Nov
2009
Light Blogging - What's Been Going On
Posted in General
For a while there, I was in a groove. Not a Nadel or Camden-like groove, but I was posting frequently enough that I no longer felt pangs of guilt over my poor neglected blog. But it's been weeks since my latest entry. What's up?
As of October 23rd, I am no longer with Amcom. I enjoyed my time there, but their long-term goals were not in line with my long-term goals. After a series of discussions, we ended with an amicable parting of the ways.
The following Monday, I started a new job. A 3 month contract at Barclays Global Investors. The work is good, but I've gone from a 3 mile 10 minute drive to an hour+ commute into San Francisco. I really enjoy being in the city, but the close to 3 hour commute each day has significantly cut into what I laughingly refer to as my "spare time".
I expect that I should be getting used to the new schedule soon, and might be able to organize/tweak my routine to allow for whipping out a blog entry or two in the evenings each week. We'll call this entry the new beginning.
Next up, I'll be detailing another new endeavor... coming on as Co Editor-in-Chief of the Fusion Authority Quarterly Update magazine. Yes, I'm aware that you think it's dead/defunct/EOL. I can assure you that this is not the case.
Meanwhile, as mentioned above... the current job is a contract, scheduled to go through the end of the year. If you are looking to bring on a ColdFusion developer with 13 years of experience sometime in early 2010, or know of somebody who might be, please drop me a line.
Comments
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Add Comment# Posted George D. on 11/18/09 12:27 AM
Long time no see Charlie - wondering what you were up to (still hitting them sushi spots?). Sad to see that you parted ways with your new employer after you left ESRI. The economy is tough out there right now, I myself was laid off 5 months ago from Kaiser Permanente (outsourced to IBM Global Services). A three month contract sounds a bit risky, nevertheless - keep plugging at it. It'll pick up eventually...
# Posted Charlie Griefer on 11/18/09 9:41 AM
Hey George!
Sorry to hear about Kaiser. I trust/hope you've found something since then. You're *way* too good at what you do to be unemployed for long, even in this economy.
The 3 month contract wasn't my first choice, but it was presented as "may be extended and could go perm". Not counting on anything though. Have leads on a few possibilities that I'm actively following up on.
Always up for sushi. Always :)
# Posted George D on 11/18/09 12:29 PM
Nope, haven't found anything yet. Some of the job postings are getting downright ridiculous with their "checklists". What ever happened to evaluating potential employees based on their ability to think and perform? Nevertheless, it is what it is :)
So how do you like the East Bay? My assumption is that it's not looking too good per your comment. I'm planning on leaving the Inland Empire and was looking up north. As you know, there aren't many companies in this area. Both Orange County, and the LA area adds an extra 3 hours (commute) to one's daily work schedule and is something i'm not willing to do.
# Posted Charlie Griefer on 11/18/09 12:44 PM
Agreed on job postings. I'm seeing a lot that say, "We want technologyX -and- technologyY -and- technologyZ -and- ..." ColdFusion positions are pretty hard to come by up here as well (employers... feel free to prove me wrong). CF, being somewhat of a niche technology, has a hard time competing with the more mainstream technologies (Java, Ruby, Python, etc) in a technology hub like SF.
The East Bay's a great place to live, though. The city's accessible, got Tahoe, Yosemite, Napa... all within easy reach.
We're on the easternmost edge of the east bay, which makes the commute into the city a bit longer. I don't hate it (the commute), it's just a good chunk of the day gone. Need to buy a 13" Macbook Pro so I can do some work during the commute. My 17" doesn't lend itself well to whipping it out on a crowded train :)
# Posted Sami Hoda on 11/18/09 1:27 PM
Still hiring in Pasadena... :)
# Posted Charlie Griefer on 11/18/09 1:50 PM
@Sami - I'd apply in a heartbeat if you were up here (or I were down there).
For the benefit of those who are closer that may be interested, http://www.bytestopshere.com/post.cfm/reminder-we-... (Sami - feel free to update if there's a newer entry)
# Posted Brian on 1/20/10 3:59 PM
Charlie - can you take public transport into the city? Drive to BART and ride in? If so, that will give you back over an hour each day for resting, reading, or if you have your laptop, blogging.
# Posted Charlie Griefer on 1/20/10 4:03 PM
@Brian - I had been taking BART. I'm out in San Ramon, so I pick up the BART at Dublin/Pleasanton. About 10-15 minutes to drive to the station. 5-10 minutes waiting on the train. 45 minute ride to the Embarcadero stop. Walking from BART to the office. It added up :)
That contract wrapped up early last week tho. Happy to report that my current contract allows telecommuting. This is not without its own challenges, which would probably make for a decent follow-up blog entry :)