Clearly, I’m not a formal internet marketer. I don’t have “new media” in my Twitter bio. I have actual programming code in another text window of the editor I’m writing this in (text editor? ABSOLUTELY NOT a marketer). I don’t have a followbot looking for trends, I don’t spam everyone I can find on Facebook. If I follow someone from one or more of my (admittedly, multiple) Twitter accounts, a human has made the decision to do so based on something that seems relevant.

So why am I writing this rant? To get some ideas across and if anyone actually reads it, perhaps find out why what seem should be standards of normal human interaction no longer apply online, or maybe (just maybe) get some people (generally, not specifically) to reconsider what they’re doing in “social media” and how they’re trying to get their businesses off the ground.

read more from "More Thoughts on Social Media"

After having the earlier “down” post about the job search and the unrelated mental regurgitation (only partly digested, it seems, on reflection), I figure it’s worth taking a few minutes to highlight the fact that not every company, not every recruiter is so callous toward applicants, and that gives me hope.

CyberCoders

I’m going to call out the organization by name, but not the individual recruiter (yet), because as it turns out, I’ve submitted for jobs represented by different recruiters. It’s just worked out that way, and I’m going to give them all the opportunity to stand out like one particular has so far. No, she did not find me a job yet (and it’s always possible the communication I received was a polite way of saying “no thanks”), but the key here is that I did receive a response.

I only speak for myself officially, but I would be highly surprised to find that other professionals feel differently; any non-form-letter response immediately makes that company/recruiter/organization automatically register higher on the “pay attention to them” scale. In times of high unemployment, it may take time to place even highly-skilled professionals/executives, but keeping actual communication lines open helps boot seeker morale and if, as I expect is the case, placements are the basis for at least a portion of a recruiter’s compensation, I know I will be looking more toward at least one recruiter over others. To her, I offer a somewhat anonymous “Thank you” (and yes, I’ve already sent the direct message of thanks.)

Find the organization at http://www.cybercoders.com

A Local Unnamed (for the moment) Company

I don’t know if the gentleman I will anonymously refer to here was simply checking a box or actually following up on my direct application, but a basic “please send your resumé” followup from an online submission gives me hope for the overall search. A human actually saw the submission. A human asked for more information (probably because the “resumé editor” on their site ate my pasted content) but still, real human interaction. Do I take from the single email that I’m getting hired? No, I’m not that delirious. But like the CyberCoders example, and as a second counter-point to my previous missive, it gives me hope when there is real interaction. (Yes, I can tell that this was a human email and not a bot or autoresponder.) So to this company and person, I also say thank you!

If You’re Actually Reading This…

… and you expect to get some world-bending revelation, I suppose it’s always possible but the reality is that I’m just taking a few minutes here and there to express the thoughts of the moment. If I find out what works and what doesn’t, I’ll be happy to share, but I have no magic wand to wave. Experience and skills, regardless of how extensive, still need to fit with a company’s goals (or be overwhelming enough when discussed to create an appropriate position) in order to bring their value out into the open. Different geographies and different state and corporate labor pools and workforce expectations play a major role in this. Finding a great match at the right time and in the right place is, well, damned difficult.

Follow me on the journey if you like, and if you’re on your own journey, may the stars align for you and you at least encounter real humans early in your search. It helps.

So I find myself looking for work in what is claimed to be the recovery time of the worst recession since the Great Depression (although Nevada is still at record unemployment – 13.7% at last report), and some thoughts come to me.

1. Despite the clear need for businesses to attract and retain experience and talent, few seem willing to actually do so, to the long-term detriment of their businesses, regardless of any short-term quarterly gains. Maybe it really is the case that in Northern Nevada, all the companies that succeed here already have all the talented execs they need, that there are no opportunities to bring in new ideas, new blood to tackle the challenges of this market and this economy. No doubt there are going to be fewer positions open higher in the structure than at the entry-level (and there seem to be precious few of those too). If this really is the case though, then I question the basis for reporting an econimic “recovery” in hte country beyond the funny-money financial trading of the megabanks.

2. The dis-intermediation of the internet has made the job hunt incredibly difficult by allowing those who are overwhelmed with applicant queries to simply say, “This automated response may be the only contact you receive. If we don’t call you, we don’t want you.” At least there was an automated response, I suppose. (By the way, that was a paraphrasing, but not too strongly, of an actual response I’ve received.) It’s nothing new for applicants to complain about a lack of relevant response (I’ve been on both sides of the equation, both the complainer and someone who made a geniune effort to respond, if only briefly). Hiring managers (and recruiters, and HR departments), I know you’re overwhelmed (particularly now with on-going employment issues), but if ignoring the labor pool truly is going to be the norm, it’s just another step away from the personal connection so many people and companies profess to consider important. The whole employer/employee loyalty issue is one of some debate and is quickly migrating away from what could be considered “cultural norms” in the US; the new norm going to be a complete disassociation of interpersonal connection from the act of “business”? If so, companies are going to need to account for this in operating expenses, time-to-market, and unit costs, because turnover, even in bad times, will force the cost of doing business up. Not every company or person is like this, of course, but the trend is disturbing, based on what I’ve seen personally and heard from other job seekers.

3. Why is it that employers will (in many cases, rightfully) ignore applications that show no indication of appropriateness or even having looked to see what the target company does, but various companies/recruiters will do exactly the same thing when grabbing publicly available resumés on job search sites in order to send out solicitations? “Hey! You’re looking for work! Come sell stuff for me!” I’m not going to name names, but really, is it too much to ask for something more than a form letter and a “you could earn big money if you join my team!” pitch? If you want me to do something that is clearly outside the scope of the work I have listed on the resumé that apparently was so attractive to you for you to email me, at least give me a clue that you really do want me on your team and not just whoever is in the 1% respondents of the hundreds of email messages you probably sent out?

I’m sure some positive thoughts will come along too, because I’ve already had a couple of positive interactions (though nothing that’s resulted in work, of course). I’ll need to ponder how to present those, and other thoughts in another installment.

Until then, it’s back to the salted mimes.

The time at Bright Systems has been great experience. As things change, though, so must priorities and positions. What comes next? Unknown, but every job brings new learning, new skills, and new perspectives.

So, something I don’t get… (well, there are many things I don’t get, but here is one in particular): companies who are on Twitter and want people to follow them, but seemingly aren’t willing to put in the work to filter replies and keep following their followers.

I can see both sides of it, but it just seems flat rude to me that if I follow Company X (no names here because it’s happened multiple times recently), yes, I follow them, they follow me just long enough to DM me and tell me to go to their website or Facebook page, or email them or whatever, then unfollow me.

I know there are “rules” out there that encourage companies to engage with their followers, but this action seems callous to me. Follow me or don’t, that’s fine. But following me just long enough to spam me and then run away?

Do I not get the accepted rules of this game? Am I simply keeping too high a set of expectations of interaction? Are these companies clueless?

I don’t really know. One thing I DO know though is that on my sites (look under “About” if you don’t know what they are), if I follow you, I’ll follow you for a while. Now, I may unfollow for many reasons but it’s not going to be immediately after I send you a “thanks for following” message.

The “I’ll tell you thank you, but I don’t really care about anything else you might have to say (even a reply via DM)” smacks of arrogance and cluelessness.

But maybe that’s just me.

Following up from the previous entry about Think Different Posters, here are photos of one copy of each of the posters I have and am willing to sell from the collection.

Serious inquiries only, please. If you want to discuss variations in price, that’s expected. If you’re looking to spend $75 and get a complete series and will send me hate mail because I don’t deem that serious, don’t even waste your time. Go to eBay and take your chances. There are real posters out there but there also seems to be a cottage industry in fakes. Have fun and good luck.

Spam cans not included. Prices do not include shipping, packing, or insurance.

Finally, posters are 24″ x 36″ (or 36″ x 24″), original (I still have them in the original Starting Line shipping tubes), and all prices are subject to change. If you’re interested, contact me.

(Apologies – Series 4 was briefly listed at 17,500… now corrected to 1,750.)

For those who have been subjected to this before, yes, I still have some to go. If you don’t know already, then step right up! Now’s your chance to get your hands on some spiffy original, in-the-original-shipping-tube, 24″ x 36″ (or 36″ x 24″ for landscape, or if you’re just inclined 90 degrees) Apple Think Different posters. These were purchased directly from Apple Starting Line so long ago. One owner. Low mileage (it’s all on the current owner).

Today is series #4: Sinatra, Feynman, Robinson, Chavez

Find some of these at Missing Byte at $400 and up individually (if you can find them at all; MB currently only has Chavez from this set listed).

I’m asking $900 (+shipping and insurance) for the set, offered until the 15-March or it sells, whichever comes first. Contact me directly for payment and shipping information, or any questions.

Spam not included.

No surprise that AT&T is weaseling as much as possible regarding network infrastructure expenditures and so forth, but what if it’s even worse? What if AT&T really is making all the infrastructure improvements they say, but those improvements simply aren’t “turned on” yet?

The “whatever Apple is going to announce” is going to add a non-trivial data load to any network its on. It is (speculatively) almost assuredly going to be part of the iPhone ecosystem, not the Mac OS X ecosystem, which means that all the data use you see in the iPhone world is highly likely (as in imminent, unlike the apparent British use of ‘highly likely’) to spill over. More devices, more data usage.

However, I wouldn’t put it past a company with the Death Star as a logo to build out for the future while letting the present suffer.

It’s been a bonanza week for learning various things about WordPress and actually, just how robust my own previous publishing system was. If you want to see the older system still in action (not all the content will be moved), click the “Old Site” link in the toolbar. (And see the “about” pages for more information about how we’ve come to this point.)

Hang on for the ride!