On the road again
Just can’t wait to get on the road again
The life I love is makin’ music with my friends
And I can’t wait to get on the road again
On the road again
Goin’ places that I’ve never been
Seein’ things that I may never see again,
And I can’t wait to get on the road again.
[Lyrics for On the Road Again by Willie Nelson]

(You’re welcome Lisa … )

As I mentioned on Tuesday, I had an interview in Bismarck today. I think it went pretty well. I left with a good feeling … as good as I can at this point … LOL. They told me they’d get back to me by the end of the day tomorrow or by Monday. That’s quicker than I thought they would.

I REALLY have some serious thinking to do. Do I really want to move to Bismarck? Do I want to stay here in Fargo? Choices, choices. I think my best bet is to start with a pros/cons list. Of course, if I don’t have a job here in Fargo … why stay? But I haven’t heard back from the 2 companies I interviewed with yet. Hopefully I’ll hear from the one by the end of the day tomorrow. It’ll still be almost another week before I hear from the other.

At this point … I don’t know. I need that pros/cons list. That will help. At least I hope it will …

Mood: stressed

Looks like I’ll be going to Bismarck later this week. I had sent my resume to a company there who is currently hiring. They called this morning while I was at the Job Fair. I had my phone on ‘manner mode’, so I didn’t know they called ’til I was on my way home and looked at my phone and saw I had a voice mail. I just called them back a little after 1pm. They wanted to schedule an interview. That’s good. But that means I have to go to Bismarck. I gotta figure out how long it takes to get there. I haven’t been there in quite some time.

He just called me back. I have an interview Thursday at 1pm. I hope I can find the place. He gave me directions. I’ll probably get a Google map and a MapQuest map just to be safe.

Yeah … I DO want to stay in Fargo. But if this is a good opportunity for me, I WILL move. Yeah, the thought is scary, but so is not working … LOL. Who knows … maybe moving to Bismarck is what I need. And it’s not like it’s THAT far away. I can still come and visit Robin … she does have a house now … LOL.

I’d better start preparing NOW. I have a couple resumes I need to send to a couple places from the Job Fair too.

Mood: cold

I tried something this afternoon on my job search that I’ve never tried before … “cold-calling”. I don’t like talking on the phone as it is. And to call up companies to see if they have any openings.

I called 4 companies in Fargo and 3 in Bismarck. I didn’t get an answer at 2 of them, so I need to call them back. A third … the number I had (that I had gotten from their website) wasn’t right … or at least I don’t think it was. It was a voice mail where the message said “This is Pete’s phone”. Needless to say … I did NOT leave a message.

On company said they didn’t have any openings, but that I could send a resumé so they would have it on file for future opportunities. Another was looking for someone with experience with Visual Basic or C# … and I don’t have that. I left a message for another, and they did call me back. They DO have an opening, but they’re looking for someone with more graphic design experience. I don’t really have much of that, unfortunately. HOWEVER, he did tell me to send him my resume. So I did. I guess I’ll just have to wait and see about that one.

I mentioned that there is a position open in Bismarck. I think I’m going to send them my resume on Monday. Who knows? Maybe it would be the best place for me and me the best fit for them. Bismarck isn’t THAT far away. But still … I DO want to stay here in Fargo. But I gotta do what I gotta do.

Well … I’ve been unemployed for basically a week. I had my second interview this morning. My first interview was yesterday.

My first interview went better than my second. When I left my first interview, I felt okay. Like I had a shot at getting the job … or at least to the next round. When I left my second interview … I felt like crap. The first interview was more informal while the second was more formal.

I don’t know what to think anymore. At first, I was more upbeat. Now, I’m not so sure. Maybe it’s just a reaction to how I felt leaving the interview.

There aren’t a whole lot of other opportunities here in Fargo. I think I’m going to have to expand my search. I do know of one position in Bismarck. That’s still in ND. I think I’m going to have to look around more out there.

I really want to stay around here. My family is here. My friends (what few I have) are here. I want to be HERE. But I’m not sure if that’s going to be possible. It all depends on what I hear from these 2 interviews. I should hear from the first by mid-week next week. It could be up to 2 weeks before I hear from the second. I did apply for another position here in Fargo, but I have yet to hear back.

At this point … I just don’t know …

Mood: indescribable

I told you yesterday that I have an interview on Thursday. Well, I have another interview TOMORROW!! Yikes. So much for having an extra day to prepare. Now I have to psych myself up tonite.

I also got a call from one of the local recruiting agencies. He had found my resume on the JSND website. I did work with this company 2 and a half years ago (or so), but they didn’t really have any web developer/programmer/designer positions back then. Maybe there are more companies looking this time around. He said he would get in touch with me if he found anything that would fit my skill set.

I guess I have more opportunities here if Fargo than I had thought. But … I’m not going to get my hopes too high yet. I am hopeful. And I know I can do the work (I have for the past 2 years). But I still have that little ‘lack of confidence’ issue that I need to get over. And I need to get over that FAST. LOL I need to really sell myself on these interviews. Who knows … maybe this whole unfortunate situation will turn out to be better for me in the long run.

All I do know is that I need to *try* to stay positive about this whole thing. If I think positive then postive things will happen. Won’t they?

Mood: hopeful

I just got a phone call a couple minutes ago. It was from one of the companies I sent my resume to on Saturday. They wanted to schedule an interview for later in the week. So … I have a job interview this Thursday morning. I’m not gonna let myself get my hopes up, but things are at least starting off better now than they did 2 and a half years ago. As I said in my last review … I KNOW that I need to have more confidence in myself. I’d better find that before Thursday … LOL.

Mood: hopeful

As I mentioned in this post, I am currently looking for a job.

Since Thursday afternoon, I have been working on updating my resume, tweaking it, and updating my resume website. I have that website completed and online now. Previously, you needed to have a username/password to access it. I’ve change that so that anyone can access it. It makes it easier when I send a link to a prospective employer. I just don’t have any personal contact information on the site or list my references. I do have a contact form on the site so prospective employers who run across the site can contact me if they’re interested in talking to me.

All that being said … if you know of anyone looking to hire a web programmer/developer/designer, can you point them towards my resume? I’d hold you forever in my debt (especially if something worked out). I would like to stay here in Fargo, but if the right opportunity came along, I WOULD be willing to relocate.

My online resume and portfolio

Thanks in advance for any leads anyone might pass along.

I’m using this post to store some links that I think will be helpful in my job search. I’ll be adding to it as I find links. It’s more for me than you, but if you find it useful, good. As long as you don’t use it to take a job that I apply for … LOL.

The Secret Art of Writing Highly Effective Killer Resumes for Tech Jobs
Articles for Resume Writing, Job Searching, and Career Management

Mood: working