Several people agree with me about this one....

 

 

About a week ago, a headhunter called me about a possible position.  However, I was considered too rusty for them to refer to my former employer.  After chatting with a couple of people I realized that this was a bottom fishing headhunter who doesn't know technology that well.  

The headline for the ad read as follows:

Job Title: Mainframe Programmer
Location: New York, NY or Pittsburgh, PA
Duration: 12 months initial contract & high possibility of extension
Need to come in the office one day/week

Since I posted the email last week, I won't post the full text again.  The fellow that runs the shop is making decisions as if the mainframe is just another set of letters in the alphabet soup of computer jargon.  As such, one would want the freshest of skills in any person being presented to a prospective client.  However, no one is being trained for mainframes anymore, and several people say that many firms are desperate to temporarily hire retirees to get them to the point where their old systems can be retired.

Given that the headhunter and I have no written contract or obligation to work with each other, or to keep each other's secrets, I will probably contact people I know who might still work at the old place.  Who knows, I might just get lucky....

 

A quick post about being bored with a board

 

I knew when the day began that it was going to be a very long one.  And it was....

For no reason at all, I woke up a couple of times during the night and fell back to sleep. So, when the alarm woke me at 6 am, I worried that I would need more sleep to get through the day.  But I was amazed that I didn't pass out.

By the time 4:30 pm came, I was ready to fall to sleep.  I was a little depressed because the headhunter that contacted me wanted someone with more recent experience.  He has a problem - no one with mainframe experience is being developed in American schools.  Today's young programming types are studying the client-server technologies, as this will be their best shots of doing interesting work.  So, only old people like me, many of which are already retired, have the skills required by this headhunter's client - the bank I once worked for.  This means, that if I want a job, I'll have to contact people I know who still work at the bank.

Once in my car and on the way home, I called up the local taco joint to order tonight's dinner and tomorrow's lunch.  And when I got home, I stripped out of Marian's outfit and put on Mario's outfit, as I had a board meeting to attend.  Although I won't go into any details about what we discussed, the work of our former and current managing agents came up in our discussion.  And I can say that we had important comments about areas of improvement which could be made by our current managing agent.

Eventually, that meeting ended, and I called RQS.  I found it hard to believe that we were on the phone for over 3 hours.  Could you imagine how late we'd be talking if we were in the same place AND if I didn't have to go to work?

A headhunter reached out to me for a position that I am qualified for

 

This computer is a relic, and the same applies to me.  However, a headhunter approached me today to discuss a position using technology I'm familiar with at the bank I used to work for.  Of course, only a person familiar with the Bank's IT department would have a clue (from this email) about the organization and area for which a person is being recruited.

 
Greetings!!

Hope you’re doing well!
 
I came across your resume on the job board and wanted to share the below opportunity with you and see if this is something you would be interested in discussing.
Please reply back with a copy of your UPDATED RESUME in word format if this is of interest to you and feel free to call me at xxx-yyy-zzzz or let me know a good number and best time to call you back.
Would welcome Referrals.

Job Title: Mainframe Programmer
Location: New York, NY or Pittsburgh, PA
Duration: 12 months initial contract & high possibility of extension
Need to come in the office one day/week
 
Key Skills: Hands-on Mainframe Programmer, COBOL, CICS, VSAM, DB2
 
In depth knowledge of IBM Mainframe z/OS environment with current hands on development, coding experience
Must have knowledge of programming languages COBOL, CICS
Experience with file systems VSAM
Strong knowledge of JCL/TSO/ISPF
Understanding of DB2 a plus
Should be able to run and analyze test jobs for various testing needs of QA/ UAT teams
Must have good communication skills, interaction with UAT and business teams
Will be supporting maintenance of critical applications in production, enhancements and new development projects
Experience with COBOL upgrade, reengineering and re-platforming of mainframe applications

The giveaway to me is the location of the position AND the technologies used.  My old application didn't use DB2, but had everything else in the alphabet soup contained in the above blurb.  So, I sent this headhunter my current resume, and a note mentioning that I've been retired for a while, but would be interested in getting back in the game for a while.  Mind you, I want to find out if it is the area from which I was laid off 8 years ago, as this would be the ultimate laugh for me.

Keep your fingers crossed....

An unexpected communication

 

Today, I had an unexpected communication from someone in my past.  I won't go into what was said, save that this person still hurts from the loss of a friend and is not in the mood to see if something can be recovered from the past.  It saddens me to have received this communication, as this person will always hold in the anger that eats its way out from the inside.

But enough of that....

What I originally planned to talk about was an acquaintance and a headhunter spam email that they received:

From Headhunter:

I wanted to bring this Lead Software Engineer opportunity with DTCC back to the top of your inbox. At DTCC, they recognize that their continued success is directly attributed to their talented team. Still not sure?

 

DTCC employees work at the center of the world’s financial markets, bringing both innovation and stability to the entire post-trade lifecycle. Their work environment favors openness and gives people the freedom to do their jobs well, by encouraging diverse opinions and emphasizing teamwork. When you join their team, you’ll have an opportunity to make meaningful contributions at a company that is recognized as a thought leader in both the financial services and technology industries.

 

A few awesome benefits you'll receive while working at DTCC:

• Competitive compensation, including base pay and annual incentive
• Comprehensive health and life insurance and well-being benefits, based on location
• Retirement benefits
• Paid Time Off and other leave of absence
• Flexible/Hybrid Work Arrangements
  

Let’s chat so I can tell you more about this ex-dynamic and diverse group of professionals!

My acquaintance, someone with brain cancer, posted this to their friends:

I'm currently dying of brain cancer.  How are  your work from grave policies?  Or work from afterlife?  Or, do your health benefits cover reincarnation? Leave of absence to be dead?

I'm glad that my acquaintance has a sense of gallows humor.  Maybe, this is why they have lasted longer than expected....