Presence

I've got so many things I've been meaning to blog, and no time. I started a new job last week, and, as opposed to my old job, I actually have things to do. This cuts into what used to be quality blogging time.

The job search experience this time around was better than last time (about a year ago). The market is still very tight, although there seem to be more open positions than last year, especially for web/Java positions. For certain experience-level demographics, things are tough. It is nearly impossible to find entry-level work; positions are few and far between, an if you have no internship experience, you don't stand a chance. In addition, companies seem to be avoiding the mid-range (just below senior-level) positions, which I fall into. Rather than hiring someone with between 5 and 7 years of experience, companies are looking for more than 7, or between 3 and 4. I'm guessing this is based on cost; you can get less expensive, quality work from engineers that have less experience, or you can shell out for a senior level engineer. Those in the middle (such as myself), often want more than they can justify based solely on years of experience. The result: I applied for jobs that required more experience than I had (which usually wasn't a problem for me), or wrangled for higher salary for mid-level positions. In the end, things worked out fine.

One thing that has changed a bit, but not much, is he cheapness factor; companies are still asking early on in the interviewing process for your salary requirements. Perhaps I'm spoiled, but it wasn't like this back in 2000 when I last looked for a job. Back then, salary was always the last thing discussed, and usually it wasn't an issue; companies made offers that you had no problems with. This time, many employers asked me straight out, over the phone, my salary requirements; a few lost interest with this information alone. This means there are still plenty of applicants for each job; companies are willing to wait to find that one person who's been out of work for a year and is willing to take less money.

For the Baltimore area, the golden ticket remains the security clearance. Get one, and you are set; lots of companies paying good money. Those without are shut out of around 50-60% of the job listings. I'm without one, so no soup for me. What is left are mostly non-security government contracts and financial companies. There's precious few technology companies in Baltimore; consulting and IT make up the bulk of the work. This only makes it harder for the entry level applicant; consulting jobs are usually filled with experienced professionals. It's very important to consider the benefits offered when talking to these IT and consulting companies. The big companies have lots of jobs for gigantic government contracts; they get these contracts by minimizing overhead, which means paying for as little of the employees benefits as possible. My last job was with one of the largest defense contractors in the world, and if I took their health insurance benefits, I would have been out $850 a month! Benefits affect the bottom line much more than you'd realize. If you talk to a big company, make sure the salary compensates for expenses they are too cheap to pay for.

I actually had my first positive experience with a recruiter. Mostly, these people are evil, but I met one that was very helpful and passed along good jobs (as opposed to interviewing me, and then calling me to ask if I know anyone who might be good for jobs I don't qualify for). I didn't end up getting placed through them, but the overall experience was positive. I guess there is a first time for everything.

That is about it. I ended up finding a good job that I am happy with. Hopefully, I'll have some free lunch time to blog (although I am right down the street from the JCC...)