to go according to plan.
I must say that I’ve become extremely baffled and insecure about the whole process, after going on an interview that I thought certainly went incredibly well, walking away feeling confident and reassured, only to be rejected for the job a mere 10 hours later (and you know how slow big companies work!). At the interview I felt confident about myself, comfortable around the people, and thought I did well on the coding exam and communicated well and professionally with the people I spoke with. Apparently, I was completely wrong.
So I don’t know where to go from here, and the experience has pretty much made me shun industry. It’s bad, and I don’t know what to do…maybe go on some mock interviews perhaps, and get feedback? But I don’t know if it’s me or my answers to the technical questions or both.
After having a number of frustrating experiences towards the end of the summer, I decided to say “fuck it” and persue what I actually wanted to do, which was teach. I sent out numerous resumes for adjunct positions and got a bite from SUNY Farmingdale…only to find out they didn’t have room for me. Blargh. Then my friend Chris Tartamella called me and said SUNY Old Westbury needed an emergency replacement, so I jumped on it, especially since one of the classes I’d be teaching was actually something I wanted to teach (C++).
So, here I am. It’s rather hectic, since they hired me a week into the semester, so I didn’t have any time to plan the course, like any normal instructor. So I basically prepare lectures the day of, and plan things as I go. It’s a little chaotic, and in the C++ course I’m able to compensate for it, since I know the material so well (my other course is…Architecture…MIPS architecture…which I didn’t know anything about before I got the job…lol). Also, I get paid shit ($5700/semester for two courses, it’s public knowledge anyway), but at least I get health benefits, and at least I’m enjoying what I’m doing. Plus, my advisor apparently wrote me a really great recommendation letter, and they like me enough to keep me on for next semester, which is awesome. :D
But, again. I was hired because they already planned on hiring me before I even walked in the door.
What’s also nice is that, even from day one, the department chair felt confident enough in my background and my abilities to believe that I would learn whatever I needed to learn as I went, and that means a lot. Especially since employers don’t seem to hire like that anymore. I was always taught that having a CS degree enabled me to solve problems, to find practical and efficient solutions to problems, and if I had to learn a new technology in order to do it, so be it, I was well equipped to do so, as per my education. Now, it seems as though “I’ve been programming in Java for five years on and off but no, I’m not James Gosling” isn’t enough to get you the Java programming job anymore. Whatever happened to learn-as-you-go, or even training? What’s even better is “We need someone with experience programming AJAX.” Isn’t AJAX just an API that uses a lot of Javascript?? I’ve done some Javascript in the past (read: ten years ago, when people wrote Javascript), and I think I can figure out how to use an API. What more are people looking for? SINCE WHEN DID COMPUTER SCIENCE EMPLOYMENT REQUIREMENTS GET SO SPECIFIC??
I suppose I digress, but I’m frustrated and annoyed. This is stupid. Oh, and I’m also almost broke and I’m signing a lease with Spad tomorrow and I owe his parents money because apparently I’m paying for utilities while living in his dead grandfather’s house and I also owe Stony Brook money because they didn’t want to give me financial aid and I haven’t been able to pay off my credit card in a while. So right now I’m not allowed to have nice things.
I’ve started applying for second jobs; part-time stuff at the Apple Store (which they should just give me but they won’t) and substitute teaching positions, so we’ll see what happens. It’s ridiculous how difficult it is to get certain jobs that are, no offense, not exactly Computer Science…and it also pisses me off to see people who are less qualified than me doing jobs I can’t get hired to do. Spad tells me stories all the time about the idiots who work at his company…with people like that running around, why am I unable to get a job in industry?!
So, I don’t know. I’m scared about the fact that I don’t have any money, and I really hope I’m able to find a second job soon. What would really be ideal would be some part-time programming/web development/system administration/anything CS-related, really. Ah well. Guess I’ll go see what’s out there…in this recession.
>:O
