* * * * *
There were nearly no IT-type jobs; then again, there wasn't a large number of
jobs to begin with
I was not in the best of moods. I had gotten up way too early, driven about
an hour south only to face a large teeming crowd and a convention center that
was a designated Pepsi Zone (ptuey!). And I wasn't relishing waiting in the
infinite line for the résumé workshop.
Spring [1] had suggested that Wlofie [2] and I attend the Jobing.com [3]
Career Expo [4] at the Broward County Convention Center [5]. As we drove into
Port Everglades [6], a person standing outside the gates informed us drivers
to get our IDs ready. I asked, rhetorically, what exactly is the purpose of
showing ID?
“Security theater,” said Wlofie.
Pretty much what I thought.
Anyway, by the time we got up to the gate, the guard inside just waved us
through without bothering to ask us for our IDs.
So much for securing our ports through security theater.
Registration was a simple process, since we had pre-registered online and had
our [DELETED-boarding-DELETED] entry pass ready. We exchanged the entry pass
for a three page glossy brochure that doubled as our ticket into the expo. It
was at this point that I went off in search of caffeine. I approached one of
the food stalls outside the main exhibit hall.
“I'd like a Coke please,” I said.
“No Coke! Pepsi!”
“Excuse me?”
“No Coke! Pepsi! End of line with you! Next!”
Well then. The food stall was near the résumé workshop, and the line ran down
the front hallway.
“Let's walk around the exhibit hall,” I said. “I can't believe I got out of
bed for this.”
[A vast expanse of nothing—I wonder if this is a comment on the state of the
economy at this point in time?] [7] [8][But there are exhibitors here,
although the booths were very plain 10′×10′ blocks with a fold-out table.]
[9] [10]I was … underwhelmed … with the exhibit hall. The exhibit booths, a
bunch of 10′×10′ areas demarcated by cloth curtains, covered an area perhaps
150′×100′. This isn't necessarily that bad, except the exhibit hall itself
was 274′×237′, leaving quite a bit of floor space exposed. It made for a
rather sad looking job expo.
We wandered about the place for perhaps an hour. Highlights:
* No one was staffing the US (United States) Customs and Border Patrol [11]
booth, which I found funny because the Broward County Convention Center is
at Port Everglades, a port. I guess everyone was busy inspecting containers
or something.
* The Jobing.com [12] people, easily identifiable due to the uniforms, were
walking around the expo with Secret Service [13]-esque ear pieces and
talking into their collars.
* A woman perhaps in her late 40s/early 50s, milling about the US Army [14]
booth, was determined to ask if she could join up.
[It was a good cheeseburger.] [15] [16]By this time, I was getting hungry so
we headed off to the concession stand at the back of the hall.
“May I help you?”
“Yes, I'll take the cheeseburger and chips, with a Coke,” I said. Hey, it
couldn't hurt to ask.
“I'm sorry, but we only have Pepsi.”
“Oh. Iced tea then.”
“I'm sorry, but we're out of that.”
Aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaah!
$10 for a cheeseburger (sans tomato and onion mind you), a bag of chips and
bottled water.
After lunch, we spent nearly two hours in line for the résumé workshop, and
while I can't say it was worth the wait, I did get some valuable feedback on
my résumé. The woman looking it over was a bit overwhelmed with it actually.
She said that with my current employment history and skill set, I should drop
the dates, work on my “Objectives” paragraph (it currently reads “To obtain
an exciting job in the fast-pased Computer Industry utilizing my unique
skillsets.” When I wrote that, I had no idea what to write; my intention was
to change that at some later point but I never got around to it) and add a
section on my core strengths (and that doesn't include C programming and Unix
administration, but more like “smart,” “tenacity,” etc).
She also suggested, after looking over the long list of systems I've worked
on, that I should brand myself and include a “tag line,” something like “I
don't do Windows.”
Interesting idea.
After that, it was time to leave, and thankfully, I was able to utilize the
HOV (High Occupancy Vehicle) lane on I-95 on the way back to Casa New Jersey,
as it was the height of rush hour traffic.
[1]
http://www.springdew.com/
[2]
http://wlofie.dyndns.org/
[3]
http://jobing.com/
[4]
http://broward.jobing.com/tag/career%20expo
[5]
http://www.ftlauderdalecc.com/
[6]
http://www.porteverglades.org/
[7]
gopher://gopher.conman.org/IPhlog:2008/08/05/thumb.left.jpg
[8]
gopher://gopher.conman.org/IPhlog:2008/08/05/left.jpg
[9]
gopher://gopher.conman.org/IPhlog:2008/08/05/right.jpg
[10]
gopher://gopher.conman.org/IPhlog:2008/08/05/right.jpg
[11]
http://www.cbp.gov/
[12]
http://www.jobing.com/
[13]
http://www.ustreas.gov/usss/index.shtml
[14]
http://www.army.mil/
[15]
gopher://gopher.conman.org/IPhlog:2008/08/05/thumb.lunch.jpg
[16]
gopher://gopher.conman.org/IPhlog:2008/08/05/lunch.jpg
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