Many centuries ago, in his funeral oration to the citizens of Athens, Pericles declared:
"What you leave behind is not what is engraved in stone monuments, but what is woven into the lives of others."
Wednesday, October 7, 2009
Monday, October 5, 2009
Being Part of Something Special
Looking for work is always a challenging, trying time, especially when nobody seems to be hiring. Lately I've had the fortune of being able to see the silver lining that comes with a long job search, and I'm able to really appreciate what's important in life. I've got plenty of food, a great family who loves me and supports me, good friends and fantastic health. So why be glum? There just isn't anything to be gained by being depressed.
More than anything, my continual emphasis on the positive has really motivated me to start thinking about what I'd really like to do with my life, and who I'd like to work for. More than anything else, I'd really like to be a part of a big family - one that works in harmony towards fulfilling the same corporate goals and achievements. It sounds a bit silly, but I keep thinking back to the analogy of Star Trek's Enterprise - a place where everyone works in harmony with one another, and where everyone is an expert at what they do. It is because of this seamless, selfless environment that the ship escapes out of precarious predicaments, driving ever onwards towards greater and greater discoveries.
I have really strong interests in the computer gaming and medical device industries. "Making the Liberal Arts Degree Pay Off," an article in The Key Reporter, Phi Beta Kappa's quarterly newsletter, offered some good advice by stating that in order to be successful, one should focus on the industries one wants to work in and study them in excruciating detail. Therefore, I'm really studying a lot about both, in hopes of someday being able to find a dream job. One such dream job would be to have a position at Blizzard Entertainment, in Irvine.
First, I have to thank the Orange County Register for broadcasting how great it is to work for Blizzard, arguably one of the most successful gaming studios in the world. Now that the word's out, finding a great job there just went from "insanely impossible" to "be sure to apply again during your next Earthly incarnation." I won't stop giving up though!
http://www.ocregister.com/articles/employees-blizzard-company-2373930-sams-work
I often ride my bike past Blizzard's large iron gates, pausing to stare at the campus' many buildings. Doing so makes me sympathise with the great literary hero Charlie Bucket, who often stared through the fence of the Wonka Factory, dreaming of what it's like to be one of the privileged few inside. To work for Blizzard, I'd practically give up everything. As long as I could mop the company's floors for minimum wage, I think I'd be euphorically happy. Sadly, my resume is that of a professional marketing specialist and copywriter, and I'm often overlooked for the company's small, important ground-floor positions such as customer service associate or quality assurance tester. If I could just get the opportunity to prove myself and work my way up to great things, it would be a dream come true.
More than anything, my continual emphasis on the positive has really motivated me to start thinking about what I'd really like to do with my life, and who I'd like to work for. More than anything else, I'd really like to be a part of a big family - one that works in harmony towards fulfilling the same corporate goals and achievements. It sounds a bit silly, but I keep thinking back to the analogy of Star Trek's Enterprise - a place where everyone works in harmony with one another, and where everyone is an expert at what they do. It is because of this seamless, selfless environment that the ship escapes out of precarious predicaments, driving ever onwards towards greater and greater discoveries.
I have really strong interests in the computer gaming and medical device industries. "Making the Liberal Arts Degree Pay Off," an article in The Key Reporter, Phi Beta Kappa's quarterly newsletter, offered some good advice by stating that in order to be successful, one should focus on the industries one wants to work in and study them in excruciating detail. Therefore, I'm really studying a lot about both, in hopes of someday being able to find a dream job. One such dream job would be to have a position at Blizzard Entertainment, in Irvine.
First, I have to thank the Orange County Register for broadcasting how great it is to work for Blizzard, arguably one of the most successful gaming studios in the world. Now that the word's out, finding a great job there just went from "insanely impossible" to "be sure to apply again during your next Earthly incarnation." I won't stop giving up though!
http://www.ocregister.com/articles/employees-blizzard-company-2373930-sams-work
I often ride my bike past Blizzard's large iron gates, pausing to stare at the campus' many buildings. Doing so makes me sympathise with the great literary hero Charlie Bucket, who often stared through the fence of the Wonka Factory, dreaming of what it's like to be one of the privileged few inside. To work for Blizzard, I'd practically give up everything. As long as I could mop the company's floors for minimum wage, I think I'd be euphorically happy. Sadly, my resume is that of a professional marketing specialist and copywriter, and I'm often overlooked for the company's small, important ground-floor positions such as customer service associate or quality assurance tester. If I could just get the opportunity to prove myself and work my way up to great things, it would be a dream come true.
Friday, October 2, 2009
A Thought About Social Networking
In my recent job hunt, I've had the pleasure of meeting lots of great, professional people. Mixing it up at social events, job fairs and interviews has introduced me to wonderful folks I probably never would've had the pleasure of chatting up anywhere else.
One thing I've learned is that everyone is insistent on jumping aboard the social networking train, which calls to mind a saying espoused by Spider-Man.
"With great power comes great responsibility."
After much tweaking of my LinkedIn and Twitter profiles recently, I began to think that these sites everyone perceives as so great are both beneficial and destructive in equal measure. They open doors for you by putting your name out there in front of the people making hiring decisions. They also put your thoughts, feelings and personal interests out in the open for scrutiny and judgment.
It's quite chilling when you think about it. How many people have been in situations where an e-mail has been misinterpreted or misunderstood, only because the offended party was not present to hear the vocal tone or inflection of the writer? Now we are all opening ourselves up for all to see, with not only our personal predilections out in the open, but our thoughts and feelings as well.
It is true that now we are at the mercy of a great tide - the Internet. All we can do is use our gift of common sense and police ourselves as best we can. But who doesn't think twice about who may be offended these days before clicking "publish post" or "tweet?" It's even scary to think that one must educate their children at age 10 to be careful about what kind of information, thoughts or personal opinions they put out there. All a prospective employer has to see is, "Partied all night at Roscoe's," before tossing a resume into the garbage, but do they stop to think if the post was made 15 years ago, when the applicant was a high school student? Who knows how long the stuff we post will linger out there? Why should erroneous posts made in the heat of passion or as a fun-loving teenager live on into perpetuity to compromise one's chances of earning an honest living?
I'm not down on social networking by any means. I just like to think and ruminate about all sides of the equation. How many great future musicians have been lost to time, now that the Internet has all but destroyed music sales? Nobody mourns what will never come to pass, but perhaps they should. Unfortunately we repeat the pattern of ruining things first and longing for what once was, before trying to rebuild ala The Lorax.
Best of luck to all who find themselves looking for work, and remember to use social networking carefully and responsibly!
One thing I've learned is that everyone is insistent on jumping aboard the social networking train, which calls to mind a saying espoused by Spider-Man.
"With great power comes great responsibility."
After much tweaking of my LinkedIn and Twitter profiles recently, I began to think that these sites everyone perceives as so great are both beneficial and destructive in equal measure. They open doors for you by putting your name out there in front of the people making hiring decisions. They also put your thoughts, feelings and personal interests out in the open for scrutiny and judgment.
It's quite chilling when you think about it. How many people have been in situations where an e-mail has been misinterpreted or misunderstood, only because the offended party was not present to hear the vocal tone or inflection of the writer? Now we are all opening ourselves up for all to see, with not only our personal predilections out in the open, but our thoughts and feelings as well.
It is true that now we are at the mercy of a great tide - the Internet. All we can do is use our gift of common sense and police ourselves as best we can. But who doesn't think twice about who may be offended these days before clicking "publish post" or "tweet?" It's even scary to think that one must educate their children at age 10 to be careful about what kind of information, thoughts or personal opinions they put out there. All a prospective employer has to see is, "Partied all night at Roscoe's," before tossing a resume into the garbage, but do they stop to think if the post was made 15 years ago, when the applicant was a high school student? Who knows how long the stuff we post will linger out there? Why should erroneous posts made in the heat of passion or as a fun-loving teenager live on into perpetuity to compromise one's chances of earning an honest living?
I'm not down on social networking by any means. I just like to think and ruminate about all sides of the equation. How many great future musicians have been lost to time, now that the Internet has all but destroyed music sales? Nobody mourns what will never come to pass, but perhaps they should. Unfortunately we repeat the pattern of ruining things first and longing for what once was, before trying to rebuild ala The Lorax.
Best of luck to all who find themselves looking for work, and remember to use social networking carefully and responsibly!
Thursday, October 1, 2009
Thoughts on Entertainment Software Association Newsletter
Today I was enjoying my latest update from the Entertainment Software Association, and I was surprised to see a piece about my home state of Massachusetts becoming a home base to computer game studios.
For years I'd always imagined sunny California was the place to be if you were a game designer, but apparently this is changing. A possible factor could be the high cost of doing business in California. Massachusetts has always been noted for encouraging and nurturing new industries.
Off the top of my head I know Curt Schilling (of Red Sox fame) founded his own gaming studio in Maynard - 38 Studios. What's even more impressive is that they've acquired Big Huge Games! Pretty impressive, and I'm anxious to see what the future holds for them, especially in terms of their planned MMORPG release.
Computer gaming contributes more than $2 billion to the Massachusetts state economy, a pretty significant sum when you think about it. The sector is growing too, with a 20% increase in jobs seen to be on the horizon.
Something to keep in mind, if you want a career in the gaming industry, and the seafood isn't bad either!
For years I'd always imagined sunny California was the place to be if you were a game designer, but apparently this is changing. A possible factor could be the high cost of doing business in California. Massachusetts has always been noted for encouraging and nurturing new industries.
Off the top of my head I know Curt Schilling (of Red Sox fame) founded his own gaming studio in Maynard - 38 Studios. What's even more impressive is that they've acquired Big Huge Games! Pretty impressive, and I'm anxious to see what the future holds for them, especially in terms of their planned MMORPG release.
Computer gaming contributes more than $2 billion to the Massachusetts state economy, a pretty significant sum when you think about it. The sector is growing too, with a 20% increase in jobs seen to be on the horizon.
Something to keep in mind, if you want a career in the gaming industry, and the seafood isn't bad either!
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