Ladies and Gents, given the slow rate of pay for my current work, the near certainty that it will not last til the summer, the tight local job market, my own lack of insurance, and that itch I have urging me to move along, I am again looking for work. I would greatly appreciate it if you can keep an ear/eye out for jobs that fit the following description and let me know if you find them. I am willing, but not eager to relocate. =)
I am trying to get a job with Uncle Dennis’s company because it’d be cool to work with family, and close to the extended family (whom I have felt somewhat estranged from). Intrafamilial politics being what they are (and I got quite an introduction to them this evening from Uncle Dennis) I may be the best qualified applicant they’ll ever see in Paducah, KY, and still get turned down.
Ideally, I would like to do programming work for a small company (5-50 employees, at least two other developers), on a relatively flexible schedule, such that I can pursue sideline educational interests simultaneously. Shared offices (not cubicles) are my ideal office layout. Ideal employers are socially progressive non- or not-for-profits and companies working on health care provision, social equity, mixed use/mixed income urban development, political advocacy for such, or non-military r&d
Top locational choices include Chicago, Portland, the Bay Area, Boston, Burlington VT. I’d-have-to-check-it-out-first locations include Austin, Seattle, NYC, Washington DC, Minneapolis, Toronto, Vancouver, and any other location outside the continental US. I am more likely to take part time / no benefits work than live or work in the suburban fringe. (five-or-fewer-mile bike rides from public transportation may be acceptable).
Job skills. Within computer fields, I’m more flexible than specialized. I can program quite well in a number of languages. I’m familiar with all but the most esoteric operating systems (and know how to set a keyboard to dvorak and back in most of them). I am a fairly competent systems administrator, capable of tech support, and quite capable of disassembling, upgrading and reassembling computer hardware, as well as occasionally inserting pennies and duct tape to assure optimal operation of laptops, etc. The “learning quickly” bit is also more than just a resume catch phrase. As of a year ago, I had forgotten nearly everything I’d known about matrix algebra and matlab (not much) and had never known much of anything about computer vision. A month or two later, though I was making useful contributions to the PODS project.
So, if you run across a job opportunity that seems to fit, leave a comment, send me an email (scu -at- club . cc . cmu . edu, sorry for the mangling, but I get enough spam as is), call me up, whatever. This isn’t urgent, but your support and cooperation is appreciated.
Toronto Job sites
Not sure how high Toronto ranks on your list, but I’ll keep an eye open for ya in Toronto. Maybe take a looksy at http://www.workopolis.com and http://toronto.craigslist.org
Good luck!
Re: Toronto Job sites
Thanks. Toronto actually ranks fairly highly. It made a very good impression while I was there. And I think it’s a pretty good match to my climactic desires. =)
Re: Toronto Job sites
Cool… keep me posted if you decide to make another visit! 🙂
any interest in nyc?
Well, manhattan scares me. A little too much going on. My perception of the rest of nyc is omnipresent concrete, and annoying transportation to get to where anything is happening (ie, manhattan).
That having been said, I’ve lived in northern california, and I have softened somewhat, perhaps it is time to go to new york to, uh, don’t take this the wrong way, but get hard. =) You know, like the song says?
hahah, no, i don’t know the song – but do explain 🙂
seriously!
you’re totally right about the transportation, and the freaky thing is that new yorkers think it’s not bad!
because it .. “runs 24 hours”
song: Everybody’s Free (To Wear Sunscreen)
It’s quite a little something or other. =)
Running 24 hours is a rare thing in such public transportation systems. Afaik, it’s basically chicago’s L, and nyc’s subway in the US. Not sure about other countries, perhaps the underground, and maybe tokyo? Regardless, definitely not something to knock. But, still…. =)
mm, well, note my quotation marks 🙂
having grown up in outer brooklyn and schooled in manhattan, i had an hour and change commute each way, each day.. if the trains were running. of course sometimes they’d stop running on my line and i’d have to walk and extra mile to get home – and they wouldn’t announce the service change until the last minute (i.e. right before the two lines split). and at night you’re lucky to get a train an hour.. this is for borough service – it’s much better inside manhattan… it truly astounds me..
the realization of just how bad the subway is hit me as i realized it’s faster – and barely costs more – to drive to and from work in rush hour traffic. and MUCH faster if there’s not rush hour traffic.
but still, (to offset my complaining) i couldn’t imagine being happy elsewhere – and i realize that’s a distinctly personal disposition 🙂
recommend checking out this song, do you?
Yeah, the cases where subways are the right economic thing to do (given subsidies directed at cars…) are few and far between. For manhattan, yes. For all of nyc, uh, no. =)
As for the song, well, I don’t know that I’ve actually heard it, I’ve just read the lyrics, and they’re pretty cool.