Rory Cullen, Kaizen Software Developer

It was another decent week for WillWorkForFree.  I am keeping my numbers steady at about 100 views per week, topping 450 total over the weekend.  Monday proves to be the most popular day to view posts so far, so I need to make sure I get them out there Sunday night!  Twitter followers have crept up to 14.  Nothing to brag about, but it’s going in the right direction anyway.  I don’t really tweet much aside from the announcement of new posts anyway, but perhaps I should?  I guess Susan Boyle type of explosive growth is not happening, but at least my friends and contacts seem to be checking things out on occasion.

As mentioned previously, I had ordered new business cards specifically for this effort.  They came in, and look pretty good.  One thousand cards is a lot, but not bad for under $30.  I am still torn about using them as my primary cards, but I am hoping they will help bring more attention to the blog and my search.  I started using them last week, and managed to give out a lot of them.  I attended three networking events, and was able to get the card in a lot of hands.  I also dropped one off with my keys when I brought my car in for servicing last week.  That’s probably the weirdest handoff yet, but kudos to my brother for this advice:  “Give cards away like candy.”  He suggested putting them in every piece of outbound mail, and basically to drop them on everyone you meet.  Good advice, I am trying to do that.  Of course, I send about 12 letters per year, so that might not help, but certainly getting them out there can’t hurt.

How are my two cards different?  My “normal” card emphasizes my skills, includes a picture, and is Java-focused, without being exclusionary.  It also includes a mini-résumé on the back.  I like having the picture because I really think it makes my card memorable, and the mini-résumé reminds them what I can do.  If nothing more, they at least have the picture to remind them who I am.  The new cards are very specific, aimed at landing a Java internship role.  There is no picture, because I had to choose between using an image for my Java Certification, or a picture.  I did get the cards to support this whole effort, but I do worry that they are too specific.  That said, this blog is linked to my name in Google already, so it’s out there regardless!  I guess this might go back to my previous post on privacy, we all have to make decisions about our public profile.

I also applied for a few jobs last week, and have stumbled on a really irritating résumé submission system.  Ok, not the first time, but basically, any website that does not allow you to include any type of cover letter is the pits.  It just seems like they are missing a key differentiator there, and it is hard to feel like you have submitted your full persona.  Just sending in a résumé seems a little too much like a waste of time sometimes.  I’m sure my fellow job seekers would agree.  That said, if they don’t look at the cover letter anyway, maybe this is for the best?

Big plans for this week, hopefully I have more positive news to report on soon enough.

Thoughts on having two cards?  Want to see pictures for a comparison?  Bored by this post?  Want to help me find a job just so you can stop reading?  Comment below!