San Francisco Tech Law firm Opens office in LA

Thanks to SoCalTech, we have news that a San Francisco Tech Law Firm will be opening offices here in LA.  So for those of you who like the tech scene, but want the beach weather... there may be hope yet :)

"In a sign that the Los Angeles technology and startup world is starting to be taken more seriously by Silicon Valley, one of Silicon Valley's more prominent law firms has set up shop in Santa Monica. Cooley LLP said Tuesday that it has added four partners to a new, Los Angeles office, and also hired one of the most active and connected insiders in the region to head up business development efforts in Los Angeles."


You can read more about the article here: 

Different Log On Screens

So, the big thing with Pomodoros and working in Pomodoro blocks is staying focused on one particular type of task.  I keep track of the days I don't bring a computer and I make calls, and then the days I have a computer -- and the numbers are staggering.  I literally make half the calls if I have a computer in front of me.  It's not that I'm not working... it's just that I'm working ineffectively.

You've been there.  You respond to emails as they come.  You look up things you could do later.  Well, I'm trying out a new way if fixing that.  Because I need the computer at work -- and we're pushing more and more towards a paperless office -- and so I need the computer for that and my software.

So, different log on screens!  In my second logon screen.  Skype is not installed on the computer and I do not have any of my emails set up.  Could I check my google or my webmail in a pinch?  Sure.  But -- that's the point -- it's harder to do.

So it give it a whirl.  Make it harder for you to multi-task.

How Employable are you going to be.... when you leave?

Trying to decide what kind of job you want next, or which job you want can be a tough decision to make.  After all, there are so many factors -- location, people, perks on Friday (maybe they have free beer!) , this one lets me bring my pet to work.  I think one of the most important things you have to think about when considering a new opportunity is.... how employable are you going to be when you leave.

That's right, I'm telling you imagine the day you and your employeer decide that it's time to move on -- and the two of you go your separate ways.  On that day when you get laid off, or you quit, or (heaven forbid) you're fired.... what do you have to show for it?

If you're a designer, what will your portfolio look like after your time at the company?  If you're a software engineer, what kind of projects did you get to work on.... what kind of technology were you exposed to.

Think like a movie star.  On some level, movie stars are only as good as their last picture.  Well, you're only as good as your last job?  Will you survive if you take a lousy job.  Just like some movie stars can survive bad movies (Knight & Day????)  But, successive hits are a lot better.

For the World of Warcraft or Dungeons and Dragons fans... what kind of spells or magical items are you going to acquire after this mission or quest?  What level of a mage or warrior will you be after you've taken on the role of Software Engineer II at XYZ company?  Will you have a mobile project under your belt?  Will you have the opportunity to lead a team?


You want to work to LEARN, not just work to EARN.  If you're familiar with any of the Rich Dad, Poor Dad  books -- this concept will be repeated over and over.  Which is good -- because let's face it, gone are the days you'll work for one company and retire.  You have to be a little mercenary about your career choices.  


So, when you're looking at job choices... what's in it for you?   

Desperately Seeking... a Nemesis

I remember this story from a while back (http://www.nerdist.com/2008/07/sf-man-looking-for-nemesis/).  Chris Hardwick wrote about a guy who posted an ad on Craigslist asking for a Nemesis.  The post was funny, and a little silly.  But recently I've been missing the competitive nature of a big sales office.  We're a small firm, so you don't have that same spirit of competition with different teams or departments.  So... I have recently picked a Nemesis.  I'm not looking to completely destroy this person... but I definitely want to "beat" him/her.  Why not?  Everybody needs a reason to wake up in the morning :)

What about you?  Do you have a nemesis creatively?  Personally?  Professionally?

Resume Revamp - Workshop up at Jobvite

Today I'm up at Jobvite in the Bay Area talking to 75 people about revamping their resume and using social media to find their next job.  I'm speaking with my frequent partner in crime.... dun, dun, dun....!

Patrick Neeman (http://www.usabilitycounts.com/).

Patrick is a Director of User Experience at Jobvite (www.jobvite.com).  I struck up a friendship with Patrick when I tried to recruit him last year.  We hit it off and kept tabs on each other.  The first time we spoke was down at the UX Speakeasy earlier this year (http://www.uxsconf.com/)

And now we're back!

If you're in San Fran or want to know more about the vent, you can check it out here:
Jobvite UX Resume and Portfolio Bootcamp - Eventbrite

I'll post it on slideshare eventually.

Always Be Prepared - is your resume ready?

In my opinion, having a resume ready and up to date is like cleaning your house and your bathroom before going on a date.  Worst case scenario, the act of cleaning your house is a good habit and will put you in a good mental state.  Best case scenario, if the date goes well, you'll have an opportunity to show it off later that night!

Why is it that so many people wait until they're out of a job to update their resume?  If you want to get philosophical about it, I suppose it's because most people make reactive decisions rather than proactive ones.  We usually wait until the check engine light is on before we take it into the mechanic.... it's rare we just proactively take it into the mechanic. 

Having a resume ready and your linkedin profile nice and tidy is a proactive thing that you can do.  It's the equivalent of making your bed before a date.  That's just you being positive! 

Now that I've convinced you to get your resume ready you're probably thinking... where do I start?

1.  Tell a Story.  A resume is your story.  It's a little movie treatment of your career life.  Please make it interesting.  You're interesting.  I would wager that not every day in your work life was sunny and full of roses.  I'll bet there was more than one adverse situation or problem you had to use your wits to overcome... well, that's the stuff we want to hear!   I'm sure there are lots of stories about Luke Skywalker going to the bathroom or harvesting crops while his friends have gone to the academy.... but we like the one about him becoming a Jedi.  It's more interesting.  So.... tell us the interesting stuff. 

How do you tell a story?  With details.  
I have two friends who go out on dates a lot.  One of them describes the date as, "oh you know, blonde hair, blue eyes..."

I'm like, that's it!?!  That's like saying I have a car with four wheels that drives.

Then I have another friend, I ask him how the date was, he says, "oh she was great.  Remember Cameron Diaz?
"Yeah"
"From when she was in the Mask?"
"Yeah, yeah!  She came out in the dress and did the dance thing"
"Yeah, well she's got this brunette Cameron Diaz thing going.  She picked me up in her Convertible M5, and we went to Korean BBQ downtown.  It was all you can eat.  I ate this giant strips of meat and they kept bringing soju and beer and I got so drunk I was dancing with some old lady when "Play that Funky Music" came on.  Later we drove up the coast with the top down, wind in my hair, and danced on the beach."

Lots of details!

Resume writing is just good writing.  It's not a car, it's a Cadillac.  It's not Blue, it's Robin's Egg Blue. Okay, so some specific examples for resume writing... 

COMPANY

Give a quick synopsis of the company underneath the company name.  Don't assume that everyone knows what the company does.  So it should read something like this...
JOE BLOW SOFTWARE - SENIOR SOFTWARE ENGINEER  -   AUGUST 07 - PRESENT
Joe Blow Software is a Software-As-A-Service Company (SAAS) specializing in Insurance Software for Small To Medium Companies across the United States. 

Then what did you do there?

Recruited to join on-demand product.  Lead the conversion from classic ASP.NET 2.0 to ASP.NET 4.0, resulting in....
Brought in Agile concepts to my team by bringing articles and success stories of the process from other companies.  This resulted in....
Took junior programers out to lunch and stayed late to help them with their code, a sort of pair programming after hours.  This resulted in XYZ

You can talk about specifics of the projects, getting into tech buzzwords.  Throw it in there.    You see there are details about what you did, and the RESULTS! 

We'll talk more about different ways you can do this.  But, throw in a little personal style.  What is your story?  What makes you different?  What was your contribution to the company? 

Some food for thought!

What's not Working...

A co-worker comes up to me the other day and says, "what do you want for lunch?"  I think for a minute and then say, "I don't know... what do you want?"
"I don't want Mexican," he says.

 After much debate, we decide that Subway is the closest and although it's the tenth time we've had it that month, we go for it.  But the situation illustrates a very specific concept... people don't find it easy to say what they want.  Or perhaps, most people.... don't know what they want.

What's Not Working.
One of the most powerful tools in your interviewing tool belt is to elicit interaction from the other side.  An interview is like a date, there shouldn't be only one person talking.  As an interviewee  for a position, you could ask the hiring manager, "what are you looking for this position to do?"  And you'll get a general answer.  Probably something along the lines of, "we're looking for someone to work with the team, help us with our projects, blah blah." 

General questions beget general answers. 

Next time you're in an interview and you've gone through the question and answer period.  Get a sense of the job.  Ask a specific question.  Ask the hiring manager this.  "Talk to me about what's not working in your team right now, and how will your environment look after this position has been filled and working there for six months.  What is changed?"

This will get a better response.  You'll get something like, "well, we don't have enough help on the Database side of things.  So, ideally this person could come in and help us...."

You see?  Now that's an opportunity for you to talk about your relate able experience. 

Next time you're in an interview and you're not digging deep enough into situation, ask the hiring manager what's not working.  Next time you're talking with a stakeholder about a wire frame or a new mock up for a landing page... ask him what's not working about it.

People find it easier to talk about the negative things than the good things.

So give it a try, what's not working for you about that approach?