When I was an electronics engineer Silicon Valley was the hub of the hardware world. Around 1992 we had 60,000 unemployed electronics engineers here. Recruiters from Austin would come to visit us in large numbers and brag about how great things were in Austin. Everything is big in Texas.

They told us that houses were $85,000 compared to the $375,000 price tag our houses cost. Lots were huge compared to our 85 foot wide lots. Everything was cheaper. Move to Austin. Some people did and they took the mentality of some Silicon Valley companies with them. If you are over 40 you are worthless!

September of 1992 President Bush (the elder) was here running for president. A friend of mine went to a campaign meeting and asked this question: “What are you going to do for the 60,000 unemployed electronics engineers in Silicon Valley”? President Bush answered without a blink of the eye, “There are plenty of jobs at McDonalds! Next question”! This made the television news and I will never forget it!

You have to find a way to get an interview. In 1990 I was looking for work and sent out 200 resumes in one month and received 200 thank you notes from each company that I had applied for work. I did get a job that lasted until 1993, and things changed. I had sent out 200 resumes in one month and not one company acknowledged them. So I had to reinvent myself and become a programmer.

The job scene changes often like where to look (forget newspapers) and head hunters can be the best source at this time. Being interviewed is an art form. It helps to be well rehearsed and be a bit of an actor. Makeup! Be sure that you have the skill set the company requires. Stay up to date.

A job fair I went to in April of 2000 at the Santa Clara, California Convention Center (Santa Clara will soon be the new home of the 49ers football team) had 1608 jobs listed. Two jobs were for Microsoft positions (one visual basic and one Windows NT) and 1606 were for Java.

What skills are demanded today? You have to stay on top of things to have a chance at being employed.








>Yeah, and most of those people moved (and brought the attitude) to Austin.
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>Funniest thing tho, when I finally bit the bullet and dyed the hair I got hired for a job in San Antonio sight unseen. When that contract was running out, dyed the hair again to prep for face-to-face interviews and got hired for this job (in Plano, near Dallas) sight unseen.
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>But in Austin, particularly if you're female, if you've got gray hair then you're stupid and can't learn nuthin'.
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>>Forget the preconceived notions that others believe in as if it were a religion. Here in Silicon Valley they have told us for thirty years, “If you are over 40, nobody wants you”! There are companies that actually have that attitude but I avoid them!
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>>There are those “friends” that will tell you to forget looking for a job. Your are over the hill. You are of no value. Just do not believe them and stay around positive people. Looking for a job is a full time job in itself.
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>>Tom in "Lovely Silicon Valley"