Still looking for a job

Sometimes I wonder if I shouldn't just give it up and apply for well fare.

I was contacted by a company and went through two telephone interviews - one with HR, one with the relevant manager. Then they brought me in for four face-to-face interviews - HR again and three managers. But did I get the job? Nooooooooooooo. According to the email I received (almost a week later than they told me I would hear and after contacting them), I was an excellent candidate, but they hired some one with some unique skills (translation - younger than me).

The supervisor for the college computer lab contacted me to see if I wanted to work there for the summer (no students available for the work). So that's what I'll be doing for 12 weeks. Not a lot of money, but the basic bills starting in June will be covered.

The worst part of all this is that my lack of income means I'm losing my house. I'm trying to see if I can stave it off long enough to try and sell the house myself, but it's not looking good. See my first sentence.

Wouldn't this be a GREAT job?

Still on the job hunt and still checking the various job boards. This morning's search hasn't been particularly productive, but HotJobs has the following listing. This is a job that I would absolutely love to have, but there is no way in the world I can even pretend to be qualified. Although it's pretty scary that I know what the ad is talking about. LOL

So here's the ad. Doesn't this sound like way too much fun?

Computational Research Scientist (Biomedical)
Company Name: Delta Search Labs, Inc.
Job Category: Pharmaceutical/Biotech; Technology
Location: Cambridge, MA
Position Type: Full-Time, Employee
Salary: Unspecified
Experience: 2-5 Years Experience
Desired Education Level: PhD
Date Posted: April 10, 2007

Solutions Labs (www.solutionslabs.com ) a Cambridge MA based R&D company, is recruiting one or two candidates with the following qualifications. Ph.D. or M.S. level researcher (M.S. absolutely must have several years relevant experience) with degree in Computer Science, Chemistry, Biophysics, Physics, Molecular Biology or Chemical Engineering wanted for bioinformatics, chemoinformatics, and chemometrics algorithm development. Will also consider exceptional candidates from Applied Mathematics, Statistics or related Engineering fields. Documented accomplishments in computational research and strong analytical, statistical, and numerical analysis skills required. Experience in spectroscopic data analysis (NMR is especially desirable) and mass spectrometry data analysis is prefered. We are seeking individuals whose primary background is computational and mathematical but who have experience analyzing experimental data and understand problems of preprocessing chemical data from various analytic methods. Desired background includes some of the following: pattern recognition, machine learning, multivariate statistics, numerical analysis, etc. Sufficient knowledge of biochemistry and molecular biology to interpret results of data analysis within a systems biology context (e.g. metabolic pathway analysis) would be a big plus. Experience with analysis and interpretation of Affymetrix microarray studies is also a big plus. Initial projects will be for both small molecule spectroscopic data pattern recognition (metabolomics) and DNA microarray analysis but might eventually expand to include mass spec proteomics. Position will involve both algorithm development and extensive programming. Programming may be done in Matlab and other scripting languages (e.g. Python). Position could involve collaboration with leading academic research groups. Ideal candidate will be creative with the desire and ability to help identify and aggressively pursue new opportunities in emerging fields. Strong written and verbal communication skills are a must. Prefer either US citizens, US permanent residents, or NAFTA TN applicants (but not an absolute requirement for exceptional candidates). Please send a cover letter and resume (pdf or doc file) to jobs@solutionslabs.com . Please use Research Scientist as the email subject

Monday's interview

If I haven't said so before, this was the second telephone interview with the company. It amuses me because I'm talking with people who are about 11 miles away. However, this is the way the company (corporate wide) does the process.

So I had the interview - lasted about 1/2 an hour. Since I had the phone on speaker, the erstwhile housemate heard the whole thing. I felt like I'd done badly, but he thought it went well. I guess it went good enough because a face-to-face interview will be scheduled this week. *crossing fingers*

Now if I could just figure out why the two people I've spoken with are both trying to point me away from the analyst position and towards a Six Sigma one.

Friday's interview

Went okay, but I felt a little like I'd been the object of a "bait and switch" ad campaign. In the first interview, HR decided to submit my resume for an analyst position. The interview was for a dead-end data entry position. I let them know that I have a second interview for an analyst position with another company and that I would get back to them after that.

So on to today's interview.

Woohoo!

After 10-1/2 months of pretty much no movement, I have not one but two interviews!

The first is tomorrow morning for a company I'd really like to work for and have been trying to get a job with for some time. The job is moderately interesting, but I don't know what the pay range is. Somehow asking over the telephone today didn't feel right.

The second interview is on Monday. It's actually a second interview of sorts since the initial contact turned into a telephone interview. I was doing some mental scrambling on that one. LOL. But I must have done fairly well since they got back to me two days later to schedule the "second" interview. At any rate, it's a really interesting job, the company initiated the contact with me which I think is a major plus, and the pay range is very nice.

So we'll see what happens. Given my current disastrous financial situation, I'm inclined to go for money.

The fastest turn down ever

I submitted an online application today, received confirmation of receipt at 12:05, received the "thanks but not thanks" email at 12:43.

I'm pretty sure now that I am totally unemployable so the cat and I are making a list of couches we can sleep on starting April 1st. Please let me know what dates are available at your house.

Is this a sign?

I got up this morning, drank a cup of coffee, and started combing through job ads in the local Sunday paper and on the online job boards. This is one of those royal pains. Since the biggest "city" in this area has a population of approximately 25,000, there are a limited number of jobs. I've found that if I search for all jobs for the past week and then look through them all, I have the best chance of finding something to apply for. Today's search netted 2 on-line applications, 1 that I have to mail, and a company that I'll send a resume to in the hopes that they have something. Considering that there were only about 3 dozen ads, this isn't too bad.

So why, you might ask, am I asking if this is a sign? Well when I sat down to search I put my crochet project and the very nice bamboo crochet hook from my sister on my lap. At some point I heard the hook fall on the floor. Okay, so all I have to do is pick it up. Right? Wrong. Apparently it fell into a mini-black hole because I can't find it.

Is this a sign? Will my resume fall into the HR equivalent of a black hole?

Headache inducing

Reading job ads and trying to figure out how to rewrite my resume for a specific job.

With all this job stuff I don't get to do the really fun things like go over to the MIT site and check out their Open Courseware. There are some really fun math courses there.