No jobs yet for our three pink-slippers, but here are a couple of updates, first one from Roopa:

Re the job front, no major updates or job offers yet!!

I am still keeping my ears and eyes open, but no major opportunities identified yet!!

I started my Open UNiversity Classes at Santa Clara Univ 2 weeks back. This course is technically very challenging and I am boggled down with weekly assignments etc.

The pace is so hectic, but i like it so far !!!

Regarding family front, 4 times a week, i bike to my son’s school which is 4 miles up and down to drop his lunch. I also spent some quality time with him and it is just so refreshing to me not to mention the amount of exercise my body is now getting which was a long overdue.

I immediatley follow my bike ride with a 1 mile walk to pick up my little one from his pre school.

2 Advantages :
1. I am getting tons of exercise and I am very happy about it. 2. I am going green and oh boy, that feels awesome

That’s it from me!!

And this just in from Kris….

As the job search continues for me, as well as countless others in the Valley, I decided to take a chance and jump over the hill to the “Access2Employment” Job Fair held at Cocoanut Grove in Santa Cruz. (Cocoanut Grove is the Grand Ballroom above the arcade at the Boardwalk) As a self proclaimed amusement park nerd, historical places like it are always a thrill to visit.

Unfortunately, the rest of the historical ‘walk was closed, so no rides for me today (I purchased a season pass before I was laid off) but there’s always the wharf for some fresh seafood lunch.

Fast forward a few hours of me sitting in the car listening to some satellite radio (the best investment I ever made in my car) and the doors finally swung open to the fair.

It was an interesting dichotomy of people at this event. Of course, being held in Santa Cruz, I shouldn’t have been so surprised, right? Dress ranged from the high end (Myself in full suit, tie and polished shoes) to the downright shocking (for a job fair) of cutoff jeans and ripped t-shirts.

What I didn’t find inside was a massive range of options or opportunities.

I did manage to touch base with the Santa Cruz Seaside Company (“Only casual part-time available right now”) It helped the conversation to throw out a few names that anyone with the company would know – in my case, it turns out I actually know quite a few people who worked for or are currently working for them.

In fact, most “employers” weren’t even advertising open positions. Rather, they were advertising the “possibility” of positions to come in the “near future.”

“What?!?”

Maybe I’m old fashioned…but if you’re at a “job fair” you should be exhibiting to hire, not to just be seen.

Also at the event was free resume “critiques.” About a minute in, I came to the following conclusion:

No one has the answer to get you a job. No one.

Every “expert” has a different idea, a different take – just like the people you’re trying to score interviews with. In my case, I took the advice of about 5 people, (three experts, one family member and a professor) combined them together and, “presto!” there’s my resume.

The “critique” shredded mine to pieces.

But, I took it in stride. There may be some valid points in there and they’ll certainly be factored in with all the others. Eventually, I’m hoping to have a bulletproof resume. As soon as you touch it, potential employers will simply extend an offer of employment, right then and there!

But not to end on a sour note –

The S. C. Seaside Company has by far, the best business cards in the industry – bar none. Hopefully I’ll finally get some of my own soon, too.
Kris R.

— On Tue, 10/6/09, May, Pat wrote:

> From: May, Pat
> Subject: greetings
> To: “Kristopher Rowberry” , “Elise Sandusky”
> , “Roopa Iyer”
> Date: Tuesday, October 6, 2009, 9:42 AM
>
> Message
>
>
>
> Hi there,
> I’m
> just checking in to see how the job hunts are going? Any
> bites, nibbles? Let me
> know if there’s any new developments for each of you,
> and if so we can follow up
> on the phone.
> Take
> care,
> Pat
>

Pat May Pat May (156 Posts)

With more than 30 years on the front line of daily American journalism, I'm currently a staff writer with the San Jose Mercury News, covering Apple and writing people-centric business stories from Silicon Valley.