A while back, as most of you know, my company Proxito went under. We’d given it our best go but could no longer continue to operate, so we closed shop. At the time, nearly everybody I talked to expressed that I should have no problem finding suitable employment. They also cautioned me to not take steps backwards in terms of what kind of job I was looking for – citing that I now have valuable experience that I should not let go to waste. That much, at least, I agree with.That creates an interesting problem for me: I have valuable experience and would absolutely hate an entry or mid-level position – mostly because I would like to see my career go forward – not backwards. Unfortunately, senior level positions that I am qualified for (i.e. not software engineering. While I have managed software engineers I am not one myself, and never will be) are few and far between.
Most of the postings I’ve found on the usual job boards (monster, dice, careerbuilder) require either a masters or 10-15 years of experience. I have neither, but I DO have two years experience RUNNING COMPANIES. That’s probably a lot more useful and valuable to an employer than someone with 10 years of low to mid level experience. They don’t generally agree.
In general, I hate applying for jobs through sites like those. I don’t know what to expect from the company, and they don’t know what to expect from me. I usually prefer to find openings or opportunities through my network of contacts in the tech industry, but also in the Indianapolis business community. While I’ve had several leads produced this way, only one of them panned out to anything more than just a lead.
That one, with a company I will refrain from naming, started with a phone interview with the COO. From there he asked me to come in the following week and meet with him and two IT guys they currently had on board. Ostensibly they were interested in me because of my background in security, an area they are sorely lacking. It seemed like it would be an incredible opportunity – I could advance my career forward and would be working in an environment where I was challenged, something that brings out the best in me. I also fully supported their goals as a company and feel their services are long overdue and very much needed. In short – it was a dream come true. After the interview was over, the COO told me they’d be in touch shortly, probably by that wednesday. I didn’t hear a thing from them. Until yesterday.
A call yesterday morning from the COO indicated that while they like me and would really like having me on board, they just can’t justify spending the money on security when they don’t need to yet.
This bothered me for two reasons: First – they contacted ME. Yes a mutual contact of ours told them they should look at me, but that doesn’t mean they have to go as far as an interview if they don’t really need someone in the position I’d fill. Second – they DO need someone in a security position, desperately, but they don’t realize it. I tried to communicate that to them, via email, yesterday afternoon. There wasn’t much I could say, though, beyond recommending that they think carefully about their security concerns before assuming they don’t need someone. It was, to be sure, a rather sad day for me though. While there are a few other opportunities I am pursuing, none of them hold the allure this position would have. I suppose it’s possible this company would change their mind ( the COO did respond that he appreciated the nudging, and that it hadn’t gone unnoticed) but I honestly doubt it. So now I’m back to square one – thus far my contacts and networking have almost completely failed me. A few have come through – and I appreciate their efforts immensely, I just wish it had borne more fruit.
s’ok buddy, the harvest will come for you yet!