A week and a half into the impromptu summer sabbatical. A week and a half of meet'n'greets, phone screens and in person technical obstacle courses. A week and a half of polishing the sales pitch and building a 'brand'.
A few things I have learned -> prospects only call when you are in the midst of an interview with some form of C*O (CEO, CTO, CSO, etc.), be ready for the left field curves balls ('If your life could be made into a movie, what would it be called and who would play the lead'), glassdoor.com and the Robert Half Tech salary survey are invaluable, aptitude is important but attitude is key, and be ready for some interesting responses when you narrow the field and have to say, "Thank you but I am pursuing another opportunity." (maybe I am in the minority, but I don't do bidding wars).
That all said, it has been a great experience and I agree with the advice that even if you are happy in your current job, do an interview or two each year - the exposure to new processes and technologies alone is worth it, let alone the opportunity to expand your network of contacts.
Fast forward to now - Thursday morning at YVR with a plate of Chow Fun and Sesame Chicken (only in Vancouver can you get gwai-lo Chinese at 830 AM), and an informal offer in the inbox for an amazing opportunity where the job req had a list of candidate requirements a few pages long.
Two weeks of much needed paragliding in France comes into view on the horizon.
And ... Decompress.
A few things I have learned -> prospects only call when you are in the midst of an interview with some form of C*O (CEO, CTO, CSO, etc.), be ready for the left field curves balls ('If your life could be made into a movie, what would it be called and who would play the lead'), glassdoor.com and the Robert Half Tech salary survey are invaluable, aptitude is important but attitude is key, and be ready for some interesting responses when you narrow the field and have to say, "Thank you but I am pursuing another opportunity." (maybe I am in the minority, but I don't do bidding wars).
That all said, it has been a great experience and I agree with the advice that even if you are happy in your current job, do an interview or two each year - the exposure to new processes and technologies alone is worth it, let alone the opportunity to expand your network of contacts.
Fast forward to now - Thursday morning at YVR with a plate of Chow Fun and Sesame Chicken (only in Vancouver can you get gwai-lo Chinese at 830 AM), and an informal offer in the inbox for an amazing opportunity where the job req had a list of candidate requirements a few pages long.
Two weeks of much needed paragliding in France comes into view on the horizon.
And ... Decompress.
No comments:
Post a Comment