My main project has been searching for a full-time job. Lately, I’ve been spending a lot of time networking in Boston, going to events such as Web Inno, Refresh Boston, Drupal meetups, and the like, as well as doing informational interviews at firms like IDEO and Continuum. Recently, I had an informational interview with Greg Canavera at an innovative small consultancy called Sustainable Minds. I expected it to be a brief meeting, but it turned out to be the most enlightening three hours of my nearly six-month job search.
I spelled out for him that the jobs I am actively pursuing fall into three categories:
- Front-end Web Design and Development / User Interface Design
- Human Factors / Industrial Design
- Communications Director positions at non-profit organizations
In between checking in via his laptop on a project he was managing remotely, he spouted out ideas of 20-something companies to look into, laid out the life cycle of startups and pointed out what to watch out for, and gave me an unexpected portfolio review – slash – user test of my website.
One key takeaway: I’ve got to keep up my blog so that it’s apparent to the outside world what I’m actively working on and where my head is. To that end, expect to hear from me again soon.
Thanks for the kind words, and please “pay it forward” when you get the chance, no matter the arena you end up playing in (that’s my fee, did I tell you?). :)