Finally - A Blog Entry

I know...I have a blog and I don't update it. Thanks for writing me and reminding me. :( Honestly, I have not forgotten my blog. Sometimes, as the saying goes, life happens and one gets side tracked.

Portland, Oregon
I'm still living in Portland, Oregon. I'm currently staying with friends but should know in the next week or so whether or not I'll be moving again. I really do not want to move again but I need to go where the best opportunities are for me to further my career. God bless Lindsay and her fiance, Chris, for letting me stay with them. I'm very appreciative.

FTE vs. Consultant
I like consultant/project work and solving problems for customers. For the past few months, I've been torn as to whether I want to work for a company fulltime or only do contract work. Honestly, it's a tough call as both roles have pros and cons. The side of me that likes being a part of a team wants to work and grow with a company on a fulltime basis. The side of me that needs to be challenged seems to be a better fit for the consulting world.

Interviews - A two-way street
As I've been going through interviews with various companies the past few months, I've learned a lot about interviewing and interview styles. I've also learned that I'm interviewing the company as much as the company is interviewing me. I've heard this statement before but this is the first time in my life where I've had to actually apply it.

Other things I've learned...

1. Most companies do at least two phone screens and one in-person interview before making a decision.
2. The in-person interview, if it is for a full-time job, usually lasts between three to six hours. It is usually panel style or a series of one-on-one meetings with various interviewers from different departments. The long interviews are exhausting and draining but it is a great way to meet different team members.
3. Most interviews have been behavioral style interviews. I have no clue whether or not this is the best interviewing approach or not, but I do know that this process allows for the interviewee to share examples with the interviewer.
4. Not all interviewers read a candidate's resume. At first, this really bothered me. I thought if a candidate is scheduled to be interviewed that the interviewer might take some time to prepare. But, lik I said above, life happens. In this case, work happens and people get side tracked. They forget that they have an interview scheduled, and before they know it, it's time to interview the candidate that they are not ready for.
5. Some interviewers read a candidate's reume line-by-line, take extensive notes and come prepared with questions.
6. Most interviewers are not professional interviewers and have little experience conducting interviews.
7. Smile

Ohio State in the NCAA Tournament

The Ohio State baseball team won the Big Ten Tournament on May 27 in Ann Arbor, Mich. to advance to the NCAA tournament. One of my favorite people is Bob Todd, the Buckeyes head coach. This is Ohio State's eighth Big Ten Tournament title under Coach Todd.

The Buckeyes are playing in the NCAA College Station Regional. Ohio State will take on No. 1 seed and host Texas A&M at 2 p.m. ET Sunday in an elimination game. The Buckeyes defeated Le Moyne, 6-5, in 10 innings Saturday afternoon. The winner will advance to the championship game at 8 p.m. ET Sunday against Louisiana-Lafayette.

Gratitude Journal

1. Mt. Hood
2. Safety
3. Common sense
4. Ohio State
5. The 'nets