Getting an Open-Source Job in this Post-Recession World

In our post-recessionary age, the job market continues to be highly volatile, unpredictable, and a bit scary. During this presentation, Todd "geekhunter" Cranston-Cuebas, a 13+ year veteran of recruiting for top technical talent in LA, will provide his insight into our open-source technologies job market. The presenter will explore common issues in today's market, issues that impact both the job seeker and the employer. In a nutshell, today's economic climate has led to a disconnect between the skills that job seekers possess, the kinds of jobs that they are interested in, and the specific mix of skills, experience, and knowledge that employers are looking for. Techniques will be presented to help bridge this gap and gain exposure to the employers and the jobs most desired.

Key issues which will be explored include:

• I have great skills and experience, I'm applying all over town, and still no company is interested in me. What am I doing wrong?
• I have projects with deadlines looming and I'll never get this done without new headcount. We've posted our jobs all over town and everyone we're interviewing is falling short. What are we doing wrong?
• I can't go a day without a recruiter calling and bugging me to send in my resume for an "awesome" new job. When should I consider a career move?
• I spent 10 years working on the perfect resume and well... I'm getting no reaction. Which is more important, my resume or my profile on social media?
• I really need to get my resume cleaned up... what should I include, how should I present this information, and what are recruiters looking for?
• OK, I get it... social networking does matter so where are employers looking and what should I include in my social profile?
• Can you walk me through a "day in the life" of a recruiter so I can better understand what you do and what you'd expect me to do as a top candidate?

The overall goal of this presentation will be to ensure that all participants:

• Walk away with a firm understanding of what recruiters do.
• Learn how to position themselves to be noticed by recruiters or employers.
• Understand the difference between being famous and infamous (i.e., OK, so now I noticed you... this better be good!)
• Learn how to build social connections to help bridge the gap between actual experience and potential for growth.
• Learn how to avoid recruiters contacting you for jobs you could never do or jobs you'd never want to do even if you could.
• Learn why the unusual demands placed on hiring managers during this post-recession time has reshaped the very definition of a "job."
• Learn how to use this knowledge to reshape your experience, knowledge, and skills for maximum future success.

This session will be a mixture of presentation, discussion, and Q & A. While there are many ways in which to interpret the unusual job market that we found ourselves in, the presenter will provide guidance and insights based on his real-world experiences and his knowledge of this field. Ultimately however, there are many approaches to job hunting and role-filling and therefore this presentation will be followed by an open Q & A session to gather a wider range of stories, insights, experiences, and of course, address follow up questions.