Click on Member name for details.
| Member Name | Employer |
| Paul Ahlstrom | Maxtor |
| Curtis Albrecht | Unemployed |
| Clark Anderson | |
| Cliff Ankersen | Lantek Systems, Inc. |
| Ilka Archambault | Hewlett-Packard |
| Leila Bauer | CU Boulder |
| Debbie Berardino | Blackhawk GeoServices |
| Dale Breidenbach | Confluence Communications |
| Jan Buitron | Writing for Cutter.com |
| Gary Clark | Vestas Blades America |
| Karen Cody-Hopkins | Law Firm |
| Dave Colliton | FortNet (.org) |
| Glenda Comstock | Sara Lee |
| Ken Davis | Value Plastics |
| Russ Dean | Kinkos |
| Jeff Dinius | |
| Dan Dorenfeld | ADIC |
| Gary Edelmaier | LSI Logic Storage Systems |
| Kevin Garten | TPI |
| Patrick Griffin | |
| Ken Grindall | none |
| Mike Grothus | Dot Hill Systems |
| Tom Hall | Dot Hill |
| Dave Hansen | HEI |
| Scott Hapner | FC Area Chamber of Commerce |
| Robert Harper | |
| Joe Harpring | Johns Manville |
| Olian Helsel | |
| Charlie Huguenot | Envisage Consultancy Services |
| Diana Hutchinson | Woodward Governor |
| Martin Jones | |
| Tinyee Jue | VaporTech |
| Ken Kappeler | Intel |
| David Keaton | self |
| Karen Keeran | Colorado Inspection Agency |
| Jordan Kobalka | |
| Scott Lamons | Hewlett-Packard |
| Maureen Lienau | CSU |
| Jeff Loh | Jacobs Engineering Group |
| Dan Matheson | |
| Steve Mecham | LSI Corp. Engenio Storage Grou |
| Craig Mueller | Geogolf, LLC |
| David Mullaney | Excelsior Software |
| Mari Murphy | IT Larimer County Government |
| Greg Nellis | Out of State |
| Matthew Neswold | Synergetics @ USDA |
| Connie ODell | CO Consulting |
| Robert Peever | Self |
| Frank Peluso | Dept of Veteran Affairs, Denve |
| Ken Pelzel | Xcel Energy |
| Chris Perry | www.CorAccess.com |
| Dave Perry | Confluence Communications |
| Mark Peterson | BI, Inc |
| Sirois Randy | AT&T |
| Gayle Richardson | Analyst |
| Hitomi Salazar | BreakThrough MGT |
| Lesley Salvon | Great Panes Glassworks, Inc. |
| Cathy Sands | Ensight Services |
| Carol Satterlee | Northrop Grumman |
| Kevin Saxton | C3D Corp |
| Jim Schaffner | Aerotek |
| Patricia Schuller | Ball Areospace |
| Donald Simmons | |
| Tina Simmons | Helix |
| Frank Sinkule | Seeking Work |
| John Spencer | ADDed Potential Coaching, Volt |
| Patty Surman | Anthem Blue Cross & Blue Shiel |
| Doug Tabor | The Root Group |
| John Taylor | Tyco Healthcare Valleylab |
| Dan Thompson | Ball Aerospace |
| Michelle Tschudy | Storage Tek |
| Jose Luis Vallejo | New York Life |
| Deb Van Sickle | Abacus/DoubleClick |
| Gregory Vogl | Remote Data Backups |
| Mark Wagner | DakoCytomation |
| Bill Watkins | StrikeWire LLC |
| Walter Weaver | Medoneonline |
| Charles Wells | TruStile Doors, Inc. |
| Paul Whitehead | SBC - Texas |
| Wendy Wyckaert | HP |
| x x | x |
| Lingzhen Zhao | FC public library |
| Paul Ahlstrom | Maxtor |
| Hi Dave, I would like to present this information in person, but my first day at work at Maxtor in Longmont is Monday, 8/11/03, after receiving an official offer Thursday, 8/7/03. First, I want to thank you and the rest of the Longnet staff, as well as all the Longnet members, who have provided encouragement, information, knowledge, and support through my unemployment. Your advice and encouragement was invaluable. The following is a demonstration of how networking succeeds, especially through groups like Longnet. Ever since my unemployment began, I had been networking with friends and former associates for job leads, and attending networking meetings at Longnet and other places. Four of my five on-site interviews were obtained at least in part through networking, and the job I landed was definitely due to networking. When I discovered the openings at Maxtor, also through Longnet, I applied online, but immediately requested an inside contact from Longnet. One of the members (Mark Wagner) was a former coworker of a person in the group the job was targeted for (although I didn't know that at the time). The Maxtor employee forwarded it to a senior engineer, who called me for a phone screen. Once the hiring manager was back in town, an on-site interview was arranged, and it turned out to be a very good fit for me. They had already interviewed 3 others, and another candidate was interviewing the same day as me. The kicker in this diatribe is this: the last interviewer told me that my on-line application/resume had been screened out, since I didn't have "disc drive" in my experience listing (he said they corrected this later, since that experience wasn't needed for this position, but it would have been too late for me). So, the only way my resume got the necessary visibility was through my Longnet connection. Thanks again for your help and support. If I get a chance, I'll be sure to stop by to a meeting. Best Regards, Paul Ahlstrom | |
| Curtis Albrecht | Unemployed |
| Completed 12-month civilian contract in Iraq (09/17/2007) Completed 10-month military deployment in Kuwait (04/30/2006) | |
| Clark Anderson | |
| 1) A friend (previous co-worker / supervisor) recommended hiring me. This temporary position lasted for a year! 2) My resume was found on The LongNet (predecessor to CollectiveNet) website. That lead to an interview and a very good 5 week temporary job! | |
| Cliff Ankersen | Lantek Systems, Inc. |
| This
group has been a big help in learning some of the ways to go about a
job search effectively. There are certain things which help any job
search, a group like this working together is always much better than
going it alone. I highly recommend this network and all that the members have to offer. The future is not ours to see, so we must be open for potential opportunities in places where we may not expect them. My latest position was yet another directed opportunity from above. Keep your eyes and ears open. May God be with you all in your search efforts. | |
| Ilka Archambault | Hewlett-Packard |
| Hello NoCoNet Members, First of all I sincerely thank NoCoNet and its members and I cannot stress enough the importance of the existence of this organization. And since Doug loves to hear success stories ... here is another one: As some of you know, in May I accepted a 3.5 months contract position as Program Manager at LSI Logic. Unfortunately the business situation does not allow an extension of my contract or to hire me permanently so I started looking for other opportunities a couple of weeks ago. By pure chance (I usually don't look for postings here) I saw a Project Manager position posted on CollectiveNet by Adecco. Although the job description was not all that of a great match I sent my resume anyway. By the time I interviewed, the job description had changed so much that it turned into a 100% match for my diverse background and my present career goal. To make a long story short, this week -- on my birthday -- I accepted a 3 months contract-to-hire position as Sales/Marketing Program Manager with StarTek in Greeley starting September. I want to thank all of the NoCoNet members who responded to my inquiry for inside information about the company. Especially I want to thank Tim Stroh, who took quite a bit the time on a Sunday evening to talk with me about StarTek. It was extremely helpful during the interview. THANKS! Again, I want to stress the importance of connecting with people, using the tools and networking opportunities of NoCoNet and CollectiveNet. Do company monitoring. And don't hesitate to ask your fellow NoCoNet members for help with job opportunities. I know by now, despite all good intentions, once one gets a job it is really hard to stay involved and connected as much. I cannot come to any meetings but I will keep my eyes and ears open for leads and if I see opportunities to help I will do that. All the best! Stay in touch! Ilka Archambault. | |
| Leila Bauer | CU Boulder |
| I found a job! And an excellent one at that! Today was my first day on the job at the University of Colorado in Boulder. I am a Grant Accountant working for the Accounting and Budget Services in the Sponsor Projects area. It is very exciting. This is a great opportunity for me. I appreciate all the help and support that I received from the Longnet group. The meetings really helped me fine-tune my presentation style. After several years of working for the military, I didn't realize how rusty I had become! Thanks for everything - you guys are brilliant! | |
| Debbie Berardino | Blackhawk GeoServices |
| After being laid off from Sun Microsystems in November 2001, I applied for many jobs both on-line and from the newspaper. I also attended networking meetings with 3 different groups. I took a temporary job at the company where I am currently employed. I answered an ad in the Denver Post. It took six months being a temp, but finally in March I was made full time. | |
| Dale Breidenbach | Confluence Communications |
| I'd like to report that myself and Dale Breidenbach are now employed at Confluence Communications, in Fort Collins. To the members of Collectivenet and NoConet, I'd like to thank you all for your help and support during 2003. It is very key that you keep looking for opportunities and keep your networks open. Things change and you MUST keep the networks current and active. I kept in touch with Confluence and they had not one, but two opportunities. This is change from 2-3 months ago. Dale and I were able to interview, evaluate and then accept positions at Confluence. I would like to stay active w/ NoCoNet/Collective net as much as possible as Conlflunence will be working with many companies on the front range and I'll pass on info as I can. If any of you run across opportunites at companies where you feel they might need marketing support and services, please drop me an email. With the outsourcing trend, I expect many companies will need marketing services and support. BTW - we are finding that the planning and organization skills learned at HP are in high demand at many companies! Thanks again and here is the new contact information. Feel free to pass this information on to any contacts that might need our marketing servies. | |
| Jan Buitron | Writing for Cutter.com |
| Just finished a Master's Degree in Information Assurance in the top 1% of my class. My school job ended in September, so I am back in the job market. - - - - YAY!! I am back in Boulder County! Anyone with a clearance can contact me for immediate consideration for work at IBM, Boulder. (6-29-2007) - - - - - - - - - It has been an interesting 10 months. I have met lots of supportive, intelligent people. Having a group like LongNet makes the tough haul between jobs a little smoother. I have enjoyed getting to know every one. I started my new job on March 10, 2005. I will keep folks posted how things go. RMIUG-Jobs group is what got my resume "in the face" of the hiring manager at Tuff Shed! May Collectivenet reach its goal of 100% placement. | |
| Gary Clark | Vestas Blades America |
| NoCoNet is a great way to help improve your network and networking skills. They also help fine tune all aspects of your job search activities. The best part of NoCoNet is the camaraderie and job hunting support that the group (and many individuals) provide every Monday morning. It helps motivate you to reach your weekly goals. | |
| Karen Cody-Hopkins | Law Firm |
| I
am happy to help people looking for employment in the legal field. Also
our law firm does bankruptcy and employment law cases so one of my
colleagues may be able to answer questions in those areas. | |
| Dave Colliton | FortNet (.org) |
| A Linked IN user. | |
| Glenda Comstock | Sara Lee |
| I
have accepted a position as Key Account Manager with the Sara Lee Fresh
Bakery Group. It puts me in an underemployed position but with a good
company and growth potential. You can move me to Alumni and hopefully
can be a resource for positions with Sara Lee. | |
| Ken Davis | Value Plastics |
| To all of Longnet: I can clearly say that Longnet had a direct impact on me finding my job. If not for Bob Bowman inviting the director of HR from Intrado to a meeting, I would have never had the opportunity to make that first connection. From there I continued to develop and enhance my relationship with Intrado through networking. Finally, I got the right interview and a job offer. So I am living proof that thing we do and talk about at our meeting do really work. Thanks to Bob and the members of Longnet for all your help. | |
| Russ Dean | Kinkos |
| Hello, Thanks for sending the e-mail. I am working again. I took a position as an Assistant Branch Manager for FedEx Kinko's. | |
| Jeff Dinius | |
| I have accepted employment with Customer Service Associates (CSA). I have enjoyed working with the people in NoCoNet. I have received more benefit from Collectivenet than I could have ever expected. Thanks so much for the support and encouragement. | |
| Dan Dorenfeld | ADIC |
| 03/2004 I'd like to thank Dave Hansen and Collectivenet for providing the service that they do. It has been very useful to me. I have this job due to staying in contact with my recruiter. It pays to persevere. | |
| Gary Edelmaier | LSI Logic Storage Systems |
| Today I started my new job at LSI Logic Storage Sytems in Boulder. Thanks for all the support for the six months that I was unemployed. The job resulted from a former co-worker who passed my name on to an engineer at LSI Logic who passed my resume up the line. You never know who is thinking about you. Take care. I will keep my eyes and ears open. Gary | |
| Kevin Garten | TPI |
| Longnet was a positive influence during my unemployment. By meeting on Monday it helped me set the tone for my week and helped me get going. The members of Longnet care about each other and are willing to help anyone. It is a good resource for networking and learning good networking skills. Please contact me if I can be of assistance to anyone in the Longnet group. | |
| Patrick Griffin | |
| I am currently employeed at Maxim Systems | |
| Ken Grindall | none |
| Key reference letters available on request! | |
| Mike Grothus | Dot Hill Systems |
| I just began working at Dot Hill Systems, Inc. in Longmont. Dot Hill is a market leader in providing flexible storage offerings (SAN's) and responsive service and support to OEMs and system integrators. Thanks to all the people at Longnet for their support. It was through networking that this job came to me, so do keep working on your networks if you are still searching for a job. | |
| Tom Hall | Dot Hill |
| I was reluctant to write a testimonial, since I thought my situtation was unusual, but then I realized that that's probably one of the first things people need to realize when they get laid off - their situation is ALWAYS unusual. In fact, it's unique. | |
| Dave Hansen | HEI |
| Hi
all, After over 18 months of looking for that illusive “next position”,
I too have accepted an offer. Med Source interviewed me almost 2 months
ago and just came through this week. This is a great engineering
position with a lot of possibilities. But it wouldn’t have happened
without the connections in Collectivenet. This position was posted to the Collectivenet though one of the members and was not made public except through the Collectivenet. The member that posted it knew the hiring manager and was able to pass that information on. Without the extensive network of professionals that we all have created, I would still be looking. I intend on continuing to remain as active as possible in the group and hope that I can pass on leads that will benefit others. The best words of wisdom that I could pass on is this, “Don’t give up, add a new job hunting strategy to your plan everyday and talk to everybody”. | |
| Scott Hapner | FC Area Chamber of Commerce |
| Many Thanks to all the wonderfull people at NoCoNet. The program was always a wonderful way to start the week. Each meeting was benificial in some aspect of my job search. It pays to get involved, too. I became employed very soon after I started volunteering (sorry guys). I hope to be of service to you in the future with resources from my new career at the Fort Collins Area Chamber of Commerce. Please contact me any time. Scott Hapner (970) 482-3751 ex 100, shapner@fcchamber.org | |
| Robert Harper | |
| Dave, I am working now. Thank you for the reminder. | |
| Joe Harpring | Johns Manville |
| As
of 23 September I have received and accepted a written offer from Johns
Manville in Denver, Colorado. I will start there on October 5, 2009, as
a Quality Specialist in their Roofing Systems Group. Thanks very much to all the leaders, supporters, and friends in NoCoNet, Collectivenet, and other networking groups. I appreciate your support, and will return the support by referring any opportunities I find. Thanks again, -Joe Harpring | |
| Olian Helsel | |
| now have a great job that is right up my alley and I enjoy it. Not only that but the pay is great. | |
| Charlie Huguenot | Envisage Consultancy Services |
| The Director of Engineering job that I have was not advertised and I was recommended by a ex co worker who I met at a recent soccer meet. So the moral of the story is network like crazy and you never know who may have a contact for your next dream job!!!!! | |
| Diana Hutchinson | Woodward Governor |
| I
really enjoyed my participation in NoCoNet -- thanks for the help in
honing my skills and keeping my energy level up. The company monitoring
program really helped me with motivation and a method for learning
about new companies. Several NoCoNet members and alumni helped me with
job leads and company information. I am glad to have met so many great
people and I hope to keep in contact and help others along the way. | |
| Martin Jones | |
| I returned to work a week ago. I am working as a HR Mgr (of all things) and operations manager for a small land development and construction company. | |
| Tinyee Jue | VaporTech |
| Initially responded to job ad in the Broomfield Enterprise. Checked on job status weekly. Persistence pays off along with keeping in touch with people that know you, especially your references. I believe my persistence landed me the initial interview, confidence in my ability to do the stated job and my pending PMP certification got me the second interview. The closer, however, was keeping in touch with my former management who gave me a glowing recommendation. One of the panel interviewers worked for my former company and knew three of my references! Because I knew they wanted me and was a good fit for the position, I was able to counter their initial offer. They say the biggest raise you will ever get is during your initial salary negotiation. Don't be afraid to ask for more money. Be sure to be diplomatic and non-threatening about it. Do you homework and know your value upfront (check salary.com for industry standards). Good luck! | |
| Ken Kappeler | Intel |
| Employed at Intel. | |
| David Keaton | self |
| I
gained quite a bit from the groups under the Collectivenet umbrella.
The techniques I learned made a huge difference in my ability to get
noticed, get an interview, and get the job (or in my case a contract,
since I am a consultant). | |
| Karen Keeran | Colorado Inspection Agency |
| Hello Dave, I am employed as a Controller for a small company in Windsor called Colorado Inspection Agency. I started at the end of March. Thanks for being a resource for folks who are searching. Best Regards, Karen S. Keeran | |
| Jordan Kobalka | |
| Collectivenet is a good resource for those seeking employment. I found my job through networking with several members. Here is a list of actions I think are important in the job search process: Things to do for job search. 1) File unemployment ASAP 2) It's a numbers game - 1000 "touches" to get 10 interviews for 1 job offer. 2a) 20 touches per week = recruiters, people, phone calls, applications 3) Decide on geographic preferences. Companies typically won't pay in this environment. Paying your own way is tax deductable, but can still be a considerable expense. 4) Budget based on your current savings. How long can you last? Eliminate "luxury" items. 5) If still employed (lame duck,) ask for severance/outplacement services. 6) Reconstitute networking list. 7) Don't depend on web. Most jobs are hidden and you need an insider. 8) Update resume 9) Career centers/libraries have directories of companies: Rocky Mountain High Tech Directory Tech & Manufacturer's Directory 9a) Find interesting companies - from directories/driving around business parks. 9b) Research them (web) 9c) Network to find names 9d) Write proposals/regular cover letters. Modify resume for each company 9e) Resume drops (dealing with front desk gatekeeper) 10) WRITE (by hand) thank you notes to everybody you have an interview with. Especially the "people of power." | |
| Scott Lamons | Hewlett-Packard |
| I'm currently working in HP's Open Source Program Office based in Fort Collins where I manage HP's Open Source software governance program company wide. | |
| Maureen Lienau | CSU |
| I
recently signed on for a position with Princeton REview in Colorado so
as much as I enjoyed receiving this postings, I will not be needing
them anymore. | |
| Jeff Loh | Jacobs Engineering Group |
| Update:
I'm currently employed, indirectly through collectivenet I was able to
expand my network to eventually land this job. I recommend anyone
looking for work to use every resource available to you, and keep at it! ~~~~~~~~~~~~ bio~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Experienced mid-level project manager and data analyst, with proven success in process improvement, data integration, and EPCM industry (infrastructure) background. Customer focused, results oriented and self-starting. Skills offered include AM/FM systems, CAD and GIS, as well as process tracking and project management tools (MS Project, Clarify, Remedy, SQL) | |
| Dan Matheson | |
| I will be starting a permanent half-time job on 1 Sep. The other half will be working on my Ph.D. Good luck with your job serach. --Dan Matheson | |
| Steve Mecham | LSI Corp. Engenio Storage Grou |
| Actions: * Targeted several high-tech growing markets with Northern Colorado locations * Learned about those markets and suppliers including informational interviews * Networked for contacts * Tailored resume, cover letter * Developed solid answer for "Why should we hire you?" to provide clear value from background plus understanding of the company and market | |
| Craig Mueller | Geogolf, LLC |
| I'm
very pleased with the varied ways NoCoNet helped me present my value
proposition, manage the vagaries of job seeking, provided me job leads,
and, especially, provided a worthy place to invest my energies and keep
my skills sharp. Geogolf is a technology startup targeting the leisure golf marketplace. Winter 09: we're building a feasibility demonstration of our product idea and seeking partner/customer development funding in 2010. -- Craig M | |
| David Mullaney | Excelsior Software |
| NoCoNet (like the other grassroots organizations in CollectiveNet) has been a big part of my successful job search. The leads, networking, training, service and fellowship have been a real blessing. During my last search (Nov 2007-Apr 2008), I learned more about what I want in a company and a position, and I held out for it successfully. | |
| Mari Murphy | IT Larimer County Government |
| Marketing/Communications professional with successful track record creating cost effective programs on time within budget. | |
| Greg Nellis | Out of State |
| I am working... thanks ... in California! | |
| Matthew Neswold | Synergetics @ USDA |
| I started out PT with Synergetics and converted to Fulltime with benefits as contract Employee @ the USDA | |
| Connie ODell | CO Consulting |
| There
were three things I found contributed most significantly to obtaining
my first contract, which has allowed me to start a profitable design
verification consulting business. They were: 1) Staying current with verification and EDA standards by volunteering on standards committees (Free), and attending conferences and training in my field ($$$), 2) Attending local EDA events, and giving almost everyone there my elevator speech, along with a friendly inquiry about possible opportunities that match it (Free), 3) Having a searchable resume on the Collectivent website (Free) I did many, many other things in my job search, but these are the three that delivered the obvious payback. Connie L. O'Dell http://co-consulting.net | |
| Robert Peever | Self |
| looking
for technicians work or low profile engineering. Much experience in
test equipment and computerized testing. much experience to bring to
the team. | |
| Frank Peluso | Dept of Veteran Affairs, Denve |
| LongNet and CollectiveNet are incredible sources of Job Leads, that every job seeker should have and be a member of. If you know someone who isn’t a memeber, bring them along to a meeting, or at the least, show the URL to one of the affiliated network groups in the Front Range. To not be a member is like being in the dark during your job search. | |
| Ken Pelzel | Xcel Energy |
| 10/24/03 Wow! Finally a member of the gainfully employed club! It's been a struggle, but the networking groups have helped immensely. I was active in three groups: Longnet, NoCoNet, and Christian Career Circle (SHM). I also was a member, but not very active in: HighTech Network, North Denver (DBM), RMIUG, and others. I encourage multiple network group involvement. They are all a little different, and offer help in different ways. I received numerous job leads from the groups including at least two real offers. As more and more local companies are signed up to post jobs to Collectivenet (that's where you come in), Job Searchers will benefit immensely -- as will Colorado companies. I do have a few caveats and words of advice. 1) Apply the BS test to any and all advice from those whose job it is to make a living from the unemployed. In the final analysis you are the best judge of what's right for you. (This includes stuff I say here.) 2) There is no such thing as the perfect resume', cover letter, interview technique. Pat rules don't apply. Customization to the job is the key. It is true that hiring managers spend little time reading your resume', and next to no time reading your cover letter so make them hard-hitting so they get noticed, but don't sweat every little detail. 3) Be focussed. If you have a job search strategy that says, "well I was a test engineer, but I could do production management, or product design, or yada yada yada," you need to distill down. I started out that way because I felt I could get a job faster / easier if I cast a wider net. However, I found I got more interviews, job offers, interest when I became more targeted. Companies don't want to train / will not train; so they want people who can contribute immediately. If you appear as too much of a generalist they will take the specialist first. 4) If you are not a technical jock (or jockette) you probably have been disappointed, as I was, with the constant emphasis at network meetings on software, engineer, IT, and network jobs ad nauseum. Be patient. You can still learn from the people on the dark side. They aren't very helpful in finding job leads, but they have a fair understanding of company culture, future prospects, etc. Besides they will probably end up working for you. (Just kidding!) Finally, I want to thank those people who are in leadership roles at Longnet, NoCoNet, and SHM for keeping these valuable groups going. You know who you are. Keep up the good work. Hang in there! Give and you will receive! | |
| Chris Perry | www.CorAccess.com |
| You have all heard it before, networking and having an inside contact is the best way to get a job. Ditto here. I was unemployed for 2 years from my field and bridged the time with all kinds of things I can't list on a resume, such as a children's ski instructor. Thankfully, I was recently employed by a small start up company by my former manager at US West. It was my first interview for an engineering position since he hired me before, in July 2000. Although the CollectiveNet groups did not directly get me this position, it did help change my attitude, increase my job search skills and personal confidence to be able to meet and to work with new people. I don't think anyone could have been more alone during unemployment than I was. There were literrally weeks on end where I did not speak a word on the phone or in person. When it came time to speak English, the connection from my brain to mouth had become loose. Force yourself to smile and talk with new people. It is hard at first and unfruitfull, but in time the positive energy will start to come back to you. I forgot I had such a good sense of humor. Best of luck to whomever may find themselves reading this. chris-perry@ieee.org | |
| Dave Perry | Confluence Communications |
| I'd like to report that myself and Dale Breidenbach are now employed at Confluence Communications, in Fort Collins. To the members of Collectivenet and NoConet, I'd like to thank you all for your help and support during 2003. It is very key that you keep looking for opportunities and keep your networks open. Things change and you MUST keep the networks current and active. I kept in touch with Confluence and they had not one, but two opportunities. This is change from 2-3 months ago. Dale and I were able to interview, evaluate and then accept positions at Confluence. I would like to stay active w/ NoCoNet/Collective net as much as possible as Conlflunence will be working with many companies on the front range and I'll pass on info as I can. If any of you run across opportunites at companies where you feel they might need marketing support and services, please drop me an email. With the outsourcing trend, I expect many companies will need marketing services and support. BTW - we are finding that the planning and organization skills learned at HP are in high demand at many companies! Thanks again and here is the new contact information. Feel free to pass this information on to any contacts that might need our marketing servies. | |
| Mark Peterson | BI, Inc |
| I recently accepted a job with BI, Inc. The entire process took approximately 3 months from when I first learned about the job becoming available to when they offered me the job. Stressful, yes, but well worth it. I have a short commute and enjoy the people I work with. My advice to everyone is network and don't give up. Networking and knowing people is what enabled me to get this job | |
| Sirois Randy | AT&T |
| Never believe what you see and feel when job hunting. Anything is possible. Go forward unafraid and God will be ahead of you. | |
| Gayle Richardson | Analyst |
| I've accepted a job offer and I start on Monday. It's with a start-up management consulting firm that has been in business for 2 years. They are growing and I'll be coming as a Sr. Analyst/Interim Operations Manager. I'm very excited about this opportunity. | |
| Hitomi Salazar | BreakThrough MGT |
| I would like to thank everyone in CollectiveNet and LongNet for their support during my job search. I just accepted a position at Breakthrough Management Group, Inc. (BMG) as their Java software engineer. I got laid off Avaya last July and did very slow job search for a while. I was very disappointed at that time. Mr. Steve Snakey told me about LongNet and I decided to join LongNet in November. Mr. Steve Sankey kindly helped me to set up the interview at Maxtor. The interview went very well but I did not get a job offer from Maxtor. After the interview, I decided to think what was wrong in my job search. Then I took the following actions: Limited a job search 3 hours/days Studied web technologies I need to have as a web application developer. Talked to many recruiters to improve my resume. Work on the open source project to improve my technical skills. Become subscribers for RMIUS, and Java Users group (Mr. Clark Anderson recommended me.) Last few months, I only applied for jobs through CollectiveNet, RMIUG, and DJUG (Denver Java Users Groups) and got so many office interviews. To be honest, I was about to stop job search since I am expecting my first baby on October. My husband laughed at me whenever I went to the office interviews with big stomach. That is why I am so glad to get a job offer. I am going to start working for BMG next Monday. I do not think I would not get any job offers if I was not a member of CollectiveNet and LongNet. I appreciate LongNet member’s advise and support. I enjoyed attending the meeting so much. Thank you so much and good luck on your job search. | |
| Lesley Salvon | Great Panes Glassworks, Inc. |
| My employer said they found my information on the "Colorado State Employment" web site (not sure which), so in my case, they found me. | |
| Cathy Sands | Ensight Services |
| Thanks , I’m now working now at Ensight Services | |
| Carol Satterlee | Northrop Grumman |
| Collectivenet, I would like to thank everyone for their help and support and I would recommand collectivenet for anyone looking for work. Networking is the best way. Best of luck to everyone and thanks for all the help. Carol Satterlee | |
| Kevin Saxton | C3D Corp |
| I'm now working at C3D Corporation as Vice President I don't need any other help right now but I do like keeping up to date, and I still connect with a number of people who are actively looking for new careers. Thanks, Kevin Saxton | |
| Jim Schaffner | Aerotek |
| I recently secured a part-time electronics engineering job via craigslist. you never know who is looking for what out there. | |
| Patricia Schuller | Ball Areospace |
| I started as an Executive Asst. at Ball Aerospace in Broomfield on 12/15--the job I've been waiting for since 3/18/03! So I am officially an alum! I'm working hard to bring two more people on at Ball. When I had my orientation on 12/15, the HR rep said they have 342 job reqs to fill--and that we should tell all our friends to check the Ball website daily. Thank you for your moral support at the Sacred Heart of Mary job networking meetings and also for the Collectivenet help. | |
| Donald Simmons | |
| If you need it tested and it is electronic or electrical - I am able and capable of insuring that the product WILL MEET the applicable specifications BEFORE it gets to your customer! OR to manufacturing from development! | |
| Tina Simmons | Helix |
| I found a full-time four week temporary positon with Helix Technology as a buyer/planner. I resently became certified in production & inventory management through a society called APICS. The hiring manager was in my class and knew I was looking for work in this field. | |
| Frank Sinkule | Seeking Work |
| Keep in touch with your past employers. I have been re-hired in the past, and recently I was given great job search tips and information from my former bosses. | |
| John Spencer | ADDed Potential Coaching, Volt |
| I
took early retirement from Hewlett-Packard after a 27 year career as an
engineer and project manager. I retired August 30, 2002. I trained to be a life coach at the Coaches Training Institute and graduated June 1, 2003. I became an organizer for NoCoNet in May 2003. | |
| Patty Surman | Anthem Blue Cross & Blue Shiel |
| It's been a while since I've been to Longnet, so you probably don't remember me, but ... I'm happy to report that after working a six week temp position at a healthcare benefits broker and currently a temp position back at Sun Microsystems, I received an offer for a permanent (well, as permanent as anything can be these days) full-time position at Anthem Blue Cross & Blue Shield in Denver. I start my new job as a Marketing Communications Specialist on Monday, September 8th. The offer came after a pretty intense round of interviews, but I'd have never gotten the first interview had it not been for a lot of networking. So tell everyone it works! It takes a long time (or at least it did for me), but it's the best way to go. It's been nine months since I was laid off from Sun, and am so glad to be back in the work force. In a new industry, too, which was my goal. Longnet's an awesome group, and I received a lot of support in the time I attended. I pray that you and everyone in Longnet is successful in getting the job and the career that they hope for. | |
| Doug Tabor | The Root Group |
| From: Douglas Tabor <dtabor@w...> Date: Mon Sep 16, 2002 9:03 pm Subject: Long Overdue <and long email> ADVERTISEMENT First of all ... this is a long email and gives a lot more of the story than last Sunday's Daily Camera did. It is long and if you didn't know me or are not interested, delete NOW. Yes, I know that the account of the process is long overdue. After all, I'm working, this is week two on the job and I even received my first paycheck. Each story needs a beginning; a chronology. My last day at Sun was 10/30/2001 with an official end date of 11/7/2001 (I still can't figure that one out.) About a month later on 12/17 I had lunch with my friend Dan, who I used to work with and now, who I work with again at the Root Group. He had heard thru the grapevine that I was RIFed by Sun and that he had recently started his news sales position after a layoff from Lucent had left him unemployed. Unfortunately, he was not aware of any open positions at the Root Group, though suggested submitting a resume anyway. He did mention that another fellow we had both worked with at Sun (and for Dan, before at Auto-Trol) might have an open position where he was working. On Monday 3/18/2002 I received a call out of the blue from Jerry at Grau Data to say he needed a technical person with my kind of backgroup to work with him. The next day, I suited up and interviewed with them for about 3 hours. Two days later I interviewed the rest of the Colorado staff and was on the phone with the president in Germany. All was good at this point. * Until I appeared in person, no resume was ever seen. So what has been said is true ... a resume is only a reference document for AFTER you get in the door. Now let me say this ... my ONE successful web application occured on that Friday 3/22/2002 with an interview at ADIC in Englewood. The interviews there went well and that was the end of that story. No bung-ya letter or anything. On the other hand, Jerry called several times to let me know what was (or wasn't) happening. On 4/5/2002, I had another phone interview with Germany. On 4/20/2002 the president of Grau came over for business and interviewed me at the Boulderado that Saturday morning. I believe that this interview went very well. Monday afternoon, 4/22/02, I attended, on Jerry's request, a sales meeting in Louisville. This was the beginning of my 'virtual employee' status. In early May sales calls were made to a number of prospect Grau customers. Even did some research to create a custom presentation for one prospect in early June. <Is this getting too long?> One of the biggest factors, I believe, in being hired was 1) the slowdown in IT capX acquisition and 2) figuring out how to pay me ... I have to apologize to John (since he is doing a presentation tomorrow on negotiating salary) ... I had mentioned what I made at Sun and the number of digits initially scared them. To invest a bit more "skin in the game" I would lower the base by 25-30% and get a percentage on revenue. Remember Dan? From the beginning of the story? I had lunch with him again on 6/14 and he explained what was going on in his world and how he would like to have me working with him. That same week, I was out on another call with Jerry and the president of Grau ... again. On July 26th, I had both my last 'virtual employee' experience and my first interview with the president at the Root Group. August 7th I was on my way to Las Vegas, on behalf of although not an employee of the Root Group, for a VAR sales meeting to meet some of the people I "might" be working with in the future. After being interviewed by the Daily Camera on 8/13, it was two weeks later that I received an offer of employment. Again, some of the delay was in defining a compensation package where there was "shared risk/shared reward" to augment a lower base salary. In order to bring me up to a run from day one, I did invest a couple of afternoons of 'orientation' at the Root Group going thru programs, processes and procedures. Finally on September 9th, I became an employee ... and had sales calls on my first day! I'm off and running. So, in summary ... what worked and what didn't? Networking, Networking, Networking ... thank you Jim, Bob, Tracy, Terrie and others in the coaching world for that. Between these adventures, I attended many, many networking events ... the regular weekly kind, the monthly type and the once or once-in-a-while types. Always getting in front of people and giving the pitch or giving others contacts I found. Certainly wasn't sleeping in. It was a busy time and even though it didn't net a job for me, it did help bouy up the energy levels. Resumes really didn't work with the return on investment being very low .. I'd guesstimate around 5% Business cards seem to work better as they are an easy pocket reminder for those you meet. I did get an interview/consulting marketing meeting at a small company in Boulder .. which could have been contract work. Knowing as much as you can about a business that you're persuing is goodness. Know their market, products, competition, their people, business model, customers and their customers' customers. Be flexible ... but don't give up more than you should, including self-esteem. In this economy, employers are looking at two things ... increasing revenues and decreasing expenses. BOTTOM LINE. So if you know you can contribute, share in the risk of having you on board. Or negotiate a 3 month/6 month review in your contract so that once they see you in action, you can be comp-ed upward. Always, always, always be Positive and Optmistic. I knew something would happen at some point and I had to have faith in that ... otherwise, I would be crazier than I am now. My friends, thank you for YOUR support of me ... the smiles, the encouragement, knowing we were in the same boat and going to be OK was what made it for me. THANK YOU! Now my duty is to help by keeping an ear out for opportunities for you. There is a LOT of seasoned talent on these aliases and you should be working at a job you want. I will be staying on the aliases (if you will have me after this letter) and contributing as I can. Contact me if you think I might be able to help you. Best of Luck to you all, Douglas Tabor Network Storage Evangelist, Making Technology Understandable, Fun and Profitable Pre-Sales Systems Engineer/Marketing/Education @ The Root Group Douglas Tabor dtabor@w... http://www.wright.com/wci.html | |
| John Taylor | Tyco Healthcare Valleylab |
| I will begin my employement full time on 4/11/05 with Tyco Healthcare Valleylab | |
| Dan Thompson | Ball Aerospace |
| I was unemployed for nearly 9 months, during which time I networked with friends & work associates, fellow LongNet members, friends of friends, etc. I also made use of the many internet job search boards. I wound up getting 2 excellent job offers within 2 days of each other! One of these job opportunities came through a Monster.com search agent. The other, which I accepted, came through a friend of a friend. I was the first of many people interviewed. I knew from the day of the interview that this was the job I desired. One of my interviews that day was cut short, so I took the liberty of calling that person back & asking him if he'd like to continue our interview in person or by phone, which he did. I think that made an impression. Afterwards, I followed up alternately with the hiring manager & the recruiter every other week. I never let them forget me & used every opportunity (within reason) to remind them why I was exactly what they needed in the position. It took 13 weeks for them to finish all their interviews, check my references and give me the offer. Speaking of references, I prepped all my references with a "heads-up" email, including the job description, so they would know ahead of time exactly what this employer was looking for in relation to my background. I can't say enough about the value of the LongNet group to people who are looking for employment. This group is a tremendous link for networking, job information and inside contacts, as well encouragement to keep after it. It's one thing to be without work for a month or two. It's quite another for it to stretch into 6, 9, 12, 15 months or more. My family & I have learned first-hand just how faithful God is during this time. We never missed a payment or a meal. I want to acknowledge how great a Provider God is, regardless of my employment status! I want to encourage all you LongNet people to keep after it, and not give up. If you haven't done so already, I also encourage you to seek the Lord while He may be found. Best Wishes, Dan Thompson | |
| Michelle Tschudy | Storage Tek |
| Keep
being persistent. This is an employers market so candidates shouldn't
be surprised if companies don't negotiate. You can try but be careful. I started networking at STK in August and got the job in November. I plan to keep networking while employed. Networking is important! | |
| Jose Luis Vallejo | New York Life |
| I started working for New York Life Insurance Corporation as agent and registered representative June the 1st-2004- | |
| Deb Van Sickle | Abacus/DoubleClick |
| I
am pleased to announce that I have been offered and have accepted a
position with Abacus, subsidiary of DoubleClick. After being unemployed
and underemployed for the past two years, it is a great feeling to know
that I am about to embark on beginning the "rest of my career" very
soon. I intend to continue to be an alumni member of the Longnet group. Please feel free to use me as a resource for information on this company. I don't begin my new position until December 8th so can't do anything before then. Good luck to all of you.. .... I can't really give you any advice on how I got this position. I don't even remember applying for it. But I think "the big guy upstairs" had a lot to do with it. All I can really say is keep the faith and never give up hope. He has something for everyone when the time is right. Deb Van Sickle | |
| Gregory Vogl | Remote Data Backups |
| After four months and 60 job applications in three states, a job found me. My brother Jim hired me as a full-time web writer/editor for Remote Data Backups in Fort Collins. No job application, no interview. It's not what you know, but who you know? Seriously, though, NoCoNet and CollectiveNet were both valuable resources for me. They helped me to acculturate to what has become a foreign country to me after so many years overseas. I learned much about networking, searching, applying and interviewing for jobs. The job I have is so far only a stop-gap (though it pays ten times what I was making overseas) so I may be back again to NoCoNet to give back some of what I gained, and continue the search. Thanks to everyone for their help. | |
| Mark Wagner | DakoCytomation |
| Through
word on the Longnet alias, I looked up DakoCytomation and found out
they were looking for a high tech technician. After reviewing the job
description, I saw that it not only was something I could do, but
challenging as well. Not challenging like "I hate this job, but I'll
keep doing it" but challengine interesting with alot to learn. Looked
like fun, so I applied. Then, I pinged the Longnet alias for inside
information. A couple people had applied or interviewed there, and
their advice helped alot! I did a phone screening, then and interview with a small group, then a second interview, then they told me they were offering the position! Woo HOOO! (PS: its still cool there!) | |
| Bill Watkins | StrikeWire LLC |
| Dave, I've accepted a position with a small startup company. I'm not 100% sure that it will be permanent but am very hopeful based on our initial contracts. I'm very interested in continuing to stay in touch with Collectivenet if that's possible as a possible employer | |
| Walter Weaver | Medoneonline |
| I am working. Took a position with Med1Online, a distributor of capital medical equipment. | |
| Charles Wells | TruStile Doors, Inc. |
| April 25, 2005 I found that I get more hits on my Monster resume when I "renew" it daily. I've had several phone interviews and a few in-person interviews as a result of my resume being on Monster. | |
| Paul Whitehead | SBC - Texas |
| I just wanted to thank everyone in Collectivenet and Longnet for all their collective efforts and support during my long job hunt. I've recently accepted a position at SBC as their Executive Director of Advanced Access Technologies. After two years of on and off-again looking (while consulting on the side) and only rarely getting any serious interest. I had 3 serious in-depth interviews with 3 very good companies in the last two months eventually ending in this offer. Keep your heads up as hiring is definitely turning around in some sectors. | |
| Wendy Wyckaert | HP |
| Hi All- I just wanted to thank you for your support in my job search. I was just hired for a 1 yr temp position at HP Loveland, doing tech marketing. My hire success was due to CollectiveNet in part, and networking in part. Ages ago, a temp position was posted with CollectiveNet at HP Loveland, which I almost landed, but had some health issues to attend to first. However, I kept in touch with the hiring manager and one of my ex-collegues from my HP days. When they had another position open up, they thought of me and gave me a call, and asked me to apply! Two days later, I had the job! So, hang in there, and keep networking! Cheers, Wendy Wyckaert | |
| x x | x |
| x | |
| Lingzhen Zhao | FC public library |
| I am glad to announce that I found a job in the City of Fort Collins Public Library as a Technical Support Technician. | |