Personal/Family/Work Life

I spent more time on personal business this past week. I got my son registered for school in the fall and signed up for another correspondence course. I had to get another school leaving letter and transcripts for this last one because it's been too long since he ordered the last one. Both of these required trips down to the school. It's kind of surreal going into a place where you hope to be working, i.e. a secondary school. Friday, I went out for lunch with my church but had to cut it short so I could run my van into the shop for a look-see. There's some kind of electrical problem that requires further diagnosis. The other day I was thinking that we were OK financially as long as nothing breaks. Jinx!

On the IT front, I only submitted a couple of applications over the Internet (Jr. IT Auditor at CDS, system operator at Wonderland). I got a turndown from CIBC even with the employee referral. I haven't heard anything about the Install Tester job at IBM so I assume that's a no-go. I looked at applying at TxMQ, an MQ consulting company, but again stuck with my original decision not to (no AIX, only Solaris and mainframe).

On the teaching front, I applied for another math job (long term supply teaching) in Barrie starting April 1st. I've picked up a new textbook on linear algebra (1st year university) to study from the tutoring company. I got a turndown from the adult learning centre, but I'm OK with that. The interview was good practice.

D.

I went to another of the goodbye parties last Thursday. It wasn't as big as the previous ones-we only took up half of the second floor of the bar. It might be the last one.

It was mostly people from the one line of business, but I had worked with that area quite a lot. There was a handful of people there who had left the company before the buyout including a CICS team leader and a project manager. The former told me he was out of work for a year and a half at one point. He's got a government job now though so he gave me his email address and asked for my resume. I was surprised as I didn't think we had had that great a relationship at work. I was having a good time, but I couldn't stay because I had to pick up my daughter from school and go to choir practice. The previous day I had gotten confused about where I was picking her up so I was an hour late. Then the check engine light came on in the van.

Before I left, I talked to one of my ex-teammates about an MQ position that had opened up at his new company. He also asked for my resume. With the exception of one requirement, this job has my name on it. I had found out about it belatedly through an agency posting on Monster (one of my other teammates had already interviewed for the job). The next day I found out that my worst fears had come true-I have been blacklisted because of a previous application where two agencies submitted me simultaneously. In all fairness, I should go through the third agency. It's now been posted by the bigger agencies so every Tom, Dick and Harry will be applying. Every time I start thinking about this mess, I get all flushed (something menopausal?). I don't know whether to give up or gird myself for battle.

D.

It's been very busy. I got my furnace and my cat fixed. I've been studying Gr. 12 mathematics (OAC) in preparation for tutoring assignments.

On the IT front, I'm still waiting for word on the Install Tester job at IBM, but I'm not holding my breath. I haven't heard back on any of the Internet applications (Jr. Computer Operator at HP, Implementation Coordinator at Ministry of Justice, System Integrator at MRS, Technical Business Specialist at CIBC). I got a referral from a former colleague on this last one. I'm becoming a recruiter retread in that I'm only getting calls about jobs where I've already interviewed. I have to be pickier about the IT jobs I apply for because of the tutoring time commitment in the evening. The internet job market seems to be drying up right now anyway.

I went to the WebSphere User Group meeting early last week. Afterwards, I met my old team leader and another ex-teammate for lunch. I found out from the latter that two agencies had submitted my application for the job at WSIB. One was definitely without my permission and this eliminated me from the competition. He did mention that an MQ position had opened up. Hope springs eternal.

That same day, I ordered my B.Sc. transcript from U.of T. for the tutoring company and dropped off my B.Ed. transcript. I checked out a TO high school/adult learning centre that had called me back on a teaching application (another first). I got an interview later in the week for a position teaching gr. 9 IT, gr. 10 math and gr. 12 calculus. It's a freaking full-time job (no spare) as each class is two hours. The thought of actually getting this job scares the crap out of me (too much prep but it's only 'til the end of June). I finally mailed an application to supply teach in a neighbouring school board. It's a good thing I put it off because I've misplaced the originals for my practice teaching reports. I had to open the envelope to retrieve the only copies I have.

D.

Late the week previous, I found out that a couple of old teammates (one from Regina and one from Winnipeg) were flying into Toronto for training. When the Regina lady suggested meeting if I had an interview at IBM, I decided to let some of the others know so we could get together for dinner. There could be up to ten of us if everyone shows.

I surfed to find some places close to IBM to eat, and we decided on Kelsey's after some discussion via email. There are conflicting opinions about the quality of the food there. The former MQ guy confirms although he needs his Perly's Guide east of Yonge Street. My old team leader has to pick up his kids that night so he's a no-show. The Windows sysadmin gets in touch with the AIX anarchist but has kid commitments, too.

Late the night before though, I learned out that the location was closed so we hurriedly move to another close by. Unfortunately, one of the guys (former financial/system manager) has to cancel out after this change. He's coming from the 'burbs and the extra 10/15 minutes is just too much. It's too long via public transit from downtown for the other Windows sysadmin so he takes a pass. Belatedly, I hear that the webMethods guy can make it.

I'm driving along Steeles during rush hour (very slowly), and I see my two western teammates walking to the restaurant. I want to give them a lift so I blow my horn, but don't manage to get their attention for another block. The Regina lady has trouble climbing into my Dodge Ram 1500 pickup.

There ends up being six of us in a nearly deserted restaurant. We chat and drink and eat. Before we know it, it's 9:30. The Regina lady has lovely parting gifts. I hug the Winnipeg guy goodbye in the parking lot as I never expect to see him again.

D.

Lots of job and other activity on Wednesday:
-dropped my daughter off at the GO train at 7:30 a.m.
-came home and did some surfing on Tivoli Intelligent Orchestrator and Provisioning Manager which I had never heard of before
-wiped up a batch of pancake batter for my son who didn't want them after all
-took a last minute phone call asking for my transcripts (huh?)
-got dressed up and drive to the city for 11 a.m. (got lost when I got off the 401 at Avenue Road and tried to go northbound-local traffic only)
-spent 3 hr interviewing at a tutoring company and ended up signing a contract for 10 hr per week doing math tutoring (stupid, stupid, stupid!)
-drove out to the IBM lab in Markham while it was snowing (very slow)
-got there early but there was no place to eat on the way or nearby and I didn't get any lunch
-spent almost an hour and a half interviewing. The lab is really nice. One lounge (of several) is decorated like a Japanese water garden. The whole place is wireless.
-met my former teammate from Regina at the IBM head office in Markham and we go for any early supper before she catches her flight home
-drove north on the 404 while it is snowing (slow)
-picked up my daughter from the GO train at 7 p.m. and head home
-heard the furnace let out a squeal when the blower comes on

All this after being out with the gang the night before!

D.

Ouch! Three months without a job. I wish I could say 13 was my lucky number, but no joy.

I didn't take last week off, but I did take it a little easier and got some personal stuff done that I had procrastinated on. Actually, I took all my animals (two dogs, four cats) to the vet's for shots. That took two days since they couldn't fit them all in one appointment. This is one of the things that I do enjoy about being off-I get to spend more time with my animals. I take the dogs for walks late at night in the moonlight with the snow. There's no streetlights out here, but I don't have to carry a flashlight on moonlit nights. One time though, I was almost run over by a snowmobiler on my own driveway. My drive is about 800 feet long and leads to a wooded area.

I did receive a few career alerts that looked worth pursuing. I fired off an application to IBM for Install Tester and put the rest away for the following week. I did some quick searches on incorporating and found an online service which I bookmarked for future reference. And there was the IBM interview (still no word, even she asked whether I'd taken any time for myself after finishing work) and that tutoring job fair; otherwise, that was it on the job front. I still have more personal stuff to get sorted like my son's high school registration for next year. We decided against him going back this semester, but he's going back next fall come hell or high water!

D.

I went to a job fair put on by a tutoring company this afternoon. I could have applied via the Internet, but was afraid of the application disappearing into the twilight zone. I prefer to be rejected in person.

I was a bit nervous going in (I keep telling myself that this is an adventure). After all, I've never taught for a living. I think it took me about an hour to fill in their application form (two pages detailing subjects and territory, two pages of questions about tutoring and soft skills). While I was waiting for my "instant interview", I flipped through the textbooks they had available. Everything looked familiar. The topics I hated in high school, I still hate.

The interview was conducted in the open, and a few people were rejected right then and there. The interviewer didn't really go into my qualifications. She decided she didn't even need to see my (aged) transcipts although they had been asking others for these. She wanted to know if I would be interested in working with public school age and university level students. This is really stretching the envelope.

It's only part-time work and the rate is OK, but nothing like I should be making. I have a second two hour (!) interview next week. They may not be so impressed once they get a closer look at my resume and application.
D.

I went to IBM Markham to interview for a middleware support position yesterday morning. I was kept waiting for about 15 minutes and starting to feel slighted. When the hiring manager finally appears, she tells me that she was glad to see me as my appointment had not been confirmed by the agency. She had to duck out of a phone interview with another candidate and didn't have a technical expert available (I think he was on the phone interview). I should be rattled but I'm getting used to this.

The interview proceeds. There are two jobs to be filled-support for IBM internal development (occasional weekend shifts required, some MQ support) and support for production customers (no weekends but no MQ either). We discuss my technical background but not in any real depth. She also asks a few "soft" skill questions (greatest accomplishment, working with difficult customers and teammates, where I expect to be in five years, what my teammates would say about me) which I don't expect but am prepared for. I'm getting better at responding but still don't feel light enough on my feet. I play up my preference for MQ (my personal favourite technology-the one product I've worked with that actually does what IBM says it does) as this is where she has a hole to fill. As she walks me out, she tells me that a decision will be made in a week.

This interview felt good. In fact, the last two have been pretty human(e), not like the first one at the former CIBC subsiduary where the manager got my back up with the question about salary expectations right off the top. I decided going in to relax and just be myself. I can't pretend to be something I'm not.

D.