We told you up front that March was going to be a time of experimentation for us, and it was. Some experiments are wildly successful, and some wind up creating super villains that are bent on destroying humanity.
Well, we didn’t cure anything or stumble upon a limitless supply of energy…but we also haven’t seen any new figures wearing hooded cloaks floating around cackling about doomsday devices lately either, so I guess we can rule out either extreme and just go with “medium”.
So let’s take a look at March, and then start looking ahead to April and beyond…
Before I forget, you might want to check out the latest Networking 101 entry here: http://www.ITinTheD.com/1747/seven-strategy-questions-a-simple-approach-for-better-networking/ Now, on with the show…
We tried to do two events in the same month for the first time – one of our usual casual networking events at the BlackFinn on the 10th, and then our first foray into a “fun” event with a get together at the Hockeytown Cafe before a Red Wings game.
The BlackFinn event was…well, it was pretty much everything that’s to be expected at this point. People looking to expand their network, people looking for jobs, folks looking to hire…all of the usual suspects, and a good time was had by all.
Last week’s Hockeytown Cafe and Red Wings game event was…decent. Not “great”, not “bad”, but decent. Definitely some “lessons learned” from this though.
Lesson #1: Keep the group together. The ticket block sold out, which was great…but our seats were all over the place. Anything we do with future events like this will absolutely need to have an eye towards getting a suite, a private room, or something along those lines. I was really looking forward to talking smack with a few people that were there…but it’s hard to do that when you’re four sections apart. This was all thrown together pretty quickly though, so we’ll take our time planning anything like this again.
Lesson #2: Timing…is everything. HUGE lesson learned here. So, the block sold out…but the pre-game get together at Hockeytown Cafe was pretty sparsely attended. Why? Because people need time to get out of work, get downtown, park, maybe change clothes, etc., before showing up. And if you’re not going to get there until 6:15 to 6:30 anyway…why not just head straight to the game for the sake of convenience? Didn’t really think that through…but, in our defense I give you the usual standby of “we’re not event planners”. We do learn though, and so this will factor into future plans as well.
Lesson #3: Fun events…are fun. I needed that night, on so many different levels…and apparently so did some other folks as well. It was nice to have one of our events be “small” for a change. It was great to be able to chat with someone for five or ten minutes at a stretch without feeling guilty about keeping several others waiting. It was a blast to get out with some of the usual suspects and not have to worry about playing traffic cop all night or worrying about a registration table. I heard from quite a few of the folks that went that it was a nice change of pace for them as well, and just really helped keep things casual, light, and even with the Wings losing that night it was still a great time.
Moral of the story? We’ll definitely be doing more “fun” events moving forward…but we’ll do so with a little more forethought. We’ve kicked around events like hitting a Roller Derby night, or hooking up with Motor City Brew Tours to hop on a bus or two and live up to the full potential our tagline…there really aren’t any boundaries on what we’d like to see happen so, as always, if you have any thoughts, let us know.
For April we’ll be slowing down a little bit and just sticking with our Pink Slip Party on April 21st over at the Post Bar in Novi. For details, you can check out the event listing here on the site, or out on LinkedIn.
Since it’s a Pink Slip Party, and these events usually tend to bring out the new faces and first-time attendees at our events, make sure you check out our Event FAQs ahead of time. You may also want to take a look through our various blog entries covering Networking Basics, items specifically geared towards Job Seekers and those for Recruiters, and, of course – Don’t Be That Guy.
I guess a Pink Slip Party is a natural segue into jobs, so here’s a look at what’s out there currently:
Derek Strate – dstrate@absotechllc.com
Direct hire position for a strong PHP/MySQL developer in Ann Arbor, MI.
CONTACT: dstrate@absotechllc.com – Absotech LLC is seeking a strong PHP/MySQL developer with expertise working with front end technologies (HTML, XHTML, CSS and Javascript), demonstratable experience with Web Services, AJAX,…
Matt Migliaccio
Security Architect Position available in Metro Detroit!
Please contact me for more details at mattm@arrowstrategies.com
Kelleen Young
Are you a Mobile App Developer that wants to work in an enterprise wide environment? Email kyoung@epitecgroup.com we need you ASAP!
Hello, My name is Kelleen Young and I represent The Epitec Group, a top tier IT staffing firm located in Southfield, Michigan. My organization is always in need of qualified consultants with Mobile Application…
Jim DeMaar
Recruiting for a Senior Developer with experience in COBOL, VAX, DB2, CICS. Please contact me at jdemaar@galaxesolutions.com
Therese Iglesias
I am looking for an Application Support Analyst with experience supporting Business Users on applications across a broad range of…
Brad Burton
Seeking 2 Technical Recruiters for our Novi, MI office. Please contact Brad at burtonb@custom-it.com
Seeking two Technical Recruiters with 3+ years IT staffing specific experience including full life cycle recruiting – sourcing, screening, interviewing, reference checking and salary negotiation. Solid understanding of…
Mina Stanton
Application Developers needed!
We have multiple openings for application developers with experience extracting data from large relational databases. If anyone is interested in hearing about them please let me know mstanton@teksystems.com
Heather Gilbeau, CIR, CSSR, CDR
Senior Manager – Aviation MDM / DW Architecture http://bit.ly/9X2znf
I am currently recruiting for an individual to Manage the GE Aviation team of MDM, EAI, and DW Architects. Looking for individual with a deep history of EAI, ETL, informatica web methods and data movement. Must have hands on…
General Electric – Job details xjobs.brassring.com
IM Technical Lead Tax BPM http://bit.ly/ihRh3p
The IM Program Manager for Tax BPM will drive and be responsible for the operational excellence of the GE Energy HQ Tax Mosaic Environment including: Application, Database and Reporting architecture. This includes PegaRules…
General Electric – Job details xjobs.brassring.com
4 positions available for Senior Penetration Testers / Red Team http://bit.ly/eO6grN
The Senior Penetration Tester / Red Team is responsible for assessing and countering threats and vulnerabilities in internal GE information resources. In this role, you will work within the framework of established operating…
General Electric – Job details xjobs.brassring.com
Information Security Incident Handler http://bit.ly/gmdMdO
The Information Security Incident Handler is responsible for detecting and responding to critical digital security incidents affecting internal GE information resources. In this role, you will work within the framework of…
General Electric – Job details xjobs.brassring.com
Senior Level Manufacturing Database Architect http://bit.ly/eyUNwd
Recruiting a Manufacturing Database Architect specializing in Designing & Implementing SQL Server Databases within the Manufacturing Industry. Experience in data migration and retrieval techniques, designing SSIS and DTS…
General Electric – Job details xjobs.brassring.com
Robert J. Ray, CFP
PHP and JavaScript Developer(s) Needed:
Looking for a few great programmers! Karmagora is seeking top-notch PHP and JavaScript Developers with strong Computer Science fundamentals who are very comfortable developing high-quality web products that connect and add…
Karmagora Development karmagora.org
Jason P. Sullivan
System Architect 18+ Contract Troy, MI
Job Information jobs.genesis10.com
Lindsay Czerniak, MBA
Compuware is Hiring for its Mobile Development Team – Detroit, MI. All positions are full-time, salaried with benefits. Relocation is…
Founded in 1973, Compuware provides software, experts and best practices to ensure applications work well and deliver business value. Compuware solutions optimize end-to-end application performance across the Enterprise and…
Michelle Garretson
SAS Analyst – Contract to hire – Southfield, MI – mgarretson@vigt.com
Iphone/Ipad Freelancer in the metro detroit area – Troy, MI – mgarretson@vigt.com
Any Oracle Functional Business Analyst consultants out there w/r12 experience and willing to relocate to Ada, MI??? Direct Hire opp. -…
Long Term QA opportunity – must have exp. with Oracle & Selenium – mgarretson@vigt.com (Southfield, MI)
ETL Developer -long term contract pref. someone with ODI, if no ODI then other ETL tool experience and Oracle exp. Southfield, MI -…
Oracle DBA – Contract to hire Southfield, MI (GC/Citizens only please) must have large database exp. – mgarretson@vigt.com
ETL Developer needed ASAP pref. someone w/ODI – long term contract – Southfield, MI – mgarretson@vigt.com
Zenon Sandoval
Immediate attention! Designer with Catia V5 & Engine Packaging experience. Located in Auburn Hills, MI. Send resume…
Bryant Bureau bryantbureau.net
Well…that’ll about cover it for the moment. As always, details on these jobs and more are sitting in our LinkedIn group.
Until next time…
ITintheD.com
On the web: http://www.ITinTheD.org
On LinkedIn: http://www.linkedin.com/groups?home=&gid=91763
On Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/ITintheD
On Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/ITintheD